The Catcher in The Rye - Writing Style

Writing Style

The Catcher in the Rye is written in a subjective style from the point of view of its protagonist, Holden Caulfield, following his exact thought processes. There is flow in the seemingly disjointed ideas and episodes; for example, as Holden sits in a chair in his dorm, minor events such as picking up a book or looking at a table, unfold into discussions about experiences.

Critical reviews agree that the novel accurately reflected the teenage colloquial speech of the time. Words and phrases that frequently appear include:

  • "Phony": Superficial, hypocritical, and pretentious
  • "That killed me": I found that hilarious or astonishing
  • "Flit": Homosexual
  • "Flitty": Homosexual behavior
  • Wuddya: (the ya slang) vernacular rendering, idiomatic
  • "Crumby": Inadequate, insufficient, and/or disappointing

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Famous quotes containing the words writing and/or style:

    As I am writing my thought, it sometimes escapes me; but this makes me remember my weakness, which I constantly forget. This is as instructive to me as my forgotten thought; for I strive only to know my nothingness.
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    The style of an author should be the image of his mind, but the choice and command of language is the fruit of exercise.
    Edward Gibbon (1737–1794)