Browning's Poems and the Catcher in the Rye

Browning’s and JD Salinger’s works are simultaneously a revolt against some of the most well-defined aspects of their time, and a reflection of its characteristics. Repressed sexuality and strict morality are some of the qualities that define the Victorian era, the context of Browning’s poems. On the other hand, the post 1945 context of The Catcher in the Rye is of repression of emotions and physical intimacy of adolescents.

 Both, Browning and Salinger explore the concept of human nature in regards to the suppression of emotions over their period of time, to challenge the values by exposing the variants of emotions behind the facades of the society. The Victorian England is marked by several social morals which can be described as a set of values that supported sexual repression, low tolerance of crime, and a strong social ethic. However, Robert Browning, a Romanticist, challenges these norms in his poems through profound focus on emotions and use of pathetic fallacy to convey emotions as represented in ‘Meeting at Night’ - ‘warm sea-scented beach’, ‘tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch’. The use of onomatopoeia and imagery indicate the lovers’ hurried actions, their eagerness and excitement to see each other. By engaging the reader’s senses, the poet conveys his feelings on the subject of love, the intensity and passion involved in the experience, as well as provides a preview into the feelings of being in love to the numb Victorians who are restricted by their strict morals. Similarly, Salinger challenges the norms of his context which endorsed suppression of emotions in his novel ‘The Catcher in the Rye’. The nation wanted to forget the past, about the inflictions from the war and to celebrate its new beginnings. They were in a blissful denial as evident from Holden’s parents who ‘would have about two hemorrhages apiece if i[he] told anything pretty personal about them’. This shows the conservatism and sensitivity of the era. Moreover, Holden can be seen as leading a counterculture revolt by rebelling against the norm of the society through his rejection of the American Dream as well as through his unconformity with the values of the time. He expressed individuality which went against the norms and thus was alienated –‘I was crying and all. I don't know why, but I was. I guess it was because I was feeling so damn depressed and lonesome’. Salinger uses an adolescent voice that was easily recognisable as genuine to explore human experiences that many people can relate so as to engage the reader and convey the emotions that were build up to show the detrimental facets of the society.  Therefore, Browning and Salinger explored emotions which were generally repressed during their context, to examine the nature of human.

Furthermore, the texts actualize the importance of context on perception and manifestation of love and relationships; showing how others respond to love, and form, relationships in accordance to the values and attributes of their time. Browning articulates the complexity of love and relationships through challenging the societal values and ideals that surrounded his context, which suggested that love was a formality of domesticity and should not be exploited for the means of lust and pleasure and thus was repressed. Through metonyms and metaphors in his poem, Browning explores the passion and intensity of love in ‘Meeting at Night’ -  ‘in fiery ringlets from their sleep, As I gain the cove with poshing prow’ represented using imagery and personification to express the heightened emotions and sexuality implied, further challenging the norms of the society, and the vulnerability of being in love is expressed in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ - ‘too weak, for all her heart’s endeavour, to set its struggling passion free’ Porphyria is seen to be exposing herself to the persona, particularly on a sensual level and thus the person is articulated to misinterpret this act which is a foreign concept due to the repression of emotions at the time- “Porphyria worshipped me; surprise Made my heart swell’. Moreover, there is a subtle change in the poet from ‘Porphyria’s lover’, published in 1836 to ‘Meeting at Night’, published in 1845, as Browning was secretly dating Elizabeth at the time ‘Meeting at Night’ was composed. This further explains the passion, love and secrecy depicted in the poem. Additionally, Relationships were supervised in the era with proper etiquettes. Browning, on the contrary, valued love and emotion over social repression and etiquettes as evident from the phrase ‘And a voice less loud, through its joys and fears, than the two hearts beating each to each’ intensified through the use of oxymoron and furtiveness. On the contrary to suppressed sexuality in the Victorian Era, An adolescent’s perception of love during ‘The Catcher in the Rye’s context is mostly on physical attraction. This is evident from his attitudes towards Stradlater and Jane. Stradlater embodies the American Dream, a well-known aspect of the time, and is known for ‘giving girls the time’ and isn’t interested in getting to know the girls, but objectifies them ‘only very sexy stuff interested him’. Contrarily, Holden wants to be close to them emotionally and on a personal level – ‘I knew her like a book’, further rebelling against the norms of the time. Although Holden initially agrees with this concept, so as to fit in by calling himself ‘sexy’ and ‘horny’, he later disagrees by never actually going through with sex and chooses to engage in a more emotional experience of love instead of physical attraction as evident from his request to Sunny, prostitute- ‘Don’t you feel like talking for a while?’. In addition to Holden’s struggles to comprehend both the physical and emotional aspects of love, he is additionally met by his fear of being vulnerable by exposing his true feelings and establishing a pure relationship, apparent from his restraint from meeting Jane ‘not in the mood right now’. He is conflicted between his clash of wanting isolation and companionship. Eventually Holden is so terribly lonesome that he wants friendship from anyone. ‘Have just one more drink. Please I’m lonesome as hell. No kidding.’ These contradictory actions reveal his inner confliction and struggle to create relationships. Thus, it is evident that Salinger explores struggles of establishing a relationship with someone, meanwhile Browning revolt against the society by proving insight into relationships that instigate the morals and values of the Era.