How Does Snow Patrol Relate To The Catcher In The Rye

In the novel the Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, Holden's perspective of society and what life is about relates to the song “Chasing Cars,” by Snow Patrol. Both show how everyone is constantly taking their lives for granted so worried about the excessive and unnecessary things in life, which is obstructing them from appreciating the true beauty of life. In the beginning of the novel, Holden goes to visit his history teacher, since he will no longer be attending the school. Mr. Spencer begins to lecture Holden and talks about what life is, he says, “If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game... but if you get on the other side, where there aren't any hot-shots, then what's a game about it? Nothing. no game” (Salinger 11).

He consistently is observing the phoniness of everyone and how they seem to have no regard for for anything except trying to become the best. He constantly refers to the “hot-shots,” who are not necessarily the upper class but, it’s how they act in society, consumed with these materialistic ideals. This theme is represented in the song by Snow Patrol in the line “Would you lie with me and just forget the world.” This to is about just wanting to forget about the competition and struggles in the world and just appreciate life. This is expressing the singers want for people to just forget about the materials and focus on nature. Just to focus on what's happening now and to not worry about what's going to happen in the future. For Holden, this represents his ideals of how we should perceive the world. This also connects with his relationship with his sister, and since she's so young, she can still appreciate the little things in life. As well as in chapter 6 of the novel when stradlater was in a fight with Holden, he had just gotten up from sitting on him, he told him not to say a word because Holden had been mocking