The Catcher in the Rye

『The Catcher in the Rye』, written by Jerome David Salinger in 1951, is a novel that is invariably mentioned when discussing modern American literature. It tells the story of a teenage boy named Holden Caulfield who, after facing difficulties with his studies and personal relationships, is expelled from his boarding school, Pencey Prep, a few days before vacation and spends three days wandering New York, vividly capturing the hypocritical and corrupt nature of adults through the eyes of the protagonist, Salinger.

Lately, I often think about what it means to become so-called adults and to take on certain roles, wondering if this process is not, in fact, a journey toward becoming a fool. I am initially at a loss for how to react to the respect I receive from those around me, but as time goes by, I become desensitized and eventually take it for granted, startling myself at the sight.

There is one thing I do not want to forget, even as I get older. That respect is a kind of transaction. In other words, it is respect to give it to them if you think they deserve it because they’ve judged it themselves, by metaphorically holding their hand before they wander off a cliff in a rye field. Therefore, wanting to be respected without giving anything in return is like having a thief’s mindset. Of course, if one truly understands this, they likely wouldn’t care about others’ respect in the first place.

People often say 『The Catcher in the Rye』 is a work filled with empathy and comfort. However, when I closed the last page, I felt a slightly different emotion. It was something like gratitude for myself, for having passed through the past times without major troubles. And now, I turn my head to look at other children who might be in a similar situation as I was.