The role of Catcher in the Rye in John Lennon’s assassination
When I first read Catcher in the Rye, I read it because it’s popular. It seemed like a must-read, and it came highly recommended. When I was through with it, I found myself perplexed by this popularity. It seemed to me to be a story about no more than a teenager who could not control his impulses.
Having read a few more books and lived a few more years, I decided to pick it up again to try and see what else I could get from it. This time, what stood out to me the most was the repetition. Holden Caulfield describes his reactions and perceptions through heavily repeated phrases like “that killed me” and “you really have to be in the mood for that stuff”. This gives Holden a very specific voice, tone, and outlook as a young person. By the end of this second read through, I wanted to know what was really wrong with Holden Caulfield. I also found myself incredibly curious about the novel’s author, J.D. Salinger. There’s plenty to dive into there if you’re curious.
More than most books I’ve read, this book makes me want to sit across the table from its narrator and experience what he’s like from an outside perspective. He seems very charismatic and passionate; he is a compulsive liar, but he also cares about people. Just looking at a row of girls waiting for their dates is enough to depress him as he wonders about what their futures might be like. I won’t pretend to be qualified to prescribe his issues; there are plenty of other theories to be read online about that. I do think that his immature tone coupled with his unsettling idealism paint a picture of a boy who continues to grow up in some ways, but is unable to grow up in other ways. Many link this to the traumatic death of his brother. I think his unique way of experiencing the world is what draws the masses to the novel. Holden is a perplexing mix of mature and immature, and that mix seems to capture many of the issues related to being a teenager.
The other element that many relate to is his unending tirade on phoniness. I can imagine how, especially during the 50's when Catcher was published, this would have mass appeal in the post-war, pastel world of suburban America. Holden’s staunch stance against phoniness appealed to violence as well. On December 8th of 1980, John Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman. Outside of Lennon’s Manhattan home, police officers arrived to the scene to find Chapman casually flipping through his copy of Catcher in the Rye.
During the case, when asked why he chose to kill John Lennon, Chapman stated “because he was famous”. Chapman later claimed that he believed Holden Caulfied would have killed John Lennon because he was a “phony”. Like Caulfield, Chapman also preferred children. He had worked with children at the YMCA camp, and according to him, those children would’ve said he is very kind. The part of him that killed Lennon was the part of him that “cannot understand the world and what goes on in it”. He is quoted as citing the novel as his motive. Before his sentencing, Chapman read a passage from the novel in the courtroom. He thought of himself as the ‘catcher in the rye of his generation’.
Beyond the message that goes with killing a person for their level of fame, Chapman wanted to draw attention to the book. It probably did contribute to the sustained popularity of this book. However, much like those who cited the bible to justify slavery, it seems that Chapman found a way to construe this book to justify his motives. This novel is far from a call to violence like The Turner Diaries. While the book does portray Caulfield as highly disgruntled with the state of society, almost all of his destruction was reserved for himself. “Phoniness” can be applied in countless ways, and Chapman’s interpretation was certainly extreme.
The undying popularity of this book still seems kind of random to me. However, I don’t think it will dwindle any time soon. Holden’s unique narrative style and point of view will probably continue to fascinate readers. His frustration with “phoniness” is something that I, along with many others, definitely felt when as a teenager. I think Catcher will continue to be the book that people reference to portray the inner turmoil that goes on as a teenager with a strong example. Phoniness is a human flaw that has existed in many forms throughout history and is probably not going away any time soon, and people will continue to resonate with Holden because of it.
