Importance of Language in The Catcher in the Rye Essay

The Catcher in the Rye, like many other great works, was met by scornful criticism and unyielding admiration. However, many literary critics also marveled at Salingers use of language, which was used to make Holden Caulfield, the main character, extremely realistic. Such language includes both repetition of phrases and blatant cursing, in order to capture the informal speech of the average, northeastern American adolescent. Through Holdens thoughts and dialogues, Salinger successfully created a teenage boy. The language used in The Catcher in the Rye has long been a topic of controversy in the literary critics realm. Holden Caulfields thoughts and comments serve to deepen his personality and to provide entertainment. Salinger†¦show more content†¦In some places, the expressions only serve to make Holden more realistic, while in other places Holden is trying to reinforce his values. Holden repeatedly comments on his hatred towards phonies. This could be the reason why he frequently confirms a statement with I really do, It really does, or if you want to know the truth. He also authenticates remarks by reiterating them. For example, Holden says, She likes me a lot. I mean shes quite fond of me. (Salinger 141) and, He was a very nervous guy- I mean a very nervous guy. (Salinger 165) In each case, Holden makes a remark and then feels obliged to elucidate that he is not making the statement up. Such mannerisms disclose several aspects of his character. For instance, because Holden h as been dismissed from numerous amounts of schools, he may feel inadequate because no one ever took him seriously and he had no substantial academic standing. Thus, Holden attempts to solidify comments by reminding the reader that what he says really is the truth. Salinger uses repetition with different phrases and styles to give a more factual backing to Holdens comments, thus preventing Holden from seeming like a phony. Furthermore, Holdens speech can be rather vulgar and obscene. However, whenever he says words like ass, it is simply teenage dialect for a part of the human anatomy. He does not say it to be distasteful. Ass is simply another word that HoldenShow MoreRelated Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Importance of Language1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of Language in The Catcher in the Rye   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye has captured the spirit of adolescence, dramatizing Holden Caulfields vulgar language and melodramatic reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep school student named Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye deals with material that is socially scandalous for the time (Gwynn, 1958). As an emotional, intelligent, and sensitive young man, Holden puts his innerRead MoreThe Importance of Censoring in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. 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