The Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger: Chapter Analysis

Authors such as J. D. Salinger use their novels to portray a theme to the readers. At times, the reader may find some of the authors portrayals as unnecessary or inappropriate for some readers. Although not everyone agrees, these scenes are often times needed for the author to make their point. J. D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, provides readers with several controversial scenes such as the prostitution of Sunny, James Castel’s suicide, and the f*** yous that Holden tries to erase in the school, all of which help to defend the author’s overall message. When the reader is first introduced to the prostitute Sunny, they immediately see the scene as too vulgar for some readers. As the chapter goes on, the reader discovers Holden’s true intentions with Sunny were not sexual, but rather he was looking for a companion. Holden accepted Maurice’s
It was in this scene that the author was able to tie together the novel’s title, and it’s main character Holden. Although the language was vulgar, this scene strengthened the connections between the novel’s characters and it’s theme. Holden tried to remove all of the f*** yous in the school as a way to protect younger children's innocence. It was also at this time, that the main character Holden finally realized that he could never truly save all of the children.
In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger uses controversial scenes such as the prostitution of Sunny, James Castel’s suicide, and the f*** yous that Holden tries to erase in the school as necessary pieces to present to the reader the overall message of the novel. At times the content used can be viewed as extreme, but successfully gets the author’s point across. The intensity of each scene helps the reader to understand the theme of the novel. Each of the three scene has their own purpose to help strengthen these