There are several instances in the novel where Salinger is clearly making his own comments about the post-war American capitalist system which could be attributed to the bitterness he felt after spending time in the army during the Second World War. At this time, America was going through a period of new growth in the aftermath of the war. Business was booming and with that comes great wealth and increased living standards for the people of America. However, there are downsides too, as Holden points out, people can become “phoney” because they want to maintain their current success, even at the cost of compromising their integrity. There are a number of incidents when Holden talks about “phoniness” and clearly states his dislike of it. For example, at the very beginning of the novel, Holden says “the more expensive a school is, the more crooks it has.” (3) Perhaps this means that Holden feels that the more money someone has, the stronger their desire is to have more of it. As C and R Ohmann point out, “the people who Holden criticize are virtually all representatives of a corrupt capitalist society: Mr. Haas is the phony headmaster who gets money for the school by kissing up to wealthy parents while ignoring poorer parents; Mr. Ossenburger is the phony funeral parlour owner who makes money off of personal tragedies; and the majority of Holden's classmates are simply the spoiled children of similar bourgeois money-grabbers” (4). Salinger could be suggesting that this is the behaviour Capitalism encourages, therefore making his statements controversial in 1950’s American society.
At times, Holden makes remarks which could be deemed “communist” in nature. The Cold War from 1945 to 1991 was essentially a battle between Communism and Capitalism therefore these “communist-like” comments Salinger makes were controversial throughout this period, supporting the statement that “The Catcher In The Rye” has always been controversial. Mr Spencer tells Holden that, "Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules." (3) Suggesting that in life there are winners and losers and that in order to win, one must follow the rules. Salinger is trying to highlight the harsh reality of a capitalist system in contrast to a communist system where the primary objective is to make everyone equal. Holden’s attack on the values and attitudes of general American society, especially in relation to wealth, certainly add to the controversial nature of the novel.
Holden’s journey towards complete mental breakdown is a very important theme in the story. In fact, it is what makes the story because Holden tells us his tale from a mental institution. Holden’s regular references to his depression and his suicidal feelings were new to the 1950’s reader. Phrases like “I felt like jumping out the window” (3), “It makes me so depressed I go crazy” (3) and “I almost wished I was dead” (3) were extremely controversial statements. Literature critic, G Cartwright, said, “Holden has a hard time dealing with everyday life, and feels that everyone around him is a "phony". His own mind working against himself caused him to have internal problems and turn against himself. His internal conflict also led to his seclusion from the outside world. He became introverted and could no longer cope with life” (6) when he was asked to explain why Holden became depressed. Salinger himself was suffering from depression once he returned from serving in the war and perhaps this was his motivation for including this in the novel. The fact that a citizen of the new, prosperous America could feel suicidal was unheard of and open discussion of mental illness was definitely not encouraged. Holden says “Goddam money. It always ends up making you feel blue as hell.” (3) The suggestion that his depression could be in any way connected to the money is family has was certainly controversial at that time.
Throughout the novel, there are numerous instances when Holden talks about women. However, there are only two female characters whom Holden speaks of in a positive way; his childhood sweetheart, Jane Gallagher and his sister, Phoebe. The negative way Holden portrays the rest of the female characters, such as the “French babes” (3); Tina and Janine, his on-off girlfriend; Sally Hayes or the “three witches” (3) in the Lavender Room sparked controversy amongst Feminist movements in America and beyond. A Feminist Revival was creating ripples throughout the world during the Sixties and this is when aspects of the novel which could be interpreted as sexist came to light. Statements such as “I mean most girls are so dumb and all. After you neck them for a while, you can really watch them losing their brains. You take a girl when she really gets passionate, she just hasn't any brains.” (3) are degrading towards women and therefore deemed controversial. The fact that Salinger had difficult relationships with women himself comes as no surprise. Critic A Redmond states that “Holden suffers from a Madonna complex; he can view a woman either in terms of absolute purity or absolute degradation but cannot reconcile this view. Holden even explicitly conceives of sex in disgusting terms.” (10) This goes some way to explaining why Holden views women the way he does but it does not dilute the controversy surrounding the issue.
The explicit sexual references in “The Catcher in the Rye” caused a great deal of controversy on its publication. Episodes in the novel, including Holden’s experience with a prostitute, highlighted the level of promiscuity within American society and this is one of the key reasons why the book was banned. Perhaps in today’s society we accept people who are transvestites like the man Holden talks about “This very distinguished-looking guy” (3)taking out “all these women’s clothes” (3) and putting them on. We are also much more open about homosexuality as it is now widely accepted, however, in 1950’s America, homosexuality was a crime. Therefore including characters that appear “flitty” such as Carl Luce and incidents like Holden’s experience with Mr Anotlini; after which, Holden says, “That kind of stuff’s happened me about twenty times since I was a kid.” (3) This leads us to believe that Holden has suffered sexual abuse for some time; which is a very controversial issue.
During the novel, Holden is attempting to cope with his transition from childhood to adulthood and he finds this very difficult. He still sees himself as a child and therefore wants to have relationships with children. Paedophilia is an issue that has been becoming more openly discussed because so many more cases are being reported. Holden’s attitudes towards children, for example, the incident with the girl in the park who needed help with her skates, could be taken in a different context to the innocent one J.D. Salinger intended. This is an example of how the novel can still attract controversy today. S Steele said that “The concept of, "the catcher in the rye," itself projects his interest in children.” (9) The theme of slightly unnerving relationships between adults and children is a recurring one in J.D. Salinger’s writing; including his short story “Perfect Day for a Bananafish” and Salinger has even said himself that “Some of my best friends are children. In fact, all of my best friends are children.” (5) This statement attracts controversy to both the novel and its author.
Perhaps the most unusual controversial aspect of the novel is the analysis that Holden is being portrayed as a Christ-like figure. This caused outrage amongst Christian circles as Holden openly discusses views on sex, abuses alcohol and suffers an extreme mental breakdown. These are not the characteristics of the Christian Messiah who came to this world and lived here without sin. J.D. Salinger is an atheist who has dabbled in numerous religions over the years; why would he want to portray the central character of his novel as a Christ-like figure? However, there are aspects of Holden’s character which do make him appear “Christ-like”. F.I. Carpenter views Holden as a character who is “Christ like in his ambition to protect children before they enter the world of destruction and phoniness” (6). Holden’s interactions with children and the kindness he shows towards the prostitute, Sunny, does seem quite Christ-like and his encounter with nuns where he feels disrespectful when he accidently blows smoke in their face. The sentence that clearly shows Holden is not trying to be a Christ-like figure is “I like Jesus and all but I don’t care too much for the other stuff in the Bible.” (3) This statement shows that Holden simply respects “good” people and is not even a Christian, let alone someone who is trying to be a Christ-like figure. Yet the interpretation of Holden as a Christ-like character still remains and still adds to the controversy surrounding the novel.
In conclusion, some critics argue that “The Catcher In The Rye” is “too vulgar, immoral, and immature to be considered serious literature” (7) like Robert Bonnet said. However, other critics, including Eric Lomazoff, claim that “Salinger's concerns represented an entire generation of American youth, frustrated by the phoniness of the world.” (8) Regardless of which stance is taken, the novel remains the most frequently censored book across the America and the second-most frequently taught novel in public high schools which provokes the conclusion that the book has and will continue to attract controversy but that the some of the issues dealt with and comments made are important and credible enough to be discussed by high school students. Today’s society is very different from the society in America when “The Catcher In The Rye” was published, therefore the level of controversy it attracts will also be different.
References:
- The Catcher In The Rye, J.D. Salinger, Penguin 1951
- Reviewers, Critics and The Catcher In The Rye essay
- www.bellmore-merrick.com
- http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/catcherrye/fullsumm.html