Catcher in the Rye--Theme: Escapism

“What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would’ve done it, too, if I’d been sure somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed” (104). J.D. Salinger does not start out the novel Catcher in the Rye with this quote, because taken out of context a reader might think that Holden Caulfield actually wants to die. Even though Salinger uses escapism throughout the novel, this theme is not easily noticed until Holden’s character becomes better known by the reader. Only with the development of Holden’s character does the reader realize Holden’s sarcasm is a way for his character to escape reality. In Holden’s mind, the best way to escape his troubled life is by killing himself. Although he never actually commits suicide, the thought passes through his mind several times throughout the novel. Whether Holden truly believes he might want to die or he’s just fantasizing, the prospect of death is almost always on his mind. Expressions such as “I got nearly killed doing it” (23) and “Nearly committed suicide” (74) become Holden’s mantra. When not contemplating his own death, Holden seeks escape through imaginary conversations with his deceased brother Allie. Allie died at the age of nine, when Holden was only 13 years old. Even though there is a gap between their ages, they were very close and Allie’s death still haunts Holden daily. When Holden is facing a challenge, he often turns to Allie for help. He understands that he won’t be answered, but he seeks closure through the “conversations they share”. This is a form of escapism in the sense that Holden rejects the people around him to talk to somebody he knows will “listen”. For example, at the beginning of chapter 14, right after Sunny leaves the hotel room, Holden feels so miserable that he begins to talk to Allie. “What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed” (98).