J.D. Salinger has been effective in creating an authentic adolescent voice TO A GREAT EXTENT in the Catcher in the Rye.
Swearing
- Holden uses profanity often in the novel, just as adolescents today do
- This is Holden's way of rebelling and acting more mature
- The first sentence of the book it says "...And all that David Copperfield kind of crap." (p.1)
- Adolescence are known to swear and 'act out' which is how Holden acts
- Although Holden thinks swearing makes him sound mature, it actually makes him sound immature which constructs the adolescence voice
Responsibility
- He doesn't take responsibility seriously
- An example - When he lost the fencing gear, and the team was angry at him, he thought 'It was pretty funny in a way' (p3)
- Adolescence are known to be unreliable therefore the voice is authentic
Self Centred
- When he is saying 'Nobody is around, Nobody big. Except me' (p156)
- He thinks that he is the only person that can save all the children from innocence. He is the only one that know what adult life is all about. He is the only one saving the kid.
- Adolescence today believe they are the best at everything and that they are able to solve everyone's problems in the world
