The Catcher in the Rye and Philosophy: A Book for Bastards, Morons, and Madmen

Popular Culture and Philosophy #71

by Keith Dromm (Editor), Heather Salter (Editor)

Few novels have had more influence on individuals and literary culture than J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Published in 1951 and intended by Salinger for adults (early drafts were published in the New Yorker and Colliers), the novel quickly became championed by youth who identified with the awkwardness and alienation of the novel’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Since then the book and its reclusive author have been fixtures of both popular and literary culture. Catcher is perhaps the only modern novel that is revered equally by the countless Americans whom Holden Caulfield helped through high school and puberty and literary critics (such as the New Yorker’s Adam Gopnik who insisted as recently as 2010 that Catcher is a "perfect" twentieth-century novel).

One premise of The Catcher in the Rye and Philosophy is that the ease and sincerity with which readers identify with Holden Caulfield rests on Salinger’s attention to the nuances and qualities of experience in the modern world. Coupled with Salinger’s deft subjective, first-person style, Holden comes to seem more real than any fictional character should. This and other paradoxes raised by the novel are treated by authors who find answers in philosophy, particularly in twentieth-century phenomenology and existentialism--areas of philosophy that share Salinger’s attention to lived, as opposed to theorized, experience. Holden’s preoccupation with “phonies,” along with his constant striving to interpret and judge the motives and beliefs of those around him, also taps into contemporary interest in philosophical theories of justice and Harry Frankfurt’s recently celebrated analysis of "bullshit."

Per Salinger’s request, Catcher has never been made into a movie. One measure of the devotion and fanatical interest Catcher continues to inspire, however, is speculation in blogs and magazines about whether movie rights may become available in the wake of Salinger’s death in 2010. These articles remain purely hypothetical, but the questions they inspire--Who would direct? And, especially, Who would star as Holden Caulfield?--are as vivid and real as Holden himself.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Essays, Literary Criticism

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 9, 2012

Reviews

[poesielos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gute Ergänzung zum Buch, aber viel wiederholt sich einfach nach einer Weile. Das Glossar ist noch mal praktisch, wenn man das Buch zur Prüfungsvorbereitung o. ä. nutzt!

[Pat Shafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty useful source for a Catcher essay. A bit repetitive at parts, but offers deep analysis.

[Rand]

Fuck the phonies and phone the fuckers.
Shit's deeper than any one first thought and deeper than everyone's second thought too.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Despite the specifics of his biography, Holden’s experiences are universal and not ones peculiar to youth. More than his experiences, Holden’s reactions to them resonate with his readers. His detections of phoniness…and the distress all this causes him, are reactions to the world that all fans of his story have had at some point in their lives. For many, they have caused as much trouble - for some even more - as they do for Holden.”

If you’re a fan of “The Catcher in the Rye” and enjoy philosophy, you will probably enjoy this book. One of the good things about the Popular Culture and Philosophy series is that you don’t need a deep or exhaustive knowledge of philosophy to partake in these essays. Each one does a good job of explaining the relevant philosophers and their way of thinking. Each essay is different and focuses on a certain aspect of Holden and even Salinger.

That being said, I did mark this book as “not finished,” mostly because I skimmed through a lot of it. This was not the most interesting Pop Culture and Philosophy book I’ve read. Usually there’s at least one or two essays that are really interesting, but this one just could not keep my attention for long.

[Kumari Ross]

The Catcher in the Rye is a bildungsroman, a novel about a young character’s growth into maturity. While it is appropriate to discuss the novel in such terms, Holden Caulfield is an unusual protagonist for a bildungsroman because his central goal is to resist the process of maturity itself. This is an interesting theme to go with but it works out for a novel like this. I think children would enjoy this book and it is another I remember from my childhood.

[Wes F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in combination with a rereading of the Salinger classic: The Catcher in the Rye. Very interesting philosophical takes on Holden Caufield's worldview & issues--and the impact of The Catcher on generations of readers (I first read it in 10th Grade English class). These were essays from various university professors, some with humorous, some with serious points to make. All weighed in with some very good points & insights to be gleaned through the quirky eyes/mind of the young disillusioned Holden Caufield (who is NOT a phony).