The Mirrow Image (The Catcher In the Rye)

            
             The novel Catcher In The Rye, written by Jerome David Salinger illustrates events of a troubled childhood of a teenager, named Holden Caulfield. Holden presents difficulty in his transition from youth to adulthood. He reveals very confused image throughout the novel and doesn't know how to handle the fact that he has to grow up and become a responsible adult. The author gives Holden a very unusual and distinctive character. Holden has different ways of thinking and liking. He has an incredibly negative attitude towards people in general. He shows absolutely no signs of an optimistic person. Salinger creates such a tone to the novel that the reader becomes completely involved in Caulfield's life and the reader in forced into thinking like him. Holden's narration is very persuasive and we [the reader] have no choice but to be on his side in the situations presented in the novel. Salinger has written the novel in such a way for a purpose: Much of what has happened in Salinger's life is discretely inserted in the novel using Holden's character. Salinger has written the novel to somehow demonstrate past experiences in his life without having to let the reader know that he was writing about himself. Therefore Holden serves as an intermediary for him. .
             Early in the novel we learn that Holden isn't much for education. He has just been kicked out of a private school that he currently was attending, Pencey Prep, because he had failed in all of his courses. In a conversation that he has with a former professor, Mr. Spencer, he makes a very interesting point to Holden. He says, "I believe you also had some difficulty at the Whooton School and at Elkton Hills." (Page 13). Holden was failing out of his third private school! "I didn't have too many difficulty at Elkton Hills," Holden responds back to the teacher, "I didn't exactly flunk out or anything. I just quit, sort of." (Page 13).