Do you know that Holden Caulfield is the narrator and main character of The Catcher in the Rye?
Holden Caulfield is the narrator and protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye. The novel relives the days following Caulfield’s expulsion from Pencey Prep, a university preparatory school based loosely on either Ursinus College or Valley Forge Military Academy, Salinger’s alma-mater. Holden is a 16 year old junior, a Manhattan native whose family is financially well off. His father works but his mother does not. Despite financial comfort, he leads a somewhat troubled life. He tells his story using a cynical or jaded tone and frequently employing disparaging language and profanity. For instance, he favors use of the word “phony” when describing people who he feels are not true to themselves. Throughout the book he is evaluative, often negatively so, attaching words like “crumby” and “lousy” and “vomity” to describe people, situations and objects. He often also invokes the words “crazy”, “madman” and “depressed”, the last word capturing his declining emotional state, which we witness as the
Holden Caulfield is the narrator and protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye. The novel relives the days following Caulfield’s expulsion from Pencey Prep, a university preparatory school based loosely on either Ursinus College or Valley Forge Military Academy, Salinger’s alma-mater. Holden is a 16 year old junior, a Manhattan native whose family is financially well off. His father works but his mother does not. Despite financial comfort, he leads a somewhat troubled life. He tells his story using a cynical or jaded tone and frequently employing disparaging language and profanity. For instance, he favors use of the word “phony” when describing people who he feels are not true to themselves. Throughout the book he is evaluative, often negatively so, attaching words like “crumby” and “lousy” and “vomity” to describe people, situations and objects. He often also invokes the words “crazy”, “madman” and “depressed”, the last word capturing his declining emotional state, which we witness as the
Early in his career, J. D. Salinger expressed a willingness to have his work adapted for the screen.[32] However, in 1949, a critically panned film version of his short story “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” was released; renamed My Foolish Heart and taking great liberties with Salinger’s story, the film is widely considered to be among the reasons that Salinger has refused to allow any subsequent movie adaptations of his work.[33] The enduring popularity of The Catcher in the Rye, however, has resulted in repeated attempts to secure the novel’s screen rights. When The Catcher in the Rye was first released, many offers were made to adapt it for the screen; among them was Sam Goldwyn, producer of My Foolish Heart.[33] In a letter written in the early fifties, Salinger spoke of mounting a play in which he would play the role of Holden Caulfield opposite Margaret O’Brien, and, if he couldn’t play the part himself, to “forget about it.” Almost fifty years later, the writer Joyce Maynard defi
