Mentor Texts

[Molly]

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, follows the disgruntled teen Holden Caulfield through a series of unwise choices and the resulting consequences. When Caulfield finds himself kicked out of yet another boarding school, he sets out on an adventure that brings him to a cheap hotel, historical museum, former teacher’s apartment, and most importantly, home.

One major element of writing Salinger included in his work is the use of a distinct character voice. Caulfield speaks and thinks in a memorable manner, making his character tangible and recognizable. On page 108, Caulfield explained his fake operation to a guest, telling her that the surgery was, “on my wuddayacallit--my clavichord.” Additionally, on page 147, Caulfield was questioning his friend’s doubts by asking, “why can’tcha?” These two words, “wuddayacallit” and “can’tcha,” convey to readers Caulfield’s personality and style in a verbal way.

Another element of writing Salinger implemented in his piece is unusual characterization. Salinger made Caulfield seem unlikable at first, through his description of his interaction with the boy who roomed next door, Robert Ackley. “ ‘How ‘bout sitting down or something, Ackley kid?’... He didn’t like it when you called him ‘Ackley kid.’ He was always telling me I was a goddamn kid, because I was sixteen and he was eighteen. It drove him mad when I called him ‘Ackley kid’ “ (p. 24-25). This part of the book showed readers that Caulfield enjoyed pushing people’s buttons and aggravating them for pleasure. However, as the story progressed, Caulfield became more likable. This shift is mostly due to Caulfield’s character change. Towards the end, Caulfield was more conscientious of his choices and nostalgic about his past. By causing Caulfield to change from the beginning of the story to the end, Salinger's characterization proved to be successful, albeit unusual.

One last element of writing Salinger used in his piece is irony. Caulfield displayed wealth during his adventure after getting kicked out of school, as seen on page 84. During this part of the book, Caulfield finished dancing with older ladies at a club and picked up their check. “I think they should’ve at least offered to pay for the drinks they had before I joined them--I wouldn’t’ve let them, naturally, but they should’ve at least offered.” By saying that he wouldn’t have let the ladies pay for their drinks, naturally, readers sense a bit of arrogance in Caulfield. However, this wealth and snobbiness experienced a slight hiccup when Caulfield was robbed of five dollars and his dignity in a cheap hotel. The contrast of his confidence and then embarrassment after the mugging provides one example of Salinger’s use of irony in his work.