The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger was first published in 1951 and has continued to be a favorite since then.  This novel takes place in and around New York, New York in 1948.  Holden, the narrator and main character is a very complex being and has been looked at from many perspectives over the years. Holden is obviously struggling with himself internally and the depth of this struggle is certainly  revealed throughout the book. It is obvious that Holden does not want to grow up or have any responsibilities at all. throughout the tale he uses variations the word “Phony” frequently as he tells his story. It seems that almost everyone that he talks to that is older than him is a “phony”. I have come to realize that Holden associates growing up with becoming a socially constructed personality whereas he sees childhood as being innocent and “real”. I believe this is why he is so attached to his sister Phoebe and deceased brother Allie. When holden is asked by his sister what would make him happy he replies with  "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy." (22.51-55) In this instance Holden is essentially saving the children from jumping into adulthood and losing who they are; losing their innocence. He does not realize that the song this fantasy is based off of is actually about casual sex, this completely destroys his idea of innocents and again shows that growing up is inevitable and irreversible.
I think myself, and many other teens around Holden’s age can somewhat relate to his situation. We are all a little bit scared to grow up and live on our own. Some of us deal with the anxiety of life better than others but we all have to deal with it nonetheless.
In my opinion, this book is a must read for anyone transitioning into adult life or beginning to take on more responsibility. It is the harsh truth of having to grow up eventually and face your fears. The majority of ones life is adulthood and one must learn to live it that way without completely losing sight of your youth and innocent mind.