Phonies...

You've got to find your inspiration from somewhere and leave it up me to find it in a book I was forced to read years ago. At that time books weren't beacons of inspiration or hope; they were signs of the time, signs that we would be in school forever talking about the frivolous and mundane aspects of our lives. I remember reading various American classics, but not once did I ever take the chance to enjoy these magnificent pieces of literature. School work was never fun to me, only when it was hands-on, so when a book was thrust into my face it received the "here we go again" routine.



"Catcher and the Rye" a novel by J.D. Salinger, is an American classic, but also a signal to America the feeling and thought-process of youth in revolt. Its called a classic for obvious reasons, as with the turn of every page young people (even today) seem able to find themselves in the pages. They the book's lead, Holden Caulfield as a sort of hero for what it meant to be growing up in a world full of "phonies."
As I sift through this novel for the first time since high school, I'm stunned at exactly why I couldn't aptly take this great work during my school days. I'm not saying it would have changed the outcome of things much, but it sure would have opened my eyes to what (at that time) I thought was important. I look at the journey Holden takes from a private school in Pennsylvania to night clubs in New York City, and it reminds me of the journeys I've taken throughout my life. Sure, describing such experiences in a way reminiscent of Salinger would be a feat all on its own, but its the truth.
I cant say I live in a world full of phonies, where I hate everyone and find lame excuses for things to "enjoy," but rather than call them phonies I'll deem the majority of people "different." The parallels are widespread from my life and the lives of many people like me in comparison to Holden. I believe we all are looking for something real in a world full of "phonies," but we spend too much time caught up in what the world isn't, while we miss out on what the reality of things.
I draw issue with the fact he spent so much time focused on the "phony" aspect of everyone else. I can totally understand where he's coming from, but I couldn't see myself spending the majority of my thought-process focused on the lives of others. In that respect (at least I hope...) Salinger got it wrong with today's youth, although reading a variety of tweets and facebook statuses makes me think Salinger may have gotten it right.
All in all, books like these are necessary. They may not speak to the average kid, but what does that really mean. What kid doesn't have any problems growing up? What kid (at some point or another) has no idea what he/she wants to do with their life? It just sucks that it takes growing up to realize the message these "coming of age books" were trying to get across.