The Catcher in the Rye: Essay
By James Hogan, 9S
On the evening of December 8, 1980, Mark David Chapman calmly approached John Lennon outside of his apartment, pulled out a gun and fired five steady shots, four of which hit their mark. As the former Beatle, semi-conscious, lay on the ground haemorrhaging, Chapman pulled out his copy of The Catcher in the Rye and began to read. He later explained that he saw himself as an incarnation of the novel’s main character, Holden Caulfield. On the inside cover, below the inscription, “This is my statement,” Chapman signed the name Holden Caulfield. Chapman has claimed that his reasons and justification for the murder were contained in the book. This essay will prove that justification for the murder can be derived from the novel and the themes within.
First, Holden’s criticism towards what he refers to as “phonies” is a recurring theme throughout the book. Holden uses the broad term “phoniness” to describe the superficiality, hypocrisy, pretension, and shallowness that he encounters. He feels this way because of the adult tendency to adopt these qualities in social situations, and because he fears the idea of adulthood. He believes that he must protect the children who are growing up from adopting these qualities, and that he must keep them pure. Lennon was an outspoken purveyor of peace and was one of the largest political activists at the time. Imagine, his single, besides being an anthem for anti-war protests, powerfully spoke against aspects of life such as greed and the concept of possessions. The many people who believed in the message of Lennon’s music began to view the world differently, without knowing that Lennon was living a contradictory lifestyle. While Lennon was spreading the idea of peace and sharing, he was living a luxurious lifestyle, squandering his money on yachts and expensive artwork. Essentially, he was buying unnecessary, extravagant possessions, which was a complete contradiction to what he proclaimed as his beliefs. Chapman felt that this was a clear sign of Lennon being a phony, and stated his opinion about this in an interview.