The Catcher in the Rye: Detail

Holden pays great attention to detail, as seen in the way he describes both things and people. He notices and talks about the most trivial things, often connecting them back to a past memory or some other anecdote. This is the reason for the somewhat random stream of thoughts that make up this novel. Holden's thoughts jump from one topic to another once he has perceived a detail that sparks another thought, sometimes returning to the original train of thought and sometimes not. For example, while thinking about Jane Gallagher, Holden begins, "I remember this one afternoon..." and leaps into a story of he and Jane. Holden's attention to detail is very helpful, coming from the standpoint of the reader, because his thoughts and perceptions are the narration of the novel. Therefore, whatever Holden notices about a person is the information the reader knows about that character. For example, apparently, "She was a funny girl, old Jane. I wouldn't exactly describe her as strictly beautiful. She knocked me out though. She was sort of muckle-mouthed..." This also reveals something of Holden's character as well, as an honest and attentive person.