Catcher In The Rye - Point Of View

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 12th grade August 2001

download word file, 3 pages 5.0

What a Difference a View Makes Who is telling us the story of The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger? Holden Caulfield tells it to us, the readers, through his point of view. His point of view, literately speaking, is called first person. We get the facts through his recollections, with his opinions and bias. Did you ever wonder what The Catcher in the Rye would be like if it were in a different point of view? It would be very different if it was told in third person dramatic, third person omniscient, or third person limited omniscient through a character other than Holden.

Third person dramatic point of view is like a roaming camera. You see all, hear all, but you do not know what the characters are feeling or thinking unless they say or show it. If The Catcher in the Rye were written in this point of view, we would not get Holden's opinions and bias.

We would not know exactly how he feels about certain characters or events. If it weren't for Holden's descriptions and feelings, some readers might think that Jane Gallagher isn't a very nice girl, and that Stradlater, who Holden makes out to be a real jerk, is actually a real nice guy! Not getting into any character's head lets the reader draw their own conclusions about that character based simply on how the act.

What if you got into ALL the characters' heads? That would make for a very different, yet interesting story. Third person omniscient point of very is just that.

Omniscient literary translates to "All knowing". It again is told using he, she, him, her, they, etc"¦ the same as all the other third person points of view. What about old Mr.

Spencer? When told by Holden, it seems...