A great book Holden is telling this story from a mental institution. He recounts a time when he was probably suffering PTSD from the death of his brother, he has little relationship with his parents, they ship him off to a boarding school, the only adult in his life who gives him any sort of guidance gropes him in his sleep, he alludes to the fact stuff like this has happened before. He is a very troubled kid trying to make some sense of the world.

I think the way this book is taught in high school is way off base