The Catcher in the Rye

The novel Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, should be read by most students because it gives students important life lessons, pushes students to challenge their beliefs, and allows reader to feel more complete after reading it.

Salinger portrays how it is good for young adults to challenge their beliefs to stray from their norm. Holden’s professor gives him a different perspective of life and says that Holden needs to challenge his own beliefs. Mr. Spencer says to Holden, “Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.” Holden replies, “Yes, sir. I know it is. I know it.” However, Holden thinks to himself, “Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right—I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it? Nothing. No game” (Salinger 8). Holden says that if “life is a game” then it is not any fair. He complains that if put on the team with no “hot-shots” then that team has automatically lost. When a team has no star athletes, how can they win? They cannot. Holden feels as though he has been cheated by life and placed on the team “where there aren’t any hot shots.” Holden has not achieved much accept having failed out of multiple schools. His professor tells him to “play according to the rules” and maybe if he listened to his professor’s advice he might be more successful. If Holden were to discard his work ethic and take advice from an adult then he may grow a new attitude and gain the skills he needs to win the “[game of life]”. Holden's stubborn attitude towards new ideas shows why it is important for students to challenge their beliefs and not to become too fixed on their own ideas.