Catcher in the Rye- Question 6

The questions I will be answering are “Why do we still read this book? What is so timeless about its message and characters? What can we learn from reading this novel?” from the book Catcher in the Rye. This book has such a timeless and unfailing messages that everyone can take form it. This book is especially good for those in the adolescence age because it is very relatable. This book allows those who have a more optimistic attitude to understand why some people may be mean or pessimistic all the time. This book may also help those who are mean really begin to understand why they act the way they do. One of the messages it gives is that everyone has their own problems. "In my mind, I'm probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw." (Salinger, J.D.) This is a problem that the protagonist Holden faces in his life. He can’t get over the fact of it, which explains the strippers and the messing around. The more people start realizes that people have actual problems and less time on making fun or judging them, the better everyone will be. I think this is one message the author is trying to convey. Another may be that people who are always mean and bully others have problems with themselves. This is a fact that will never change no matter how much time passes, which is another thing that makes the book timeless. Another message that Holden gives off is the struggle to fit in. He himself has problems with being understood and fitting in. He wants to have friends but he feels that he just doesn’t like people. This message is that many people struggle to fit in but they themselves don’t even know why. This is why it is important that for those of us who do “fit in”, to not judge those who do not because they might not know the reason either. We can learn to accept that no one is ever going to be the same, so we must accept those who are not just different, but completely opposite of everything you are.

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company. 1951.