personnal investigation: the catcher and the rye
As I was reading Simmin post about Holden Morrissey Caulfield I have to disagree with her with Holden being Emo. I mean the whole emo culture doesn’t make sense I mean you have these mainstream bands such as fall out boy, my chemical romance, panic at the disco and many others making millions of dollars off of album and concert sales yet when ever I see them they seem to try hard to sell this image that there sad and depressed like there fans. If anyone had the fame and wealth they have they wouldn’t be sad. Depression and angst is a common thing that teenagers grow out of, it’s a part of maturity. However most these “artist” still sing about how miserable they were in high school, I mean grow up for god sake. Personally I don’t mind lyrics that are depressing as long it’s justified or back up by amazing instrumentals, but for me emo is just diluted corporate rock (I don’t mean to offend anyone).
What really inspired David mike Chapman to kill john Winston Lennon, was the fact that Holden Caulfield often spoke of killing the phoney people in the novel. Chapman connected with this because he felt John Lennon was a phoney, for being this rich pop star who sang about atheism and communism. In my perspective the emo culture is the same it’s just a bunch of phoneys making money off teen depression.
I remember When I was ten I always felt that Holden was not a regular teenager and always had sense of admiration especially during the scene in which Holden chooses to talk to the prostitute he paid for instead of using her for sex. He doesn’t party or complain about his parents nor is he trying to lose his virginity. Even something as common as swearing upsets Holden (though he does it himself) which is why when Holden sees the swear word written in the bathroom of his sister’s school he erases it.
Though now I feel as if Holden is a bit immature not willing to grow up and take responsibility for his life. I mean he had to have realised that he’s not a child anymore and he can’t be the catcher in the rye, protecting children from the world. If he was still the catcher in the rye for a long period of time then he would be no better then an overprotecting parent. However there is the possibility that Holden does realise he can’t be the catcher in the rye in the final scene when he stands aside watching phoebe ride the carousel without him.
