Re-reading many years later J.D. Salinger's " Catcher in the Rye "

I did re-read " Catcher in the Rye " this week -about 50 pages a night. I recall first reading it as an assignment in a CCRI contemporary literature course. It certainly is an important 20th century novel. I could picture Holden Caulfield way back in 1968 becoming : 1) A heroin addict or hard core alcoholic 2) A drug addict and an early 50s beatnik 3) A New Left communist by 1965 4 ) A mentally disturbed, drug addicted homeless person At the very beginning of " Catcher in the Rye " Holden is clearly a very disturbed " rich boy " adolescent . A classic of capitalist society ALIENATION. I suspect that its author author J.D. Salinger wrote this immortal novel in a state of post traumatic stress - a World War II veteran every bit as borderline psychotic as 16 year old Holden Caulfield. His horny virgin sexual behavior and fantasies ( possible hints of incest fantasy with his ten year old sister Phoebe ? ) Did the " pervert" teacher -friend Mr. Antolini sense latent homosexuality in him ? Those private prep schools for rich kids BREED alienation and mental illness and create in vulnerable adolescents extreme states of LONELINESS and BOREDOM . 16 year old Holden Caulfield desperately needed a warmer FAMILY who could at least SEE him and LISTEN to him . And for a bright enough kid in a respected private school Holden is strangely IGNORANT . For example , he imagines that fish in a Central Park pond must be frozen in the ice in winter time. Ponds rarely freeze all the way to the bottom because of a unique property of water . You learn that in the 6th grade. In sizing up friends and acquaintances rich boy Holden is unware of his own rather insensitive snobbery. I can't see how any mentally balanced adolescent reading " Catcher in the Rye " today would see this disturbed Holden character as worthy of emulation - unless that reader thinks nervous break downs- and being unable to focus or CONCENTRATE on anything creative and constructive. Even young Holden Caulfield's constant SMOKING is annoying . [100 years of JD Salinger: The world's most famous literary hermit INDEPENDENT.CO.UK 100 years of JD Salinger: The world's most famous literary hermit As the centenary of celebrated author JD Salinger rolls around, Martin Chilton explains why ... ]