Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye in the 1950s. The book was a surprisingly successful, however in my school across the nation the book was banded because of the language. The book, itself however, is a flash back to the year before. The year Holden, the main character, broke down. Holden begins the story at his school Pency Prep. He is being kicked out because he doesn't not have passing grades in any class expect English. After Holden gets in a fight with his room mate he leaves the school a few days before Christmas Break, when he is suppose to leave. He heads to the big city where the story becomes more interesting. His adventures in the big city of New York are humorous to say the least. After sneaking home to see Phoebe, his sister, Holden gets worse and the impending break down is much more apparent. Holden does not tell the reader how he broke down or anything after taking his sister out to the carousel. Many People question Holden's sanity. Holden is sane in a sane world because Holden is just like every other person.
Holden Caulfield completely normal and totally sane. He is just like every other boy who walks on this Earth. True, Holden does "pretends" things are happening when they are not really going on. However, most young children do this, and they are not considered insane. Why should Holden? Holden, like most teenage boys, is immature. Immaturity is not insanity. Holden is sixteen, but does not act like it. In fact, he acts as if he is still in junior high. "When the hell are you going to grow up?" (146) Carl Luce asks Holden this, because Holden does not understand why Carl is going out with someone who is in their thirties. The only reason that Holden can imagine is because the sex is good. That is truly the sign of an immature person. Holden asks numerous people throughout the book, "Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? In the spring time and all? Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance?" (81) Not many people who are in high school can ask where the ducks went.