The Catcher in the Rye: What does the writing reveal about the author's values and attitudes? From what perspective does he/she write?

The Catcher in the Rye, to me, is a book about growing up and having to accept the fact that all children become adults. It’s inevitable, and you can’t escape it. This book discusses a boy having to overcome that fear about becoming and adult, and the inner struggle inside him.

 Salinger writes this in First person to let readers see into the mind of Holden, and this helps readers to understand the story better.

 Salinger uses what Holden goes through to illustrate his values and attitudes. I think one thing that the author believes is that all young people go through a struggle and a fight against growing up, and that’s alright. Even I don’t want to become and adult, and I get worried sometimes just thinking about it! But Salinger really wants to stress the fact that were not alone in this struggle. Salinger also uses his writing to represent the idea that elders and adults in our life should push youth to strive for greater things, and that youth should value advice given to them. I think that is one of the values he includes in this novel. In the story, Holden receives two lectures from two of his favorite teachers. One is more harsh, but only because he knows Holden can do better. “I’d like to put some sence in that head of yours, boy. I’m trying to help you. I’m trying to help you, if I can.” (Salinger, pg.14) His teacher Mr. Spencer says that to him, and tries to get Holden to understand the severity of his education. Another teacher, Mr. Antolini is a little more layed back, but what he says seems more profound and hits a deeper level. He talks about how Holden  is heading toward a fall, but he doesn’t even know he’s falling. He’s searching and looking for something he thinks can’t be provided, and he gives up, but he realy hasn’t looked yet. (Salinger, pg.187) He urges him to try new things and to figure out what he wants to do and get on it immediately because he’s running out of time. The things that these teachers say mean a lot to Holden and he thinks about it later and eventualy comes to a resolution at the end of the novel.

            Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.