On the Ledge

The Catcher in the Rye

" Yeah, but the way he acts is so immature."

" That's the point!" Samantha gazed at him. " He's very young and this whole book is about his journey. Holden's view on the society is warped and that's why he thinks everyone is a phony. And I agree with you to some extent. I think he does that in order to protect himself, like a facade."

" And he's such a hypocrite. When he sees the couple at the hotel fooling around he says he'd never treat a girl that way. Next thing he does he calls a stripper..." Sam countered.

" Because he wants company. His mental illness drives him away from people but at the end of the day he just wants someone to be close to him, even if it's a total stranger. I think he yearns for a companionship so much that he tries to connect with people at a deeper level but always fails to do so which ultimately makes him think that everyone around him is a phony."

" So, you think he wanted to connect with that taxi driver and that's why he wanted to know where the ducks go for winter?"

Samantha nodded. Sam rubbed his chin pensively.

" But why does he wanna rescue the kids so much? He fantasizes about rescuing them before they run off the cliff. It's like he's not even aware that some kids can take care of themselves and wouldn't kill themselves by jumping off a cliff."

" After his brother dies Holden feels a bit guilty about that. He gets protective over Jane, the ducks and all the things other adults don't care about. He has such a low-esteem that if he does end up doing something good for the humanity, it means he's worth something."

Sam nodded. " Makes sense."

" That's why he cares so much about where the ducks go." Samantha continued. " Because if he figures out where they go for winter, in a way he figures out himself."

" He's an interesting character I guess..." Sam figured.

" He's so flawed. That's why I love him. Because I can see a little bit of myself in him whenever I read that book." Samantha said. Sam raised his brows at her.

" You see a little bit of yourself when you read the book?" he couldn't believe his ears.

" Yeah, the first time I read the book I was in high school going through a very tough time in my life. This book is the reason why I'm currently studying English Lit."

Sam nodded. " How many times have you read it?"

" About 5 times." she confirmed. Sam stared at her in amazement.

" There's always something new each time I read it."

" I had a tough time reading it in one sitting." Sam scoffed. " Just like Holden would say: it killed me reading this book." he laughed. Samantha shrugged.

" Don't look at the characters in a superficial way. There's always something to them. You just gotta keep looking. I think this book definitely relates to real life. Don't judge at first impression. If you look deep enough there's always something internal going on in each person. Every single one of us goes through a challenge in their lives. Just like Holden."

Sam nodded. "Thanks for your help."

" No problem. What do you wanna study in the future?"

" Ehm..." Sam shrugged. "I don't know. But English Lit is not my cup of tea."

" Hey, Samantha!" a tall girl showed up at their table.

" Hey, sweetie. Come here." Samantha leaned forward. The two shared a brief kiss before the blonde girl sat down next to Samantha. Sam stared at the two, feeling awkward. After the kiss Samantha turned to Sam.

" This is my girlfriend Lindsay." she introduced her. Sam shook hands with her.

" Sam." he nodded.

" Hi, how are you?" Lindsay asked.

" Fine." Sam avoided eye contact.

" Sam here, is working on his essay on Holden." Samantha said. Lindsay nodded in comprehension.

" Well, then Samantha's the perfect person. She has a tight bond with that book." Lindsay confirmed. Sam let out an awkward laugh.

" Yeah, she told me."

" I was reading the book when I was in the middle of personal turmoil. At that time I was figuring out whether I was into girls or boys..." Samantha started saying. "Then this one came along.." she pointed to Lindsay. "And I knew instantly." she grinned at Lindsay.

" That's sweet." Sam said sternly.

" Yeah, but not everyone thought that way at first.." Samantha started saying. "You know this town, they're all conservative pretty much, so we had some hardships on the way. But we stayed true to ourselves and that's what matters the most." Samantha winked at Lindsay who grinned back. Sam felt uncomfortable, he felt like there was something stuck in his throat so he coughed.

" Uh, I think I gotta go now." he started packing his things.

" Oh, okay. Look, if you ever need anything you can add me on Facebook. My surname's Cuthbert."

" Fine, will do. Have a nice day." he waved.

" Bye." they both grinned in farewell.