Catcher in the Rye by Jerome David Salinger is a story in which Holden Caulfield, the speaker and hero of the tale, begins the narration at his old boarding school, Pencey Prep, in Agerstown. Most of the story later takes place in New York leading up to Christmas. The substantial setting of the story is rather significant, as it illustrates Holden's loneliness in New York. As a whole, this novel develops as a remembrance of Holden's thoughts that ultimately resulted in his story. The literary elements of the novel also present themselves in harmony with the storyline. This allows J.D. Salinger to provide readers with an array of firmly presented messages through his use of both literary and rhetorical devices. The novel begins by establishing Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy, as having already dropped out of 3 schools and on the verge of failing his fourth, Pency Prep. He appears as a very gloomy and dejected boy. “Catcher in the Rye,” written in slang, takes its title from a line in a Robert Burns song. Holden Caulfied misquotes this phrase while posing as a "catcher of rye", charged with preventing the children of the world from losing their innocence. Holden expresses everything as false and relentlessly pursues authenticity. He symbolizes one of the first heroes of adolescent angst, but full of life. There are messages such as: teenage depression, coming of age, loneliness, living life as you do it, personal endurance and the pains of growing up into adolescence. These points are made throughout the book from Salinger's literary devices such as perspective and plot, and rhetorical devices like imagery. The effect these devices give involves attracting...... middle of paper...... the acts of the novel. He narrates in the first person, recounting what he witnesses and experiences, and gives his own remarks on the events and people he describes. The setting being in the past, its tone oscillates between disgust, skepticism, acrimony and desire. Holden begins his story at his old school called Pencey Prep in Pennsylvania. The themes are alienation, loneliness, depression and hardship. The main symbols apparent in the story are the "Rye Catcher", the Museum of Natural History, and the ducks in the pond in Central Park. The major argument in Holden's consciousness presents itself through Salinger's choice of one-sided diction and tone. In addition to the effective use of literary and rhetorical devices, Jerome David Salinger created the success of "Catcher" by describing the story for the readers rather than to them..