The World Through Holden Caulfield’s Eyes When writing a novel, the author has the option of using the first or third person narrative. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.K. Salinger creates Holden Caulfield in the first person. As we go from one adventure to the next, we see everything that happens from Holden’s point of view. This helps to make him a sympathetic character. Throughout the novel, Holden Caulfield has a …showed first 75 words of 892 total…

…showed last 75 words of 892 total…make the connection between the dream he has of catching children at the edge of a cliff with his own fear of growing up. He’s too naïve to see how he’s preventing his still child-like self from entering the confusing, depressing, and sometimes dangerous realm of adulthood. But even these negative qualities are useful in that they compound his complexity. Like us, Holden is imperfect and ultimately even more deserving of sympathy.