“In The Mind Of Holden” Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the first person narration is critical in helping the reader to know and understand the main character, Holden Caulfield. Holden, in his narration, flashbacks to a significant period of his life, three days and nights on his own in New York City. Through his narration, Holden discloses to the reader his innermost thoughts and feelings. He provides the reader not only with information of what occurred, but also his feelings about what happens. Holden's thoughts and ideas reveal many of his character traits. One late Saturday night, four days before the beginning of school vacation, Holden is alone, bored and restless, wondering what to do. He decides to leave Pencey Prep, his school and travels to New York by train. He decides that, once in New York, he will stay in a cheap motel until he is to return home. His thoughts and plans portray him to do things on an impulse, and are searching for his identity. Holden has excessive thoughts on death from having experienced two deaths in his early life. He constantly dwells on Allie, his brother's death. From Holden's thoughts, it is obvious that he loves and misses Allie. In order to hold on to his brother, Holden brings Allie's baseball mitt along with him where ever he goes. The mitt has additional meaning and significance for Holden because Allie had written poetry, which Holden reads, on the baseball mitt. Holden's preoccupation with death can be seen in his contemplation of a dead classmate, James Castle. It tells the reader something about Holden that he lends his turtleneck sweater to this classmate, with whom he is not at all close. Holden's personality is far more profound then his rough exterior. He constantly insults people such as calling them phonies, even his brother D.B., who Holden states," Has sold out to Hollywood." These statements show that Holden is an outspoken...
