Essay Topics - Catching the Catcher in the Rye

Essay Topics - Catching the Catcher in the RyeCatching the Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is a memoir about being lost in one's own mind. It was published in 1951 and still holds up today, even if it is more than 50 years old.What makes this book so memorable is the theme of Salinger himself: what it is like to be lost in one's own mind. His main character, Holden Caulfield, is such a different person from the Holden Caulfield of our current world that, in the end, he cannot remember his real name. This story of mental confusion and loss is explored through several essay topics, ranging from: What is Life?How does one cope with new emotions and thoughts? What are we able to do when we are not happy? What is life without love? How does one deal with death?In Catching the Catcher in the Rye, Dean Salinger and Bertolt Brecht go through all these topics. But, unlike other essays in this category, Catching the Catcher in the Rye is rich with emotions and ideas that are no less rele vant today.The writing is witty and light-hearted; you feel the author's affection for his characters and readers want to sympathize with them and appreciate their difficult emotional experiences. It reminds me of E.M. Forster's illustrations in such books as The Ministry of Silly Walks and The Admirable Profits of Miss Julie.Many readers look back on this book with nostalgia, and Catching the Catcher in the Rye is definitely a better read than his other works, even if it is only a memoir. After reading this book and pondering on the themes explored in the essays, I find myself, too, thinking of the experiences I've had. But how did I get there? Where did they go to?Author's voice reminds me of Richard Russo's in The Catcher in the Rye: 'The daily life of most people is a sort of daily death. They have to live and die at a particular hour.' Nowadays, the majority of people have to make their lives somehow worth living.It may sound a bit morbid, but I guess what it is all about is th e fact that you spend your reader's life in a way that is meaningful. It would be sad to look back at the lost moments of your life and realize that they never happened at all.