The next morning, Holden went to his sister's school and left a note in which he informed her that he was running away. It asked her to meet him at a nearby museum. When his sister, Phoebe, arrived, she had a suitcase with her, ready to run away with him. Holden beratedPhoebe, but knew she wouldn't leave him alone. With Phoebe trailing along, he decided to go to the zoo. He then bought her a ticket to ride the carousel. Holden notes that when he witnessed Phoebe's happiness, he was moved to the verge of tears.
Holden ends the narrative there, explaining that he does not want to recount the actual events that led to his breakdown. He tells the reader that he is optimistic about his future and will be well enough to go back to school in the fall.
Since its publication in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye has been laudedfor its take on adolescence. Holden is portrayed as a sensitive, rebellious teenager who is struggling to come to terms with the world around him. He longs for a childlikesense of certainty and order, but is continuously confronted with what he sees as fakenessand hypocrisy. The novel deals with his struggles with growing up and becoming an adult. It also focuses on themes of loneliness and isolation, particularly in teenagers.
J.D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher in the Rye, was a critically acclaimed writer. His works often featured teenagers or young adults and tackled issues related to developing a sense of self and identity. However, Salinger was uncomfortable with this fame and retiredfrom writing after publishing his last story in 1965. He lived a reclusivelife until his death in 2010.
