The world was celebrating a legend called John Lennon. Channels were telecasting documentaries, newspapers had dedicated generous spaces for him and his fans all over the world lit candles in his memory. One of the documentaries was focused on John Lennon’s assassination by a guy called Mark David Chapman.
Dear reader, there is a reason why I talk about John Lennon, his assassination and this book titled Catcher in the Rye. Chapman was carrying Catcher in the Rye when he shot Lennon. If the documentary is to be believed, Chapman flipped through some of the pages when Lennon hit the ground after being shot and chose to read it instead of his Bible when he was in prison. Chapman shot Lennon. But the big question remains: Who killed Lennon? Was Chapman just looking for his fifteen minutes of fame? Was it the U.S government? Or was the catcher in the rye, the FBI?
Honestly I wanted to find out if the book had any influence on Chapman. Did he relate to the protagonist? For all we know, Chapman never even read a single page out of this book. But all these questions led me to buy a copy for myself.
The book was a cult, a smash hit- critically and commercially. Even today, it continues to be the Bible for many people I know. However, with the book gaining popularity, it began to cause furore and many schools and colleges removed this book from their syllabus. The book’s language and the protagonist- Holden V Caulfield were considered vulgar and derogatory. Though, many critics said that the writer successfully captures the colloquial language familiar to most adolescents of that time.
At the very outset, Holden tells us not to expect the ‘David Copperfield kind of crap’. Holden maybe at the verge of insanity but the reader will still relate to him. There are times in the book when Holden’s innocence and humor is made obvious to the reader. By the end of the book Holden will cease to be just an imaginary character created by Salinger. Holden will silently creep into your world and stay there even after you have finished the book. He lies, he swears and emerges as an escapist most of the time. However, one cannot help but sympathize with this character when he recalls the time he has spent with his dead brother Allie. Though he hates the world and all the “mature” adults around him, his love for his younger sister is obvious.
The book begins with Holden informing us he has been thrown out of school and how he plans to roam around in New York before he goes home. He meets many people during those few nights he spends alone hopping from one place to another. These people are adults- mature, responsible, successful and most of all sane. Holden interacts with a taxi driver, a prostitute, a nun, a girl he once dated and his classmate’s mother- people from different walks of life. But during the conversations between Holden and these people, Holden is the one who makes all the sense. Salinger has brilliantly used Holden’s character to voice his opinion about the American society, the effects of war, the cold and lonely central park, the mysterious museums, the theater and much more.
Holden can only relate to children- his younger sister, his dead brother Allie and others he observes skating in the park. Why is a seventeen year old unable to relate to his classmates, his teacher’s, his parents and the rest? What drives him away from the grown ups? What is the significance of the title of this book? Why does Holden insist on wearing his red cap when outside? What drove him towards insanity and later into a sanitarium? Or is he insane at all?
The answers to the questions above are for you to find out, dear friends. Happy reading!!
P.S. The connection between the book and Lennon’s assassination is only a figment of my imagination. I am nowhere suggesting that Chapman’s decision to shoot Lennon had anything to do with this book.