Re: Ages

patrick flaherty (pfkw@email.msn.com)
Sun, 25 Oct 1998 11:23:06 -0500 

When I first read _Catcher_ as a freshman in high school, Holden was
definately older than I was.  Then, three years later, I re-read _Catcher_
and thought of Holden as someone younger than myself.  I don't know--it was
a sort of literary "rite of passage" I guess :) But, nevertheless--an
intriguing idea for _Catcher_ fans to consider, don't you think?

Patrick
-----Original Message-----
From: Emily Friedman <bananafish_9@yahoo.com>
To: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu <bananafish@lists.nyu.edu>
Date: Saturday, October 24, 1998 7:11 PM
Subject: Re: Ages


>
>
>
>
>
>---TravROIS@aol.com wrote:
>>
>>
>> It's funny some of you should connect being a teenager to
>understanding
>> Catcher better. Myself, as a teenager (14), feel that it's not like
>that at
>> all. I feel I can relate to Holden not because of the lingo or that
>we are
>> around the same age and going through similar things, but because of
>the
>> loneliness and detachment from others. Incidentally from my fellow
>teenagers.
>>
>> Knowing the teenage mind, as I believe I do with disgusting
>accuracy, I think
>> most teenagers who read Catcher rarely do it on their own (rather
>being
>> introduced to it at school. A thought that makes me physically ill)
>and
>> they're more impressed with how Holden talks then with the intricacy
>placed
>> behind it as well as other Salinger works. Speaking of which, I
>think that is
>> the main reason more teenagers don't get into other Salinger works.
>Sure a lot
>> love Catcher in the Rye, but I don't feel like they truly, how shall
>I say,
>> 'get it'.  So most are disappointed when they read any other
>Salinger stories.
>> For instance, I was chatting with this one girl (senior/4 years my
>senior)
>> and mentionted Salinger was one of my favorite authors. She read
>Catcher
>> Junior year (I'm a Sophmore) and immediately read Franny & Zooey
>afterwards,
>> and didn't like it at all.  She wanted to know why Franny & Zooey
>wasn't as
>> 'smooth' as Catcher In the Rye. She said that she loved Catcher,
>especially
>> Holden because she felt that he was 'funny' and was disappointed
>that Franny &
>> Zooey wasn't anything like it. I didn't exactly know what to tell
>her. I said
>> that they're are published stories continuing with Holden and his
>family that
>> she may enjoy looking up at the library. (she wasn't interested in
>that I
>> guess) And included that I couldn't change Franny & Zooey and
>wouldn't dare if
>> I could.
>>
>> Not that my opinion or position should discourage anyone from loving
>Salinger
>> for whatever reasons they have. But my point being I think
>'relating' to CITR
>> is open for all ages (although that certainly has been stated,
>hasn't it?) ..
>> not more so for teenagers because they're the same age. Perhaps
>because most
>> of you all read it as a teenager and instantly felt a connection (as
>I do)
>> because sometimes it feels like Holden's audience is strictly
>directed towards
>> teenagers. Like he's talking to me, and no one else.
>>
>> Anyways I hope this has shed a bit of light on what a teenager (if I
>qualify
>> as one, that is) opinion about 'relating' to Salinger. Think that's
>all I have
>> to say. Although I'm wondering what you're all intial reaction to
>Holden was
>> when you first read Catcher.
>>
>> -Erinn (with 2 N's)
>>
>I'm a teenager myself and I understand what you are saying. I am a
>senior in high school and my class read Catcher 2 years ago. I was
>surprised that many of the students did not like Catcher. They usually
>made up some lame excuse like the teacher ruined it for them. The
>students that disliked the book stated that it was too much like A
>Seperate Peace. I think that they didn't like it because it forced
>them to see the many insecurities and confusion that people of that
>age feel. The book just didn't fit into their world of football games
>and school. I guess that they are all kind of like Stradlater(I think
>that's him) I never was a smart ass kind of kid like Holden but I
>remember a point in life when I felt that everything was phoney like
>Holden did. A friend of mine would say that I sounded like Holden
>Caulfield because I complained too much. I guess that is why I could
>relate to him. Now that I'm geting older my feelings of him are
>changing. Instead of relating to him I'm beginning too feel more
>empathy towards him. When I first read Catcher Holden was older than
>me but now that I'm older than him he just seems like a poor, lost
>kid. I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain.
>-Liz Friedman
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