Themes of society and growing up in The Catcher in the RyeIn reading JD Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, one is forced to have a very strong to the content of the book. Whether this reaction is negative or positive, it is indisputable that the reader will think twice after reading it. There could be many reasons why this novel has such an impact on readers. It may be the use of Salinger's catchy slang phrases, bitingly sarcastic and usually negative, that grab the reader's attention. Another possibility is Holden, the novel's subject and main character. “He describes everything as 'fake,' is constantly striving for sincerity, and is the first hero of teenage angst” (Belcher). Or it could be the originality of the perspective the book takes on the popular theme of rights of passage and the experience of growing up. Most likely, it was the overall tone of the book that incorporated all of these factors and combined them to form an inventive plot with a believable plot. Holden Caulfield, described in the book as being around sixteen, is a classic type of antihero: full of negative opinions, rarely a gentleman, not exactly the nicest boy in his school, but somehow deserving of a little sympathy. Holden is a character who is said to be motivated only by his hormones and personal opinions. Unfortunately for him, both of these aspects of his character often get him into trouble. However, despite all of this, Holden is a character that most teenagers identify with in many ways because his feelings are genuine and his problems are easy to relate to. When studying a piece of literature, it is significant… half the paper. .....d was just as confused as everyone else. There's a line in the book where Holden actually says "I don't know exactly what I mean by that, but I mean it." You wonder how the author could get away with saying something like that, but then you realize that it's actually pleasantly different and almost a relief. The theme of the novel was a message about society and growth. For Holden and many others, it's too much to ask to live in a world where you have to get up before you fall. Works Cited Belcher, William F. and Lee, James EJD Salinger and the Critics. September 20, 1999 http://kirjasto.scifi/salinger.htm.Davis, Robert Con, ed. Contemporary literary criticism. vol. 56. Detroit: Gail Research Inc., 1989. Stevenson, David. "JD Salinger: The Mirror of the Crisis." The Nation, vol. 184, n. 10, March 1957, 215-17.