'Catcher in the Rye' - To what extent is Holden a likeable character?

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TO WHAT EXTENT IS HOLDEN A LIKEABLE CHARACTER? 

Likeable.  When looked up in the dictionary produces synonyms such as ‘nice and pleasant’, words which would not be associated with Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel ‘Catcher in the Rye’. However, I want to explore a different meaning to the word likeable, a version that brackets Holden’s personality and allows us to strip off his layers of self awareness to reveal the real him. Holden Caulfield. The likeable guy.

The Bildungsroman ‘Catcher in the Rye’ was written in the early 20th century, an era more reserved and dissimilar to today’s generation. Yet surprisingly, Holden uses a very realistic idiom which reflects the youth of today, with his mixture of expletives and slang;

‘...lousy childhood’

‘...David Copperfield kind of crap.’

‘...crumby place’

‘...my whole goddam autobiography’

Holden begins the book as he means to go on, and does not pretend to be something he is not, by hiding his unconventional idiom. This makes him likeable as readers can relate to him, as he is very genuine, and blend in with the language of today’s youth.

Another attribute of ‘typical Holden idiom’ is the theme of sarcasm which recurs throughout this book, normally outlined in italics. The element of derision adds depth to Holden’s persona,

‘...They’re nice and all...’

as when he uses a sarcastic tone it indicates that he is holding something back about the subject which he is referring to. This makes him likeable because it adds realism to his character as he does not totally disclose his feelings, making us, the reader feel as if we have to earn his trust as the book furthers. We can see this if we contrast an extract from the beginning of the book,

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‘If you really want to hear about it...

and one further on in the book, for example when he is in Ernie’s and he goes off on a tangent about people clapping,

‘People always clap for the wrong things...’

It is obvious to see the difference between these two extracts. Holden adapts a hostile tone in the beginning of the book and is less open. Nevertheless his idiom becomes friendlier further on. The extract from when he is in Ernie’s bar shows this, as he deviates from the subject which he is explaining to us, proving ...

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