Human Nature in "The Catcher in the Rye"

J. D. Salinger understood quite a bit about human nature, and he proved that in writing The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger shows that he knows how teenage boys act and think and how they are wired. He shows how selfish people are and how desperate they are to not get caught. Holden Caulfield is extremely selfish in The Catcher in the Rye because he only thinks about himself. He thinks about how his actions will affect him and how much he wants to see his siblings. He also thinks about how nice it would be to leave everyone and everything that he knows without warning. He does not think about how it will affect his family and friends. He is too worried about his feelings and his reactions. Holden Caulfield is also incredibly desperate to not get caught. He will do almost anything so his parents will not find out. He spends quite a bit of money on a hotel room, which he does not even stay in for the full time that he paid for. At one point, he stays at the house of an old professor of his. The professor and his wife were very generous in letting him stay, but he becomes nervous so he quickly leaves their house also. He stays one night on a bench because he can not stay in the hotel and was kind of creeped out by his former professor. He still refuses to go home, though, because he does not want to be caught. He keeps all of his things in suitcases and checks them into a luggage check. He does eventually go back to see his sister, but he sneaks in so no one can hear him. When his parents do come home, he hides in her closet and she makes excuses for him, because she wants to protect him too. J. D. Salinger understood human nature very well, and he showed that to the world in the way that he crafted his characters in The Catcher in the Rye.