Saturday, August 2, 2014

Museums and carousels - ("The Catcher in the rye" by J. D. Salinger)

It would be difficult to spoil the experience of reading "The catcher in the rye", as nothing much really happens in the novel as far as events go. That being said, I will split this post into two parts, the latter one being reserved for those of you that have already read the book, as I feel there is a particular enjoyment in finding and deciphering meaning in any literary work, without being previously exposed to others' views or opinions.


As previously mentioned - not many events occur in the novel. We merely get a look at Holden's view of what had happened to him approximately one year before the moment in which he is actually telling the story. Thus, the story is entirely in first person, and reminds me somewhat of "Forrest Gump". This reminiscence is aided by the fact that Holden is a very troubled person, though not in the same way as Forrest.


So, we are looking at the world through the eyes of a 16-year-old boy. Much of Holden's life is revealed to us through his recollections of the past, and through his (at least attempts at) talking with those around him. In the end, many interesting questions are raised, about Holden in particular, and about the transition to adulthood in general, and the book carries with it a very particular mood. So, in concluding the first part of this post - I would recommend the book to any reader who would be motivated by a contemplation of (lost) innocence, it's relation to the idea of adulthood, as well as rethinking how we empathize and even merely communicate with others, be they strangers, or people close to us. The non-contemplative reader may also find this book valuable for the general ambient and mood that it constructs. To me, this was one of the more compelling aspects of reading it.

---------- spoiler zone starts here ----------

What I found to be a very interesting aspect of the novel is looking at the differences between the two Holdens - the 17-year-old one, and the 16-year-old one. The main difference being how the younger version fails at every single attempt of getting someone to listen to him, while the 17-year-old one is writing a novel that made me honestly care about him. The first-person-view plays a huge role, though. Holden harbors his own kind of insanity that distinctly separates him from the "normal" people around him, but looking at things from his point of view makes it so very easy to think that the others are the insane ones. I found myself thinking it more than once. I'm pointing it out because this is such a real concept - I can hardly think of a person that would deny that they themselves stumble through life in much the very same way.

To me, one particularly beautiful and sad 16-year-old Holden moment was the night-morning where he first pays a hooker to talk to him, which she almost too gladly fails at, and then directly afterwards pays two nuns to talk to him, which they also fail to do. He manages to play out a hero inside his mind by recklessly fighting for $5 in the night, and then giving $10 that were not even asked for in the morning, but this moral victory does nothing to solve the immediate problem - which is that Holden is trying to talk to anyone, and keeps failing miserably.

The "duck question" was particularly strong to me, because it is so clearly obvious that he is not asking about any ducks, and yet not one of the two cabbies even tries to take him seriously. This was also the first moment where I noticed how shortsighted Holden's pain is. He is asking about what will happen in the winter as if winter is the end of all time, which it obviously isn't. Isn't that how we see pain always, though? We always know that our difficult times are not the end of the world, but oh can they seem like they are.

The hunting cap is one rare shining light in the novel - a magical item that keeps Holden shielded when he needs it most. Sadly, he feels he must put it away in the presence of adults (much like a teddy bear). It was interesting to me that the only two prominent mentions of the color red were in describing the hat, and in describing Allie's hair color, thereby making an obvious link in Holden's mind. Otherwise, though, the novel is mostly colorless - there are varying shades of gray, white and black, but very little color in general (there is a gold ring somewhere towards the end, though, and an important one).

It is obvious that the 16-year old Holden feels that he is aging (his obsession with his gray hair, and the obvious function of the hat in that regard), and he doesn't like it. He enjoys the natural history museum because everything in it stays the way it is, forever. This enjoyment is accompanied by a question for Holden - how to achieve this stillness of time himself. His passion for the past is clear when Phoebe asks him what he likes - he starts his thought process in the past, and only after all options are exhausted, he thinks of the present. However, when he entered Phoebe's room, and started the conversation, merely a few minutes earlier, he clearly noted how that particular moment was one in which he was happy.

The two people that do enter into conversation with Holden are his sister Phoebe and his teacher. The later one actually talking at Holden, rather than with him, all the while being a probable pervert, and ultimately doesn't turn out to be of much use. Phoebe (who is a child) is the one that makes Holden realize his "catcher" calling. The problem with being a catcher is that he must be the tall one in the picture - an adult. He seems to think that he must forego his innocence to achieve his calling, and this becomes an issue for him.

Holden's personal solution to the museum dilemma is an imperfect one, although not surprising, as it is sort of in line with everything else that has happened up to this point in the novel. Phoebe, however, steps in and ultimately resolves Holden's issues by being a spoiled brat. First she forces Holden to stay by applying an insane notion of leaving with him, and then, by virtue of being small enough to ride on the carousel, gives Holden a chance to see the circular nature of life. The carousel is ultimately the answer both to the museum and the catcher question. This is topped off with the fact that Phoebe puts his hat on his head. She (thankfully) manages to empathize with him enough to realize that the hat means a lot to Holden, and promptly grants him permission to wear it, without actually saying anything.

In the end, I'd like to make a few notes about the really good use of language in the novel. The way Holden talks helped me understand him so much, that it becomes blatantly clear that mere communication is a good path towards empathy. My personal favorite Holden trait is the way he will says he hates someone for something that they did, and then proceed to do it himself, promptly providing an excuse. Examples of this behavior are all too common throughout the novel, and they give Holden a particular unlikableness. An unlikableness that I feel a lot of us share with him.



Please, feel free to comment on this post. Esp. if you disagree on any of the points - I would very much like to hear your view.

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