What is the message behind 'The Catcher in the Rye'?

I believe the book is an allegory. Salinger tells us in the first line that this isn't a David Copperfield kind of book. Also go may not know that the first page of David Copperfield has the definition of a caul and it's significance. read more

It's about loss of innocence. Holden's desired position of “the catcher in the rye” shows that he wants to “save” children from falling a cliff, but the cliff is a metaphor for a different type of death, namely that of innocence. It's the type of theme explored in William Blake’s poetry. read more