The Catcher in the Rye may be light on plot, but when it comes to “meaning,” author J. D. Salinger packs it in. When Holden Caulfield encounters a “phony” grownup, Salinger shows Holden’s skepticism about adulthood. When Holden watches his sister, Phoebe, on a carousel, Salinger conveys Holden’s reluctance to leave childhood behind. Then there’s that field of rye …
