Through the perspective of a depressed and lonely teenager, Holden Caulfield, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye portrays many timeless themes, such as depression, confusion, rebellion and alienation. The novel depicts the post-World War II era, where the American economy was flourishing, and the society was preoccupied with achieving the dream of everlasting prosperity. American novelist, William Faulkner, states in Larzer Ziff’s All-American Boy, that "When Holden attempted to enter the human race, there was no human race there" (Ziff 124). Faulkner emphasizes Holden’s struggle to become an adult in an ignorant society. Holden is emotionally naïve and sensitive; thus, he is frightened by the cruel and corrupt adult society. Instead of