Fifteen years after World War 2, America sustained a social transformation. Many factors may have caused this transformation, but all we know is that the lifestyle of Americans developed into a bland sameness. A common theme of the 1950’s was the loss of individual identity in the endless rows of tract houses and its owners. This society of people who suffered a loss of individuality effected all people including writers during the era. According to Brian Banks’ review1, J. D. Salinger was an author during this time period.
J. D. Salinger expresses his views upon society through the eyes of Holden Caulfield in the novel The Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield, a teenager growing up in the 1950’s New York, has been expelled from yet another school. He leaves school upon dealing with his sorrow and wanders through New York City critiquing all that he runs into. Throughout the novel, Holden Caulfield is a spectator of society’s uncaring civilians, fraudulent attitudes, and unjustness. Holden Caulfield feels that society is full of uncaring people. While running into a waiter, his views upon people who are careless are presented.
Holden asks a waiter to send a message to a girl, but the waiter, “said he would, but he probably didn’t even give her [his] message. People never give your message to anybody. ” (c. 20p. 149) Upon Holden’s statement one can see his confirmation on people who are not considerate towards his requests. He feels that all people he interacts with are uncaring. Even though he distinctly requested a message to be sent, the waiter did not follow through with his request. Another example of his observation on uncaring people is when he visits his teacher Mr.
Spencer. Holden feels that, “[He’ll] never forgive him for reading [him] that crap outloud. I wouldn’t’ve read it out loud to him if he’d written it-I really wouldn’t. ” (c. 2p. 12) According to Holden, Mr. Spencer was rude and unconcerned about Holden’s feelings when Mr. Spencer read his writings outloud. Here, there is a difference in morals and values between the two characters. But deceitful characteristics did not only revolve around uncareness, but also revolved around fakeness. “Full of phonies” is the way Holden described his surroundings.
He ran into people who were fake and deceitful. While at Pencey Prep school, “they gave you steak. I’ll bet a thousand bucks the reason they did that was because a lot of guys’ parents came up to school on Sunday, and old Thurmer probably figured everybody’s mother would ask their darling boy what he had for dinner last night. ” (c. 5p. 35) At Pencey Prep School, steak was only fed to students on Saturdays in order for the school to look good for parents. To Holden, Thurmur’s actions emphasized his thoughts on everyone being a phony. Holden also felt a similar betrayal from Haas.
Haas was a teacher who would “be charming as hell and all. Except if some boy had old funny-looking parents. ” (c. 2p. 14) Holden knew this was an unrighteous characteristic of Haas to be friendly only to attractive people. He undergoes a realization that he is surrounded by “phonies”. But not only is he aware of uncaring and fake people, he is also aware and observant towards a society that is deceitful altogether. As the story develops, Holden shows the unjust in society through his thoughts. He sees through what may be a beginning to a corrupt society.
He recognizes the more unfortunate roles in society and how one must play a fitting role to follow through life. One incident that shows him recognizing unfairness is as he notices that there “was the most boring guy [he] ever listened to. And you could tell his date wasn’t even interested in the goddam game, but she was even funnier-looking than he was, so [he] guessed she had to listen. Real ugly girls have it tough. [He] felt so sorry for them sometimes. ” (c. 12p. 85) As Holden states this, he shows that he knows the public was unjust to people who were not attractive and “funny looking”.
Another example of his commentary on life is when he has a discussion with Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer says that, “Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules. ” But Holden does not agree to this statement and thinks to himself exclaiming, “Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right-I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it? Nothing. No game. ” (c. 2p. 8) Again, Holden comments on the life.
He shows that his values upon life conflict with those of Mr. Spencer. Holden suggests that life is not a game when you play it right. An idea such as this was common during the 1950’s along with thoughts of an uncaring and fraudulent society. Many incidents and quotes show that the time frame of this story is one that matches the time frame of the 50’s suburban lifestyles. In a book review of The Catcher in the Rye, Brian Banks1 asks whether it is Holden’s society which has lost its mind for failing to see the hopelessness of their own lives.
This proves that this novel truly is a novel of social critique. In another book review by Eric Lomazoff2, Lomazoff wonders whether Holden’s self destruction over a period of days forces one to contemplate society’s attitude towards the human condition. All these arguments suggest that society during Holden’s time was indifferent. Some have argued that Salinger’s tale of the human condition is fascinating and enlightening, yet incredibly depressing. These comments elaborate upon the fact that the novel focuses on the social critique of J. D. Salinger through the eyes of a novel.