The Catcher in the Rye's Success

The Catcher in the Rye is Salinger’s most successful novel, appealing to mainly adolescent readers. The novel was surprisingly secular for its date of publication in 1951. At this time, novels had remained religious and limited. Holden Caulfield delivers a relation to the novel’s characters through his isolation and seclusion. Because of this, many young adults gravitated toward the novel and Salinger. The novel’s characters have been described as fruitless and unhappy. In The Catcher in the Rye there is a vivid description of a secluded and simplistic home; Salinger later lived in a home quite similar to the description in the novel. Upon reading this novel, fans develop a sense of Salinger’s direction and personality. Because Salinger reveals himself through Caulfield, readers attach themselves to Salinger and the novel itself. Their connection is undeniably a factor in the novel’s overall success. Many adolescent readers do not have a sense of direction and are often naïve. In relation to the young readers, Caulfield is conveyed as an inept and misplaced adolescent character. Basic adult values and morals are laid to rest in The Catcher in the Rye. This lack of tradition aided in its success and survival throughout the different eras. Salinger disassociates religion from the novel. Unlike other novels in this period, The Catcher in the Rye does not use religion as a resolution in the conclusion. In the mind of Salinger, the novel was not intended as a piece of propaganda. In the contemporary society, traditional values are not linked back to ideas. The only display of religion in the novel is the two nun’s resolution. Their resolution is solved with dignity, which seems to be quite ironic for this particular story. Salinger strayed away from the use of religion in order to captivate his young audience and perceive his values through Holden Caulfield. Although The Catcher in the Rye was depicted as contemporary and secular, it became one of the most successful novels in American Literature.