Rebellion is the afterbirth of authority. Since the very beginning of civilization, rules have been established; in turn, there have always been those who question and break these rules. Of course, rebellion is most commonly associated with the persistent and insubordinate youth. Because there is so much controversy surrounding the idea, it has become a very popular universal theme in modern literature. In the struggle between rebellion and rules, those in charge tend to lean toward censorship. Censorship often backfires and creates protest, resulting in even more fame for the previously censored. A great example of this occurrence is J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Between 1961 and 1982 , The Catcher in the Rye was known as the most censored book in high schools and libraries. In this book, Salinger uses excellent indirect characterization, as well as the intricacies of both internal and external conflict to portray the main ideas and overall theme of rebellion.

The Catcher in the Rye has a well written plot in the form of main character Holden Caulfield’s recollection of events. At age sixteen, Holden found out he was to be expelled from Pencey Prep, just the most recent in a long line of schools he has been kicked out of. A failing grade in every class except English was the reason for his expulsion from yet another school in the New York area in which Holden lives. Throughout the story, Holden expresses himself differently, much more differently than anyone else did in the late 1940’s, when the story most likely takes place. Holden couldn’t stand to be at Pencey any longer, so he left school several days before his planned expulsion date. After leaving the school, Holden decided he couldn’t go home (because his family wasn’t expecting him home yet), so he lived in a hotel for a few days, going out, and describing his adventures as he went along. Eventually, he stopped by his house to talk with his little sister Phoebe, who is disappointed in him for getting expelled again. After seeing Phoebe, he still had time to kill before he had to go home, so he called up Mr. Antolini, a teacher he once had, and asks to stay the night. After an uncomfortable encounter with the teacher, however, he finally decided to leave town. His sister wanted to go with him, and convinced him in the end not to go. After all was figured out, Holden took Phoebe to the carnival. At the end of the book, we find Holden reluctant to describe in much detail his life thereafter. He only mentions that he will go to a new school, and that he shouldn’t have told so many people his story, because he sort of misses the people he told about. Keep in mind, though, that the events in The Catcher in the Rye aren’t what make the book special; instead, the literary elements and insightful interpretations are what give the book its meaning.

J.D. Salinger does an excellent job of making his characters come to life using indirect characterization. Holden Caulfield, the main character (and narrator) of the story, has a very unique persona. His character seems to be intolerant of others, usually depicting them as phony. “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies. That’s all. They were coming in through the goddam window. For instance, they had this headmaster, Mr. Haas, that was the phoniest bastard I had ever met in my life. …old Haas went around shaking hands with everybody’s parents when they drove up to school. …Except if some boy had little old funny-looking parents. …then old Haas would just shake hands with them and give them a phony smile and then he’d go talk, for maybe half an hour, with somebody else’s parents” (13-14). In his emphasis on ideas that might not even occur to the minds of his peers, his character suggests some form of eccentricity. “…I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. …I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away” (13). This eccentricity may even be seen as a form of mental illness to some. It is not entirely obvious, but at the end of the story Holden refers to getting sick, and the context suggests that he spent some time at a mental hospital. “I could probably tell you what I did after I went home, and how I got sick and all, and what school I’m supposed to go to next fall, after I get out of here…A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I’m going to apply myself when I go back to school next September” (213). Holden also has trouble relating with others. Even his sister, Phoebe, who he loves and trusts, often has a hard time understanding him when he tells her one of his many oddball ideas. “‘You know what I’d like to be? I mean if I had my own goddam choice? …I keep picturing all these little kids playing some games in this big field of rye and all. …And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but it’s the only thing I’d really like to be’” (173). Though he doesn’t seem like it on the outside, Holden is a very insightful character. Tying in to Holden’s character are the many problems he has to deal with through the course of the story.

Any given main character has a conflict, whether it be within himself or in his environment; Holden has both. His internal problems greatly outweigh his problems with others, the former most likely being the cause of the latter. The conflicts Holden has inside himself are apparent to others, and these cause others to lose faith in him. When Holden visits Mr. Antolini, the teacher says something very profound to him. “‘I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of a terrible, terrible fall’” (186). Sadly, many others feel the same way about Holden. This metaphorical falling takes a sharp literal turn later in the book. When Holden starts slipping into depression, he gets these feelings of disappearing, like he’s about to die. “Then all of a sudden, something very spooky started happening. Every time I came to the end of a block and stepped off the goddam curb, I had this feeling that I’d never get to the other side of the street. I thought I’d just go down, down, down, and nobody’d ever see me again” (197). This odd feeling could definitely come from the anxiety of losing his little brother, Allie, to leukemia. When Holden has that peculiar disappearing feeling, he sometimes starts talking to Allie. “Everytime I’d get to the end of a block, I’d make believe I was talking to my brother Allie. ‘…Allie, don’t let me disappear. Please, Allie.’ And then when I’d reach the other side of the street without disappearing, I’d thank him” (198). Holden’s fears, his mannerisms, and his irrational behavior are crucial elements in shaping the person he is, which also makes evident the conflicts of the story. In addition to Holden’s internal conflicts are his external problems, which include his everlasting discontent with the world he lives in, and are apparent to those around him. His sister Phoebe, for example, is convinced that Holden doesn’t like or appreciate anything. “‘You don’t like anything that’s happening.’ [Holden says] ‘Yes I do. Yes I do. Sure I do. Don’t say that. Why the hell do you say that?’ [Phoebe says] ‘Because you don’t. You don’t like any schools. You don’t like a million things. You don’t'” (173). Both literally and metaphorically, Holden symbolizes something that inspires and draws the attention of the audience, and this is apparent through his conflicts in the story.

In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses exemplary characterization techniques and establishes an effective use of conflict to get his point across. Through Holden Caulfield’s eyes, he relays the story of how Holden leaves Pencey Prep and tries to make it on his own for a few days. While fighting depression and many obstacles, Holden finally sees beauty in life for at least one moment. The reader can conclude many things about Holden’s character after reading this book. Holden isn’t what he appears to be, and only by reading what he has to say can one truly understand the problems that Holden actually goes through in his life. I must admit that The Catcher in the Rye is unlike anything I have ever read. Anyone who enjoys books that differ from normal, predictable stories’ plot lines and diction should give this one a try. Since 1952, this book has been a thought provoking must-read, and to this day it remains an inspiration to revolutionary thought.