Jerry Smith

How do you spell C.L.A.S.S.I.C? This way, Jun 22 2005

Failing out of high school, teen-intellectual Holden heads for New York in the early 1950s with nothing to do, no plans, and a red hat. In New York, Holden runs into the 1950s jazz scene, prostitutes, homosexuals, and ample opportunities to drink himself to oblivion. Told from a first person viewpoint, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE depicts a young man's painful journey toward a coming of age. I won't try to deconstruct the symbolism in this novel. Perhaps Holden's red hat refers to his attempts to lose his virginity and his expensive luggage is a Freudian symbol for the female. Perhaps his name indicates the need to hold onto something (certainly his dream of becoming the 'Catcher' does. Certainly… Read more