Catcher in the Rye and the Western Literary Canon

The Western literary canon is unique in that its boundaries are notoriously ill-defined. Since the 1960's, scholars have debated the nature of the canon - specifically whether or not certain pieces of literature deserve canonical status, or if their viewpoints are outdated and unfit for modern contemporary audiences. When The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951, it moved almost straight to the New York Times Best Sellers list, where it remained for over thirty weeks. This initial publicity can be considered the catalyst that vaulted Salinger's novel into the ranks of the Western canon. However, the controversial content of the story is the real reason TheCatcher in the Rye has maintained its notorious reputation, and is the reason why the book will retain its legacy for decades to come.

The Catcher in the Rye is built around its protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Caulfield can be considered your typical adolescent male, struggling to find his place in society while trying to keep his head above the fast-paced current of responsibility and "the real world" that he is expected to transition into. Holden develops strong opinions against the informal social guidelines that the adult world has cast upon him and expects him to follow unwaveringly. These concerns are important because they are related to a certain emotional niche that almost all young people spend some time in as they grow older.

The book follows Holden through a three-day period after he is expelled from his prep school. During this journey, the reader gets an intimate look at the psyche of Holden Caulfield. He is largely misunderstood by almost every person he comes into contact with, although these misunderstandings are often mutual. He is frustrated by the fact that nobody seems to see things the way he does.

When Holden meets with an old friend, Carl Luce, Luce asks, "Is this going to be a typical Caulfield conversation? I want to know right now."[i] indicating that Holden simply does not communicate on the same plane as everyone else. This scene is the bane of Holden's existence. It seems he is unable to successfully communicate with anyone. Holden's journey back home is reminiscent of Sal Paradise's voyage in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical, On The Road. Both Caulfield and Paradise are looking for purpose in their lives, but even more so, for other people with whom they can share their life philosophies with, without fearing rejection or criticism simply because their ideas do not appear on the social flowchart of the time period.

Paradise is misunderstood by many as well, save for the rest of the "Beatniks" who share his passion for life. When Paradise reaches his friend's home in San Francisco, he tries to describe what he has seen thus far and express the significance it has to him personally: "And I tried to tell him what North Platte meant to me, buying the whisky with the boys, and he slapped me on the back and said I was the funniest man in the world."[ii] Here Paradise is trying to connect with his acquaintance on a deeper level by sharing a personally meaningful experience with him, but all his friend can do is treat it like a joke because he simply does not understand.

The Catcher in the Rye has held canonical status for a majority of the time it's been in distribution. This is one aspect of the novel's history no longer open for debate. Instead, the modernized discussion focuses on how this status was achieved, and whether or not it is still deserved. The Catcher in the Rye's staying power stems from the power and significance of the anti-establishment philosophy harbored by Holden Caulfield. This philosophy, and the emotions that parallel it, have been undoubtedly experienced by nearly every adolescent moving their way towards maturity. It is an inevitable stage of human psychological growth, and therefore, grants the novel its timelessness.

The reason Catcher in the Rye is unique is because it packages this complex philosophy into a simple medium where it can be delivered at high volume to members on every rung of the social ladder for easy consumption. It's simple style and format allows an otherwise very profound message to be absorbed easily by both young people and those who find it harder than others to connect to a literary piece on a personal level. Schools raced to ban the book when it was initially published, in order to keep these anti-social ideals out of the minds of young impressionable students.

Children would be able to relate to Caulfield's outlook on life, and their own schools could be easily grouped as part of the establishment that Caulfield despises. It was obvious that most schools would seek to ban the book from their classrooms, because who wants to foster thoughts and attitudes that are self-defeating? More than fifty years have passed since the novel was first published, and it's almost impossible to graduate college without being exposed to this book. The Catcher in the Rye, to date, is one of the only pieces of literature able to effectively target this emotional niche, despite the millions of people who have shared Caulfield's position at one point or another.

It comes down to the basic laws of supply and demand. Society is a market of emotions that authors seek to exploit. The Catcher in the Rye has been the only product in the supply that has been able to effectively reach the market of people who are struggling with various aspects of society. Until another author can produce a literary work capable of doing a better job than The Catcher in the Rye, Saliger's novel will retain its place in the western literary canon for many decades to come.

[i]The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, ch. 19

[ii]On The Road, Jack Kerouac, p. 55