  Okay, I just finished "the catcher in the rye" and I don't quite know what to make of it. This blog entry will double as somewhat of a discovery process (hopefully) for me and I will hopefully be able to come to some sort of conclusion about some aspect of the book. If I begin to ramble I apologize. First I'd like to talk about the significance of the title.
When his sister asked him what he liked I was anxious to hear his answer. Immediately he ponders some off-the-topic idea and comes back to the topic after his sister says, "You can't even think of one thing. " He responds with, "Yes, I can. Yes, I can. " He than talks about his brother and the enjoyment he gets out of talking to his sister.
These things he comes up with are so simple. Then he tells about how he simply wants to be a catcher in the rye. I like the connection Natalya made with the James Castle and the "catcher" Holden. This seems like one of many intricate connections that Salinger makes. Finally I think the title signifies he wants a simple life with a simple purpose. Now I finally see the connection with his displeasure with "phonies. " Phonies to Holden suggest some sort of unneeded attention aimed at bettering the perception other people have on them.
This adds to the idea that he wants a simple life that is not fake and that has a purpose. Obviously one can see that being "phony" has no "real" purpose. This contributes to his dislike of the idea. One thing I noticed was the abrupt conclusions Holden comes to when looking at different situations in his life.
It's hard to find examples, a few off the top of my head are: the inferiority complex and the conceited men, the kids always having to meet their friends and the yearbook handsomeness. He even ends his story with a simple conclusion of his. Hmm... That was somewhat helpful for me. I hope I didn't sound like a rambling idiot. Oh yeah, does anyone see the significance with the ducks? ~Frank 
