Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Andreagreco99 t1_ixqae2z wrote

Reply to comment by campionmusic51 in I love The Catcher in the Rye by zak_zman

People who love to criticize Holden forgot how bothersome they were in their teen years too

30

mattducz t1_ixqd3r2 wrote

And they also miss the fact that his brother died of leukemia…even though he mentions it like every other page.

Really the saddest part of this book is knowing that those who call Holden a whiny loser also show the same lack empathy for actual people in the real world.

42

DumbBroquoli t1_ixqh2p5 wrote

Yes, yes! I read it as an adult after seeing the book widely criticized on Reddit. I was blown away by how sympathetic I found a struggling teenage boy. What it says about a reader if they can't empathize with Holden is indeed the saddest part - I am disheartened at any lack of empathy for Holden given his circumstances.

I do wonder if many people's perceptions are affected because they were forced to read it in school as a teenager. I imagine under those conditions and at that stage of life it would be harder to understand Holden.

15

[deleted] t1_ixqono1 wrote

[removed]

−1

DumbBroquoli t1_ixqyatu wrote

I'm not sure all of those leaps are true, might be a bit of fundamental attribution error in your assessment.

1

campionmusic51 t1_ixs41t1 wrote

all one has to do is read the comment and then go see what that user has historically commented on. not hard.

1

raccoontailmario t1_ixrqxfx wrote

And him getting molested by a trusted adult made him very critical of them the rest of his life.

11

mattducz t1_ixrzkjf wrote

Jesus Christ I forgot about that too

2

Eireika t1_ixrd7ph wrote

His brother died of leukemia and his family basically abandoned him by kicking to boarding school and limiting contact. He has no one to rely on. Economically and socially privileged but mentally- saint would have gone mad.

8

MrP1anet t1_ixr91hu wrote

Yeah, I think the book is like the litmus test for measuring someone's empathy.

6

ViskerRatio t1_ixqzmvd wrote

The entire point of the book is that Caulfield is a whiny loser.

While you're supposed to sympathize with him (to an extent), you're also supposed to recognize that his actions and thoughts are an outgrowth of an inability to deal with his pain.

−11

mattducz t1_ixqzrqu wrote

He’s not a whiny loser, he’s a mentally unstable child.

Jesus, I just explained exactly how shitty people like you are and you doubled down on it.

16

ViskerRatio t1_ixr1817 wrote

I think you're completely missing the point of the book. It's like those people who watch Fight Club and think it would be cool to get their friends together and beat up each other up in the basement.

The point is that you don't want to be Holden Caulfield and that his ways of dealing with his problems are counter-productive. You're supposed to read The Catcher in the Rye and conclude "I don't want to be a whiny loser like Holden Caulfield" - while seeing the parallels in your own life that could result in that outcome.

−14

RevHenryMagoo t1_ixri9id wrote

JD Salinger: Hey everyone! This child is such a loser!!! You don’t want to be like him, do ya??? Better straighten up, losers.

Hmmmm. Maybe you don’t understand the point of the book.

7

mattducz t1_ixr3hlu wrote

Honestly if you think books have one solidly-defined meaning with no other possible interpretations, you are just plain wrong—and quite shallow, at that.

Edit: you are correct that I wouldn’t want to be Holden—but not because he sucks…but because I feel awful for him. Again, if you don’t get that, it says a lot about how you see and treat others.

4