The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger as Holden Caulfield :: Catcher Rye Essays

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger as Holden Caulfield       The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is home to the protagonist Holden Caulfield.  There is no coincidence that he holds a striking resemblance to the author of the novel himself.  Salinger seemed to have a alike childhood as Holden describes in The Catcher in the Rye.  some(prenominal) men also seemed to have a certain fascination with five-year-old children, especially jr. women.  J.D. Salinger based one of his most famous characters, Holden Caulfield, on personal experience.         Holdens story in The Catcher in the Rye begins with Holden at his school, Pencey Preparatory, which is a boarding school.  He was sent there by his parents, who seemed to be withdrawn from his life.  Similarly, Salingers parents sent him to Valley Forge Military School, where he had a neighbor who always seemed to be barging in, showing a resemblance to Ack ley.  The ratifier learns that Holden is the son of wealthy parents from New York.  It turns out that J.D. Salinger was also born in New York to upper-class parents.  It seems as though Holden Caulfields childhood is an identical accord to that of J.D. Salingers.       Salinger had a deep love and fascination with young children, especially young women.  In the 1970s, Salinger maintained a close connection with an eighteen year-old girl, Joyce Maynard, who lastly moved in with the author. J.D. Salinger continued to have many relations with younger women, much like this one.  His fascination with young women is reflected in Holden, who has a similar mind-set.  Even as a seventeen year-old, Holden is infatuated with his perception of Jane Gallagher as a little girl.  It is this picture of innocence that Holden is in love with, and non what Jane is like now.  The concept of, the catcher in the rye, itself projects his inte rest in children.  He day-dreams about standing at the edge of the rye field detecting any children that are too close to the edge of the cliff.