The Catcher in the Rye

The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days. The story follows Holden’s experiences in New York City following his expulsion from Pencey. Holden shares encounters he has had with students and faculty of Pencey, and shares his experiences with his family and friends. In turn, his life is painted with the depth and detail of a person trying to make sense of a world that, on the surface, seems to contradict itself at every turn. Published in 1951, this novel has been a touchstone for generations of readers, offering a unique perspective on teenage angst, alienation, identity, and belonging. Through Holden’s eyes, we see a world full of phoniness and superficiality, yet also moments of genuine connection and beauty. The novel remains one of the most translated, taught, and reprinted texts in the world, and its influence continues to this day.