This trait is also an underlying factor and ubiquitous thesis in literature. We can savor its fragrance, we can allow the distillation to intoxicate us, but full osmosis cannot be reached until we complete analysis.
J. D Salinger embodies the essence of modernist writing. In The Catcher in the Rye, there is a definite use of stream of consciousness, but it is not exclusively for the esoteric palate. This literary technique is a cousin to vivid imagery and similes. In French, une histoire refers to a story; through this somewhat digressive stylistic element, the author weaves through the story a distinctiveness which embodies a sense of captivity, and the audience becomes incessantly aware of the protagonist’s history, his journey through life.
It is almost impossible to avoid the question of Holden Caulfield. Is he to represent Everyman? Or is he just character? His indecisiveness is his vulnerability, a similarity that all of mankind holds. This leaves us to wonder how we all fit into this complex universe of this Salinger story, as the ending is somewhat ambiguous and lucid in its declaration of disease. Holden is suppressed by a ubiquitous malady brought forth by the pressures of society, brought forth by his everlasting imagination and undying romanticism. Does Salinger predict that we all suffer from this particular illness? Or is this novel all a form of moral propaganda? Are we to live passionately and unendingly until the end? Are we supposed to drain this youthful spirit before this spoils?
How beautiful it is to understand that these most powerful questions are undeniably up to us.
