The Catcher in the Rye - Question 6

Why do we still read this book?

I believe that a good book has a message that applies to anyone from any time period. This story has a very strong message that is presented in an entertaining, but somewhat sad story. The message and themes in this story can be so easily related to anyone, this book should be read by teenagers everywhere. Holden is so easy to relate to. Some people might even see themselves in him. The story is told from his perspective, and as a teenager, I shared many opinions with Holden. Throughout the story, Holden is facing the battle of growing up. He continues to act out in school, even though he is 17 years old. He doesn't want to grow up, but at the same time he knows that he has to. All teenagers go through a stage like this, and they might even agree that it is a depressing time in their life too. Letting go of childish behaviors is something that is hard to do, but we can't be children forever. The story tells of Holden's experiences when he is dealing with that time in his life. Being a teenager is just plain hard. Sure, adults have to worry about paying bills and their stressful jobs, but sometimes the life of a teenager is overlooked and people forget how hard it really is to be 17. This book is a great way to remind those people that its not as easy as it seems to be a teenager. I believe that if Holden would have had just one friend who was his true friend, his life would have changed dramatically. Jane could have been that friend, she was that friend. But Holden lost her and I believe that is where he went wrong. One person can make such a difference in a person's life, just like Phoebe was for Holden. If only Holden could have had a "Phoebe" in his life sooner, his life would have been much different and he could have saved himself so much pain.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.