Getting to know Holden Caulfield

To get started, I would like to mention something that I share with Holden Caulfield, the controversial main character of "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. 

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though."

You are right Holden, you are right Salinger. I really want to get into the book and talk with you, or at least imagine that I can call to Salinger and chat for a while. But I have something better. Reading an awesome book with deep thoughts, and spend a great time.

So that, Holden Caulfield tell us that he would not start presenting himself as David Copperfield's style, and "all that boring kind of crap." He goes straight into action, and starts criticizing everything and everybody around him, even himself. 

He wears this particular red hunting hat, "with the peak around to the back and all." And we can notice other particularities about him. At first, he was kicked out of school four times (sometimes he just quit school, just like that), and his history teacher asked him "do you feel absolutely no concern for future, boy?" but, apparently, no. Holden confess us that he is the most terrific liar that we ever saw in our lives. Moreover, that he is quite illiterate, but reads a lot. These specific things, which let us know much about his personality, are keys that engaged readers. Holden seem to be a calm guy, but there is riot in his mind. As Stephen Hawking said, "quiet people have the loudest minds." Holden admit that he is quite a nervous guy, so we can wait everything. 

According to him, life is a game when you look on the side where all the hot-shots are. But, what happen "when you get on the other side, where there aren't any hot-shots, then what is a game about it?"

Do you know something else about Holden? He is not a hypocrite. He is not unpleasant with others, but is that kind of person that analyzes everything, and can decipher traits, gestures, words and thoughts. Probably you do not know anything about him, but he can know all about you with a look. When his roommate, Strandlater, a handsome and selfish guy, asked Holden for do him a favor, Holden thinks "Just because they're crazy about themselves, they think you're crazy about them, too, and that you're just dying to do them a favor. It's sort of funny, in a way."

Rebel and frank, Holden's voice was the voice of a generation that had screamed from the inside.

Picture: http://www.prooffreader.com/2013/09/word-cloud-catcher-in-rye_9.html