_The Return of the Native_

The Return of the Native is a novel by Thomas Hardy mentioned a few times in The Catcher in the Rye as a literary work that Holden greatly enjoyed reading. It was extremely controversial when it was released for containing multiple scandalous relationships, which is why it represents Holden's fascination with (and slight fear of) sex and other adult actions. Holden can also relate to a woman in the novel, Eustacia Vye; a scorned misfit who seeks adventure. The woman that Holden relates to drowns in the end of the novel, which might be a subtle tie to his preoccupation with thoughts of death.

"Then I started wondering like a bastard what the one sitting next to me, that taught English, thought about, being a nun and all, when she read certain books for English. Books not necessarily with a lot of sexy stuff in them, but books with lovers and all in them. Take old Eustacia Vye, in The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. She wasn't too sexy or anything, but even so you can't help wondiering what a nun thinks about when she reads about old Eustacia"