JD Sallinger and Holden Caufield

I can connect JD Salinger to Holden Caufield. They seem to have the same attitudes about life plus the fact that they both switched from school to school, not really belonging anywhere. In this sense, I can get a better idea of who Caulfield is and who Salinger is as a person. I have a better understanding of Holden after reading about Salinger because I know how similar they are and I can picture it in a more realistic setting. At the same time, because I can understand Salinger so well, I know that Holden is probably like him, wanting to be alone, but at the same time, not wanting to be lonely, Hating themselves for the even the most natural things, and wanting love even in his solitude from the world. I've definitely connected to Salinger as a writer because I know how it is to hate the feelings you have even though theyre perfectly natural but shameful nonetheless. Also, being able to take a step back and look at society as a whole and how people are. It's a strange experience but it gives you such a better understanding of why things are how they are.

Connecting with Holden

I believe the hey concept of Catcher in the Rye is to demonstrate and give an example of the psychological struggles of teenagers battling depression and issues with self expression. In Holden's case, these thoughts and actions were most likely brought on by the death of his brother. This is shown when he breaks the windows in his garage the night his brother dies. Children and teenagers have the state of mind where they don't connect with death. It's something far off and intangible. So when a person close dies, or they have an encounter with it, it can pave the way for trauma or psychological issues. This is more likely in people such as Holden that have a hard time expressing their emotions in the first place. He is shut off from the world and probably doesn't have very good communication skills. So his pent up hurt and depression and anger is all held within himself until those wounds fester within his mind. This is why he has difficulty connecting with people and communicating.

I almost feel like all of these random thoughts in his head such as the ducks at the pond are distractions from the truth that he's hurting. If he doesn't think about it. He won't have to face it. But that also means he's never dealt with it. I can connect with holden about this. I also have trouble expressing myself and my emotions. And I would rather disconnect from a horrible situation than deal with it and cope. When my mother was in the hospital a year ago, she almost died. I didn't feel sad, I didn't cry, I didn't really feel anything because I disconnected and chose not to cope with those emotions. As a result, I don't won't know how to deal with something like that when it happens again and I could develop psychological issues like depression or rage. On top of this, I've read a lot into psychology lately and plan to study it, so I have an easy time connecting to Holden and his character's issues.

JD Salinger (Not Selinger :P)

If there were a new JD Salinger work, Im not sure how it would go. Obviously, his last work was a total flop. Maybe he should have just stopped with Catcher in the Rye and ended on a high note. I can understand why he would want to stay out of the limelight though. Look at what happens to the celebrities that embrace it. Next thing you know, scandals pop up, like with Tiger Woods. And people don't shut up about it for months, even years on end. I love how the media tries to demonize people for avoiding them and refusing to talk to the press. They try to make it out like theyve got something to hide. No, they just don't want millions of people that don't give a damn about them to judge them and get into their personal business. JD Salinger had a right to his privacy so I respect that. It must be frustrating for all people to see you as is that one guy that wrote that famous book. Anywho, about him coming out with a new work, I don't think it'd turn out that great. It's hard to follow up a book likie Catcher in the Rye and he was a legend because of it so why not stop there.