The Catcher in the Rye & Demanded Grand Finale For Happy Hippo Readers

 Welcome to my last blog.

The tendency of The Catcher in the Rye being nominated to must-read recommendation lists for high schoolers surprised me. Therefore, when I inadvertently came across the book in the Mahomet library, I immediately checked it out.

In a nutshell, The Catcher in the Rye is an account written by the main character himself, Holden Caufield, during his stay at a mental hospital. The narrative talked about the days he roamed around on the streets and hotels of New York after he got expelled from Percy High School in New York. More specifically, the narrative focuses on his emotional struggles and anxieties about adulthood, and how he wants to preserve his innocence because everything he has heard about adulthood is corruptive and chaotic. 

Honestly, I found his worries relatable. During the days of aimless roam, Holden constantly looked for help from adults, whether it was teachers, prostitutes, drivers, or old friends; however, no one took the time to actually listen to him. Everyone was too occupied with their laborious lives. This lack of response further disquieted him and made him more anxious about entering adulthood. Towards the end, although there eventually comes his former English teacher, Mr. Antolini, who finally allows Holden to stay for a night and listens to him, However, Holden soon discovers him as a pervert as he wakes up at night only to see his teacher sitting creepily at his bed, putting his hand over his (Holden’s) head. 

Similar to The Scarlet Letter, The Catcher in the Rye is another iconic English classic novel. However, this book is narrated in such a passive voice that I found it surprisingly easy to read. I think this writing style really helped readers, like me, to empathize with the issues Holden is experiencing. It creates less distance between the narrator and his readers. I feel like, despite some sensitive topics he touched on, this novel felt like the regular diary of an average child around me.

Overall, I think The Catcher in the Rye is a great book considering the realities and dark side of society it showed. However, I personally didn’t find the book too enjoyable, as the book presented itself in such a depressed and hopeless tone. Plus, there were swear words everywhere. I guess it does make the 16-year-old sound more real, but having it on literally every page was a bit too much for me.

(My groupmate, AKA Jenny, granted me the honor to bring a grand finale for our Happy Hippo Reader Blogs. So here it is)

Writing blogs this year has truly been a lot of fun. Whether it’s Happy Hippo Reader or Bees Knees, it's been my honor to contribute. Here I extend my appreciation to all my fellow group…nope BLOG mates for their outstanding efforts in making this year run smoothly. Everyone did fabulous, constantly posting separately and filling out reading logs on time (although sometimes we boycott…but it's great :D). Here, I bid farewell to Mr. Mitchell, Frosh English, and all my blog mates. The past year has been fantastic; the present is a present; and the future will only be better.

Ready to go enjoy some summer sunshine everyone?

Thank you for reading,

Ruijing