Holden Caulfield's experiences, and the transformation he undergoes in reaching a point where he "misses everyone" (Salinger 277), resonate greatly with the author's illustrated experiences in the poem “Necessity for Irony”. In the poem, Eaten Boland expresses the irony of looking for something and then realizing that the thing you were looking for was already there, and now it is no longer there. He states that this realization “brings pain” as one recognizes the error of one's actions too late. Boland, "with [his] back to [his daughter]" (line 46), sought beautiful things, thus ignoring the truly beautiful thing he would accomplish until he realized he was missing it. He recognizes that he should have spent more time in front of her, rather than being “turned back” (Boland 17-18). Similarly, Holden Caulfield tells the story of how he himself ignored things that he later came to recognize as significant. elements of his education. Although he nihilistically ignores and criticizes those around him, Holdem comes to realize that there are indeed things he cares about. While the fool...