In The Catcher in theRye, Holden is always pulled back by his less then pleasant memories of the deaths of those he knew, personally and not. He represents those that have seen death and are haunted by it, an example being soldiers and others who have not had a good life. He and those that he represents see the world very differently due to what they have seen. Most of the time it is hard for them to let go of what they have lost.
Teens and their Issues- Representation/Identity
Holden also represents the teenagers of the world who are having a hard time figuring out who they are. He is very different and is sure of himself, he has already formed an identity for himself as a bit of an oddball in this world, which to him is odd. He sees things in a different light then those around him and yet is always doubting himself.
Future Entry- Connection with Men in the Sun
In both books, horrific situations come across the characters. In Men in the Sun, Abu Khaizyuran used to fight in Palestine, but was bombed and injured that he lost something more precious to him then his life. Due to that, he turns on the world as he feels that he has lost everything and cares only for money. Both Abu Khaizyuran and Holden see very tragic deaths, as Abu Khaizyuran saw the bodies of the three men, Abu Qais, Assad and Marwan after they have died, and both have violent reactions. They both attempt to respect the dead, with Abu Khaizyuran leaving the bodies in an area where they will be found so that they can be given a good burial. Overall both Holden and Abu Khaizyuran have many similarities as this is not even the surface.
Global Issue- Innocence and Its Worth
In the book, Holden is shown to care a lot about innocence of those that are still children. He wants as many innocents to remain innocent as long as it is possible. This is a big issue these days as many children are being hurt and seeing things that they should never have to see as they are living in horrible conditions and war zones. A question is, how does one preserve the innocence when the world keeps trying to destroy it comes up a lot as that is a question that Holden tries to figure out as by the end of the book, he has given up on trying to keep the children’s eyes safe from bad words.
Holden would notice a lot of very important details to the story but never understands the full story, never understands why or the big picture. Sees things from his perspective and thinks everyone should see things from his perspective.
Out of My Mind and Catcher relate a lot as both Melody and Holden social outcasts. Melody and Holden both unconventional as people underestimate the both of them. Melody had every disadvantage while Holden had every advantage. People don’t really understand either of them, they look at them as odd in the world. They both also suffer from the stereotypes people have put on them.
All of Salinger’s stories have themes of PTSD and mental issues. They end differently and have differing effects and signs from Seymour Glass to Eloise and Holden, they all have slightly different problems.