Salinger attended multiple public schools throughout his childhood, as well as a military academy. He devoted himself to writing in 1940, but left to join the army from the years 1942-1946. Afterwards, he again focused on writing, with much of his works being associated with or published by The New Yorker. With his background, Salinger crafted stories that focused heavily on self-consciousness and the loss of innocence, which are themes that are seen repeatedly in The Catcher in The Rye.

Though the style that he wrote the novel in showed similarities to past works, such as Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, how he portrayed Caufield was unlike any other story. It showed depth and complexities in an adolescent character that several other writers neglected. To this day, J.D. Salinger's work has been used as inspiration to create characters who do not conform to single faceted beliefs and ideals.

The term was not very popular up until J.D. Salinger used it in The Catcher in the Rye, which unfortunately launched it into common place within much of America for several years. This is not to say that J.D. Salinger was homophobic or had any prejudice towards the LGBTQ+ community. Instead, he decided to choose the term as a representation of the time that he, as well as Holden Caufield, lived in. He also used the term to better display the flaws of the character, and how that related to the themes of the story. Caufield is a very flawed character, with many conflicting views and thoughts. This shows that he really is just a kid, despite the fact that he constantly tries to act tough or "cool".

Initially, Holden Caufield comes off as a conceited, self centered kid who thinks he has it all figured out. In some ways, that's true. Throughout the story, he refers to several things as "phony" and rarely sees the adult world as genuine. "I can just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs." (pg. 20) Despite this, it is revealed throughout the story that he is not self centered, and is just a boy who is afraid of what is to come. To cover this up, he tries to act tough and unbothered by everything going on around him.

Caufield's fake, or "phony" toughness is revealed when he hires a prostitute. He attempts to act suave, but in the end, asks her if "[she] feels like talking for a while?" (pg. 106) Later, when a pimp approaches him asking for more money than he agreed to pay, he refuses. However, the pimp doesn't back down, and instead forces Holden to the ground and makes him cry until he gives up the money. Caufield is anything but a strong arrogant know it all, despite the fact that he attempts to act that way throughout the story. He is just a boy who is afraid of losing his innocence, despite its inevitability. All he wants is to be "The Catcher in The Rye," protecting kids from the cliff of adulthood and maturity.

"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move. You could go there a hundred thousand times... Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. Not that you'd be so much older or anything. It wouldn't be that, exactly. You'd just be different, that's all. You'd have an overcoat on this time. Or the kid that was your partner in line the last time had got scarlet fever and you'd have a new partner. Or you'd have a substitute taking the class, instead of Miss Aigletinger. Or you'd heard your mother and father having a terrific fight in the bathroom. Or you'd just passed by one of those puddles in the street with gasoline rainbows in them. I mean you'd be different in some way - I can't explain what I mean."

The beauty in this excerpt comes only when you return to it after finishing the book. Only then can you understand the picture that Holden Caufield was painting with his words. He is afraid of change, and the one place where that can be forgotten is the museum. Everything is right in its place, just as Holden wants it to be. But not every place and every person and every thing can be that way, which terrifies Holden. Initially, this value cannot be seen, and is disguised as Holden's random rambling and begrudged optimism. However, as the story continues to unfold, the reader can see that Holden was really talking about his fears, and his lack of understanding of why he has them.

Throughout the story, it is displayed that Holden wants to be seen as tough and strong to others. This is his id. In his heart, he is a kind, innocent soul. However, he makes decisions that are irrational and hurtful in order to impress others, and himself. For example, on a date with an old girlfriend, Caufield states that she "gives [him] a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth." (pg. 148) He goes so far as to make her cry. He later reflects on what he told her, and tells the reader that he didn't really mean it. Caufield wants to be like the people around him, careless and rude, even though he knows that he isn't.

Caufield's kind hearted nature is revealed through his superego; his sister Phoebe. Phoebe is only 10 years old, which makes Holden feel as if he should guide and protect her through life. He speaks very kindly about and towards Phoebe, admiring her maturity while maintaining her innocence. This innocence is what Holden wants most, but is something that he is losing more of every day. Phoebe makes Holden want to protect others' innocence, "catching" them before they fall off the cliff of adulthood. His ego is constantly battling between his need to grow up and mature, and his yearning for innocence and a simpler life.

Towards the beginning of the story, Holden is seen as a self-centered narcissist who only cares about himself. He has just been expelled from another school, Pencey Prep, and needs somewhere to go before his parents receive the news. This period of time is his call to adventure. He knows he cannot stay at Pencey, but cannot go back home yet either. So, Caufield decides to travel around New York, going wherever the wind takes him.

This is where the traditional mold for a story is broken. Holden has no specific place that he needs to go, nothing he needs to do, and no one he needs to talk to. He is entirely on his own, and has the free will to do whatever he wants. This is where the audience sees more of his narcissistic behavior. He goes to a bar, complaining about everything in it. The people, the lighting, the atmosphere, the waiter, and anything else that someone could complain about. At this stage in the story, there is genuine hate that follows Caufield.

Every move that Caufield makes influences his behavior and his thinking. After hiring a prostitute that he just wanted to talk to, going on a date with an old girlfriend, talking to an old friend that he no longer relates to, and visiting an old professor, Caufield is a different person. He now yearns for innocence, and a time that stands still, refusing any change. He shows an increasing admiration for his younger sister, Phoebe, who is mature while keeping her innocence intact. During the final scene of the story, Holden watches as Phoebe rides on a carousel in Central Park. Despite a heavy rain pouring down, Holden continues to watch Phoebe go around and around. He is content in this moment, and is able to simply appreciate it for what it is.

One review for the novel from Mitchell Hanegen states that "the main character is a horrible person" and another from Lady Rosenrot says that he is "MR. I AM BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE!" Initially, it would make sense that someone would make these claims, as Holden feels very shallow and unlikable. I would argue, however, that as the story unfolds, the reader gets to see who Holden truly is. He is just a kid who is watching as time passes him by, afraid of the "adult world" and what it has in store for him. He wants everything to remain as it is, in its purest innocent state. But that is impossible, and time is catching up with him.

Holden's true thoughts and feelings are unraveled in the titular "Catcher in the Rye" scene. In the scene, Holden is talking with his younger sister Phoebe. Phoebe is disappointed in Holden, claiming that he has no sense of direction or what he wants to do with his life. Holden is taken aback by this, as she's usually very sweet and not hostile towards him. He thinks about it for a moment before deciding what he really wants to do. And all that is is to be the Catcher in the Rye. He wants to stand in a huge field of rye, watching children frolic and play across it. In this scenario, Holden is standing on the edge of the rye field, right next to a cliff. He makes sure to catch any children from falling off the edge, which represents their loss of innocence. This ties back to what has been unraveling throughout the novel, that Holden is just a kid who fears growing up and doesn't want anyone to have to face it. This, together with several other aspects, makes The Catcher in the Rye a phenomenal story that should without a doubt be considered a classic.