The Catcher in the Rye, like many other great works, has been met with scornful criticism and unyielding admiration. However, many literary critics have also marveled at Salinger's use of language, which was used to make Holden Caulfield, the main character, extremely realistic. Such language includes both phrase repetition and blatant name-calling, in order to capture the casual speech of the average adolescent in the American Northeast. Through Holden's thoughts and dialogues, Salinger was able to create a teenager. The language used in The Catcher in the Rye has long been a subject of controversy in the field of literary criticism. Holden Caulfield's thoughts and comments serve to deepen his personality and entertain him. Salinger wanted to create a typical teenager while keeping Holden as an individual. Like most teenagers, Holden speaks in banal phrases. However, it also uses words in then-rare places. Holden often leaves his sentences hanging with words like "and everything" and "or whatever". He often uses these phrases to express an indescribable emotion or action like "...how busy my parents were and everything before they had me" and "...they're nice and everything." Quite often, expressions like "...it was during the Revolutionary War and all," "It was December and all," and "...no gloves or anything." (Salinger 5-7) Not only does Holden speak this way at the beginning of the novel, but also throughout the novel, making this pattern a part of his character. Therefore, the tags “and everything” and “or whatever” in Holden’s speech serve to make his speech authentic and individual. Salinger intentionally used such repetition of speech to individualize Holden...... middle of paper ...... throughout the novel made Holden Caulfield human. Through the accurate portrayal of a teenager, the reader can become intimate with Holden's idiosyncrasies, making him more believable. By bringing Holden to life through repetition of dialogue and thought, Salinger was able to create one of the most unforgettable characters. Works cited and consultedBloom, HB. Major literary characters: Holden Caulfield. Chelsea House Publishers. New York, 1990. Costello, D.P. The language of the rye catcher. Holden Caulfield. Cambridge, New York; Cambridge University Press, 1990. Gwynn, F. The Fiction of J.D. Salinger. University of Pittsburg Press. 1958Salinger, JD The Rye Catcher. Boston: Little, Brown, 1991. Salzman, J. The American Novel: New Essays on the Rye Catcher. Cambridge University Press, 1991.