Unreliable Narrator Assignment Theme — the inability to communicate In the book, The Catcher in the Rye, the theme of “the inability to communicate” presents itself as soon as the book starts revolving around Holden, the main character who has a dilemma. Holden, due to his personal shortcomings, has been told that he had been expelled from Pency Prep, which was a prestigious boarding school, and that Holden's parents will be informed about this. While Holden learns that Jane, his childhood friend, was dating Stradlater, his roommate at Pency, Holden expresses himself by saying “I oughta go down and at least say hello to her” (Salinger 32). Holden repeats the phrase over and over again until