The Catcher in the Rye

by J. D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye: Style 1 key example

Style
Explanation and Analysis:

Salinger’s writing style in The Catcher in the Rye is driven by Holden Caulfield's fast-paced, compulsive, and often discursive narration. This style reflects Holden's impulsive and often erratic thought processes: it’s intended to capture the immediacy of the events he’s recounting as if the reader were really there. It includes snatches of music (like "The Catcher in the Rye," for example) and lots of allusions to real books and historical figures. Within its frame story of Holden speaking about his past, the book flows quickly from one flashback or memory to another, creating a sense of urgency and restlessness that mirrors the narrator’s state of mind.