To What Extent Is Childness A Literary Construct?: Childness in J. D. Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye’
The Catcher in the Rye was first published in 1951; having been partially published in serial form from 1945–1946. Although The Catcher in the Rye was initially intended for adults, due to the adolescent protagonist the novel is considered the first example of young adult fiction. Literary critic Peter Hollindale stated that “all writers for children embody patterns of childness in their texts”, but to what extent is childness a literary construct? Childness is commonly defined as the quality of being a child; a synonym for ‘childishness’ or ‘immaturity’. This essay explores the elements of childness in J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye; analysing the characters’ childishness in contrast to their moments of maturity, as well as examining whether childness is an idea not based on empirical evidence.
The fact that The Catcher in the Rye created its own genre in relation to the age of its characters -especially the angsty teenage protagonist- is the first indicator that there are most certainly elements of childness in this novel. Although nowadays ‘young adult fiction’ is as common a genre as ‘romance’ or ‘biography’; The Catcher in the Rye was one of the earliest blueprints for the term. [^1]
Salinger’s short story I’m Crazy introduces the world to the character of Holden Caulfield for the first time. [^2] While establishing that he has a “screw loose”, Holden visits Old Spencer on his sickbed. This scene is intriguing not only in the novel, but also in this short story, as we see how Holden’s immature attitude reacts to visiting someone who is extremely sick. The same line appears in both I’m Crazy and The Catcher in the Rye while discussing Holden’s grades. Mr Spencer frankly tells Holden “I flunked you because you knew absolutely nothing.”[^3] While Mr Spencer is establishing a relationship with mutual respect by being honest with Holden, and talking to him as an adult, Holden does not appreciate this. Holden’s discomfort and embarrassment can clearly be seen as he stops responding to what Spencer is advising him. Not only that, but we gather his emotions in lines such as “I had to sit there and listen to that crap.” [^4]
The New Yorker featured Salinger’s other short story Slight Rebellion off Madison in their 21st December 1946 issue. This story would later become Chapter Seventeen of The Catcher in the Rye. Chapter Seventeen is another intriguing scene, and quite questionable; Holden’s relationship with Sally. From the very beginning, Holden is contrary to his emotions. He excuses Sally for arriving late because the minute he saw how pretty she looked, he “felt like marrying her.” [^5] Although as soon as she opens her mouth, he comments on how “she has one of those very loud, embarrassing voices when you meet her somewhere”[^6]. Holden is indecisive about his feelings towards Sally. He looks down on her due to trivial reasons, such as her enjoying the play they went to see. Holden also has bursts of emotion, however, more than likely due to the fact that he is desperate for human contact (considering there are very few characters in this novel); “you’re probably the only reason I’m in New York right now.”[^7] Amid his blabbering, he builds an imaginary plan to escape with Sally, which Sally does not accept or embrace at all. Holden’s ‘plan’ is nothing more than a fantasy, a fantasy that someone with little experience in the world would muster. Sally has to bring him back down to earth; reminding him that they are “both practically children.”[^8] Sally’s level of maturity is a stark contrast. The two ‘children’ don’t understand each other. That, combined with Holden raising his voice at Sally perfectly depicts how Holden is not just ‘practically a child’, he is a child; and several patterns of childness are blatant in this chapter alone. Holden cannot control his emotions, he does not think before he speaks, he does not have many social skills yet, and he acts irrationally.
Even though Holden may seem to be the embodiment of childness; one must take into account that there are instances throughout the novel where he at least attempts to be mature. Taking into account that Holden yearns to be a child forever – and escape ‘phony’ adulthood – he wants to retain innocence and naivety.
Holden’s emotions towards the adult world can be summed up in his catchphrase; phony. Holden’s feelings are understandable to an extent, considering his younger brother died. Taking into account that Holden himself and his younger sister Phoebe have to grow up, their brother Allie remains forever young. Holden considers himself to be a ‘protector’ of sorts. Even in the aforementioned short story, I’m Crazy, he establishes that he has “a screw loose.” He continues to “feel the goodby to the youngness” of the school gym, “as though I were an old man.” [^9]
Unlike Holden, his younger sister Phoebe knows that growing old is inevitable. Not only that, she provokes her brother’s negative attitudes towards everything – but especially towards the adult world – by stating “you don’t like anything that’s happening.”[^10] In response to this, Holden feels completely imbalanced; and goes into a tirade about anything he does like, which causes him to become even more confused.
Phoebe is not necessarily more mature, but she has patterns of maturity in which Holden lacks. Having said that, Holden still has a soft spot for his younger sister. Perhaps one of the most ‘mature situations’ Holden imagines himself as the catcher in the rye. Even though this example is based upon untruths and fabrications, when Phoebe corrects Holden for mistaking the lines of the poem Comin’ Down the Rye by Robert Burns. Holden mentions how he dreams of being the catcher – just as he misinterpreted the lines to portray – where all he has to do is “catch somebody if they start to go over the cliff.”[^11] Cliffs are dangerous, steep vertical surfaces; the embodiment of danger in which Holden is protecting these children from. He specifically mentions children, “and nobody’s around – nobody big, I mean – except me.”[^12]
Similarly, Holden tries to protect children – especially Phoebe – from the dangers of adulthood throughout the novel; such as him seeing profanity graffitied on the school walls. Despite the fact that Holden’s fantasy of catching in the rye is strange, it is also endearing. Alfred Kazin describes Holden as ‘cute’ at length in his essay Everybody’s Favourite.[^13] Specifically, the love Holden he has for his sister is especially cute. Whereas Maxwell Geismar comments on how Holden has such a strong detestation for everything, and such a strong love for his sister. Once again, in a case of extremes; Holden’s lack of control of his emotions indicates immaturity.
Holden does think he is protecting his sister, but he is also aware that Phoebe is not perfectly pristine. He is quick to point out her flaws, such as how “she can be very snotty.” [^14] At least their relationship is realistic. Cathryn M. Mercier questions whether Holden is indeed mad for wanting to save his sister from the loss of innocence, or whether the readers simply interpret the novel that way. Regardless, despite the fact that Holden wants to be a saviour or protector, this notion is still immature and riddled with patterns of childness. The concept of Holden ‘being’ a catcher, links back to the aforementioned chapter seventeen where Sally has to remind Holden that he needs to get a job. He cannot be employed as a catcher, and he cannot possibly ‘save’ these children from cliffs of adulthood.
Opposed to Holden’s longing to retain innocence, in Chapter Thirteen of The Catcher in the Rye during Holden’s experience with a prostitute portrays another side to himself. Before this, the main character has never had sex. Holden describes the prostitute as being around his age, [^15] which terrifies him. The reason Holden ‘agreed’- more than wanted to – have a prostitute was the pressure from other people. Holden would have preferred an “old bag” to this young, nervous girl; “I felt more depressed than sexy… She was depressing.”[^16] Here, where Holden is participating in an act of adultery he still has an immature reaction. Without a doubt, he sticks to his values but the mature reaction would be to say no in the first place.
Among the three ideologies established in his book Ideology and the Children’s Book, Peter Hollindale refers to as an “underlying climate of belief”. [^17] Is childness a literary construct? No, because even the term ‘childness’ stems from a child which is something existent and tangible. However, the degree of childness in this instance; relating to Holden Caulfield in J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye trumps the definition. This childness is amplified. Scholarship such as the previously mentioned Maxwell Geismar[^18] disses Salinger as a writer for his character’s attitudes; how they are not based on anything empirical. No child or teenage adolescent could have the behaviour of Holden Caulfield in the real world, because they would not find themselves in the situations that Holden does. More so, they would not have the reactions Holden has to everyday events either. This is the extent to which childness is a literary construct; and this is a pretty extreme extent.
That does not necessarily mean that childness is a literary construct in whole only to the degree of the infamous, irresponsible, angsty teenager that is Holden Caulfield. Holden’s childness is an important factor of the novel; as he is not only considered the quintessential example of an angsty, irresponsible teenager but within the earliest example of the young adult novel.
Bibliography
1. Meryem Ayan, “Teaching Young Adult Literature: Catcher in the Rye as a Language Maker and Breaker,” PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences 3 (2):2175–90 https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2017.32.21752190.
2. J. D. Salinger, “I’m Crazy.” Collier’s, December 22, 1945.
3. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 11
4. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 12
5. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 134
6. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 134
7. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 141
8. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 143
9. J. D. Salinger, “I’m Crazy.” Collier’s, December 22, 1945.
10. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 182
11. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 186
12. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 186
13. Maxwell Geismar, “A Slight Case of Incest,” in Salinger: A Critical and Personal Portrait, ed. Henry Anatole Grunwald (London: Owen, 1964), 89
14. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 179
15. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 102
16. J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (London: Penguin, 2010), 104
17. Peter Hollindale, Ideology and the Children’s Book (Woodchester: Thimble Press, 1988), 3–22
18. Maxwell Geismar, “A Slight Case of Incest,” in Salinger: A Critical and Personal Portrait, ed. Henry Anatole Grunwald (London: Owen, 1964), 90
[^1]: Ayan, “Teaching Young Adult Literature: ‘Catcher in the Rye’ as a Language Maker and Breaker.”
[^2]: Salinger, “I’m Crazy.”
[^3]: Salinger, “The Catcher in the Rye.”11
[^4]: Ibid, p.12
[^5]: Ibid, p. 134
[^6]: Ibid.
[^7]: Ibid, p. 141
[^8]: Ibid, p. 143
[^9]: Salinger, “I’m Crazy.”
[^10]: Salinger, “The Catcher in the Rye.” 182
[^11]: Ibid, p. 186
[^12]: Ibid.
[^13]: Geismar, “A Slight Case of Incest.” 89
[^14]: Salinger, “The Catcher in the Rye.” 179
[^15]: Ibid, p. 102
[^16]: Ibid, p. 104
[^17]: Hollindale, “Ideology and the Children’s Book.” 3–22
[^18]: Geismar, “A Slight Case of Incest.” 90
