Essays On Catcher In The Rye

Catcher In The Rye
Imagine this: a school without an emphasis on letter grades. It may seem like a utopian ideal,
however, this idea is being tested in English 1 classes. So that brings the question, can this concept
be applied school–wide or will we succumb to society's desire to quantify us?
Currently, all English 1 Poetry/Drama classes participate in this initiative of non–letter grading as an
effort to combat students' extrinsic motivation to attain As. Instead, students are being assessed on
how well they embody and work on "the aims of a Punahou education": things like critical thinking,
persistence, resilience, and interpersonal collaboration. Over the course of the semester, teachers
take notes on how students are applying these aims; for example, if a student creates an English 1
project about the symbolism of Holden's red cap in The Catcher in the Rye using thoughtful outside
research and supporting quotes from the text, a teacher may construe that as an excellent example of
critical thinking. At the end, students are still administered a letter grade for the semester, based on
how well students worked on these aims and not due to aggregate point values converted to
percentages and letters....show more content...
On one hand, the traditional grading system is universally recognized; its simplistic nature allows
teachers, students, and parents to easily interpret, understand, and directly compare others in the
same class. But on the other hand, there also significant cons, such as its subjectivity, lack of
explanation, and cultivation of testing culture. This is exactly what non–letter grading is intended to
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

An Essay On The Catcher In The Rye
I have broken down in tears in despair and have been unable to contain my own laughter countless
times. I will undoubtedly do so another countless number of times the rest of my life. Of course, the
reasons for my despondency and gaiety have evolved with time from not getting a cookie to not
being able to go Trick or Treating and from hearing a funny joke to getting to spend time with friends
after a stressful week of finals. And I am the product of the accumulation of all those moments. All
that pain. All that happiness. In a world centered around the present and the prospects of the future,
it is difficult to remember that there exists something arguably more important: the past, and more
importantly, childhood – the days of what seems like a life–time ago. But our childhood is actually
probably closer to us than anything else. With a little provocation, the dam constructed of our
current burdens is breached and all the childhood memories flood us with nostalgia. And that is
precisely what childhood is: a constant reminder of the past and its everlasting impact on us. Time is
unmerciful and makes aging a painful but ultimately inevitable process. But no matter how old we
...show more content...
For instance, after a troubling day, he recalls a museum that he often visited when he was younger
and decides to visit it in hopes of finding consolation there like he once did. To Holden, the
museum is the symbol of his childhood and his fantasy of a world that he could forever live in
which would preserve the simplicity of those days. However, Holden realizes the unfortunate brevity
of youth and decides to become a guardian angel for the unsuspecting victims of aging, helping them
retain their innocence so when in time of need, they can be better solaced by their

The Catcher in the Rye Essay
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger. It is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a cynical
teenager who recently got expelled from his fourth school. Though Holden is the narrator and
main character of the story, the focus of Salinger's tale is not on Caulfield, but of the world in
which we live. The Catcher in the Rye is an insatiable account of the realities we face daily seen
through the eyes of a bright young man whose visions of the world are painfully truthful, if not a bit
jaded. Salinger's book is a must–read because its relatable symbolism draws on the reader's emotions
and can easily keep the attention of anyone. Salinger's full use of symbolism goes unnoticed until
his novel is read a second or third time. Most of it...show more content...
This character is going to tell it like it is, and he does. The most powerful emotional standpoint in
the story is when Holden goes to his sister's elementary school to deliver her a note. While he is
there, he discovers two words scribbled on the wall. "Fuck you." Most people would look at that
and think nothing of it. Some would bow their heads in shame at the person who thought it was
funny. Others might laugh. Not Holden. He did not think about the normal persons response to the
note. He thought about the child's response. About how a little kid is going to see that seemingly
meaningless phrase and wonder what it means; about how some dirty kid would explain what it
meant; and about the person who wrote it and how they are destroying the childhood of everyone
who reads the 'harmless' graffiti. This section takes the reader to the door of Holden's mind. It is at
this point that one truly understands his emotions. As previously mentioned, it is obvious of
Holden's intentions from the first chapter. The reader learns that they are not going to be following
the life story of some random kid; they are going to read about the introversive thoughts and
assumptions everyone makes at some point of their lives. Throughout the tale, it is obvious that
Caulfield is depressed and as the story progresses, he seems to lose himself in the real world. As he
moves

Catcher In The Rye Theme Essay
Have you ever had this feeling of being so stressed out that you would escape to hopeless dreams,
causing you to withdraw yourself from others? Among many themes that J.D. Salinger expresses in
his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, there is one that fits that type of feeling perfectly. That theme is:
isolation is a product of the individual's reaction to the environment and often leads to downfalls and
other negative consequences. This is clearly demonstrated through the influence of the allusions and
symbols that Salinger uses to subtly apply the theme mentioned above. Allusion is seen multiple
times throughout the book. Holden makes these allusions towards many famous poets and novels
during that time. For instance, Holden himself agrees...show more content...
Modernism basically moves away from the romanticism trend to focus more on the individual in
the story, which is seen throughout the story. For example, "If you really want to hear about it,
the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was
like..." (Salinger 1). That quote is exactly how the story starts off, so a couple of things are already
clear: The story is in a first–person point of view and the tone is that of an average attitude–filled
teenager. On top of this, while the entire story is being narrated by Holden, the reader doesn't get the
chance to be able to interact with him and vice versa. Thus, creating a type of mood that makes it
seem as though the reader is stuck in Holden's head, but the upside of this is that the reader is able to
read and understand the character and his values much better. In conclusion, Salinger portrays
isolation being the product to an individual's reaction to the environment, often leading to downfalls
and other negative consequences. By choosing to use different allusions and symbols in the story,
ranging from the red hunting hat to the shared similarities between one character and another,
having a tinge of influence from the modernism trend that was happening during that literary time,
not to mention the influence that Salinger himself on Holden, for they were very similar, Salinger
got his point

Essay On Catcher In The Rye
After sitting in the rain for an hour, I decided to take old Phoebe home. We decided to walk.
Phoebe started talking about the guy she liked, and it reminded me of Jane, the hell I know why.
Honestly, I didn't listen to her at all, all I know about this guy is that his name his Bob and that
he likes playing football. And then I heard Phoebe's voice, "Holden you are coming home right?"
I didn't know what to goddam say. I knew I couldn't, but I said "Yes", I didn't want to make her
sad. When we got home my mom opened the door and she was so goddam happy to see me but
even with all the happiness in her eyes you could see that something was wrong. I bet it had
something to do with Allie. Then she started asking me questions about Pencey. I...show more
content...
Out of nowhere, she told me she liked me. I didn't know what to goddam do, I knew I liked her
back but I didn't want to admit it. She waited for me to answer her, I don't know what the hell I
was thinking,I got up and left. On my way out, I told her "Meet me at the lake in Central Park
tomorrow at 11." I didn't wait for her to respond. I went back home and this time my dad was
home, he didn't even bother to hug me. He just asked me questions that I didn't have the answers
to. I didn't listen to him, I was too busy thinking about Jane. But then he punched me. My nose
was hurt from before but now the pain was even greater. I couldn't believe he did that. My dad
never hit me before. I laid down on the floor bleeding for what seemed like an hour and then I got
up and went to the garage. I was a moron to do that. The moment I walked in, so many memories
of Allie flooded my mind. I started crying, I tried to stop but I couldn't. I looked at the small
mirror next to the door and I saw Allie. I freaked out and fell right on my head. Next thing I knew,
I was in the hospital and Phoebe was lying down next to me. She looked so calm and pretty,I wish
you could have seen her. But then she woke up, she gave me a hug. Usually I would have pushed
her away because I don't like hugs or people feeling sorry for me but I let it go. This time I needed
that hug. The doctor came into the room. He wanted to know how I felt and what had happened. I
told him, I heard the

Examples Of Imagery In Catcher In The Rye
In J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger illustrates many symbolic images in
order to emphasize theme. One major theme expressed several times throughout the novel is the
preservation of innocence. The book follows the adventures of a sixteen year old teen over the
course of a couple of days. The main character, Holden Caulfield, appears to be obsessed with
keeping the innocence in kids alive. Holden is disgusted by the cruelty in the adult world and makes
it his life goal to protect innocent children from becoming corrupt.
Holden Caulfield wishes that everything stays the same, specifically children and their level of
innocence. While looking for his little sister Phoebe in Central Park, Holden asks a little girl if she
This is when he is watching his little sister ride the carousel in the pouring rain. "I felt so damn
happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. I was damn near
bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth. I don't know why. It was just that she
looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all. God, I
wish you could've been there" (Salinger, 213). This quote shows Holden's happiness while
watching his sister ride a childrens ride with all of the other little kids. This gives him hope that
she will stay innocent. Phoebe riding the carousel gives Holden happiness because she appears to
be so pure and innocent, without a care in the world, solely focused on catching the gold ring. This
image symbolizes Holden achieving his life dream of preserving children's innocence.
In Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden's character acts as the savior of children.
Throughout his adventure, he notices several aspects from the big, scary, adult world which he
feels the need to shelter children from. Holden attempts to protect kids from becoming corrupt by
this harmful place. Though he fails to reach this dream a couple times, at the end of the novel he
appears to achieve happiness and peace with this idea. The idea of being the protector of

"Holden's on the line." My grandmother harshly whispered in my ear, emphasizing the name
"Holden" as though his name was poison as she shook me awake. Slowly, I turned to face her and
sat up, brushing a stray strand of hair away from my eyes. She held the phone straight out towards
me like a runner handing off the baton to the next runner. I grasped the phone and tilted my head
towards the door, hoping she would take the hint and give me some privacy with Holden.
Unfortunately, either my hint didn't register or she simply refused to leave. Instead, she stood
frozen in place at my bedside, with her eyes suspiciously studying me. Once again, I let out a sigh
and cleared my throat a bit, hoping to cover my drowsiness.
"'Sally? That you?'"...show more content...
Was he being obnoxious? Yes, but I still worried about him...I stilllove him...I think? Even after he
ripped my heart to shreds, the part of me who existed before the date, the one who thought he was
simply marvelous, continued to protest against hanging up. The date had been going so well, I
meant it when I told him I loved him, I really did. If it hadn't been, I wouldn't have suggested ice
skating. I know I'm not a magnificent skater, I've never claimed to be one, but I still wanted to
spend time with him. At the time, being with him felt grand. He bought me tickets to see the Lunts
and knew that I would love their show. We kissed in the back of a cab, we dreamed–oh no. He
became disillusioned with a fantasy of running away. I tried to be rational. He became infuriated
with me. I left him, hoping that it would force him to come around to see my point of view. It
always works in the movies, the girl threatens to leave the guy and starts to walk away. He chases
after her and realizes how much he loves her. He let me go. I cared about him. He didn't care
about me. In hindsight, I guess what happened is for the greater good. We're just too different. I
care, he doesn't. I didn't want to kiss him. He wanted to kiss me. So I let him because that's what
I'm supposed to do, right? We're supposed to compromise...sacrifice for each other. I spent ages on
my lipstick, but did he care? Clearly not. That drove me mad. No one wants

Holden Caulfield, the protagonist and main character of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger,
seems to have many dislikes and much fewer likes about life, as a whole. In many situations
throughout the book, Holden seems to have negative thoughts about every little thing. From his
school, Pencey Prep, to movies or actors; even to the word "grand," Holden seemingly holds a
distaste in just about anything that crosses paths with him. However, further into the novel, it
becomes apparent that one of the causes Holden holds dearest to his heart is to keep the
innocence of children for as long as possible. Holden wants to be the "catcher in the rye" because
one of the things he loves is young kids and the catcher saves them. Holden didn't seem to care
about much in the world, but near the end kids seemed to be what he adored most. He cared
about them and knew what to do to take care of them. "The thing with kids is, if they want to grab
for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but
it's bad if you say anything to them." (Salinger, 211) From this quote Holden is explaining to us how
to interact with kids. He is saying let them fail at something so they can learn the lesson rather than
telling them...show more content...
He realizes this when he hears a song "Catcher thro' the rye" and mistakes the lyrics to be
"Catcher in the rye" which he thinks of as a man who stands at the edge of a cliff at the end of a
rye field and catches the children who are running around in the rye field with no clear vision. He
determines that this is what he wants to do with his life in a figurative way, which means that he
wishes to keep the last bit of innocence in children that is left in them. This shows his passion for
kids and explains why he seems to only like children and everything else is negative in his

Essay About Catcher In The Rye
"Where the hell is everybody? It's like a goddam morgue around here." I shouted, there was no
one here except Holden who is the last person that I want to be seeing right now. Why him? Out
of all the guys she could have known, why did it have to be him? Now I have to be in the same
room as the person who practically ruined my date. I'm just going to try forgetting about the whole
thing cause it's going to piss me off even more. "Did you write my composition?" I asked to
Holden who then pointed over to the bed. As I walk over to my bed, I start to think about Jane, then
Holden, and then my goddamn composition that's due tomorrow. Holden and Jane's relationship was
making me furious again, I tightly clench on to the side of the paper. I...show more content...
Now he's trying to provoke me? Who does he think he is? I should put him in his place right now
but then I would just end up feeling bad. "Holden, God damn it, I'm warning you, now. For the last
time. If you don't keep your yap shut, I'm gonna–". He interrupts me and spurts some nonsense and
out of nowhere I find my arm swinging at him knocking him to the ground. He's hurt, what did I
do? I didn't want for this to happen and now his nose is bleeding and it really looks like he's in
pain. "Why the hell don'tcha shut up when I tellya to?" I say to him feeling very guilty but trying
to levitate the fault off of me and onto him. "You asked for it, God damn it," I said, still trying to
make myself feel better, but it wasn't working. Holden really had nothing to do with how my date
had went, it was the first time I had actually liked a girl, so the fact that she was taking so much
about another guy just got me really pissed, and now because of me Holden is bleeding and hurt.
Not to mention if the teachers find out I'd be getting into much more trouble. Maybe I'm just not
cut out for stuff like this. I look down at Holden who was bawling his eyes out and calling me
things like "moron" and "sonuvabitch". "Listen. Go wash your face," I said to Holden, but Holden
ignored what I had said and kept calling me names and such. I should probably leave Holden alone.
I left the room and closed the door, I'll talk to him tomorrow and make things right with

Catcher In The Rye Critical Lens Essay
The Catcher In The Rye Essay Prompt: Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized
literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional
society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds
to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot. In The Catcher in the Rye by
J.D. Salinger the protagonist in the story in the Holden is placed in a society where he feels he
does not fit in. He is constantly pushed to accept the standards of the the society he lives in but he
refuses to abide to rules. Holden also responds to society by identifying all the flaws he doesn't
approve and complains of how "phony" everything and everybody is. Due to the external pressures
of society and his internal beliefs Holden is caught between expecting the standards of society or his
He raised in a upper income family that was able to afford for him to go to a accredited
prestigious boy's academy. Being from a higher income family it was expected he would do
something productive in his life and career. He was expected to pass his classes and go to college
and then from there he pursue a career and thrive in his adulthood. Also as an adolescent in his
late teens he was also expected to emerge from his childish behavior such as and adapt the role as
a man. He even admitted in chapter two that he even acts childish, "Boy!" I said. I also say
"Boy!" quite a lot. Partly because I have a lousy vocabulary and partly because I act quite young
for my age sometimes. I was sixteen then, and I'm seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I'm
about thirteen. It's really ironical, because I'm six foot two and a half and I have gray hair". Also
society expected him to act as man should act such as taking control of his future and take action to
get where he need to go in

Catcher In The Rye Narrative Essay
The Cather in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is the story of a troubled young man named Holden
Caulfield. Holden meanders through New York for two days contemplating his place in the world
and what his future will look like. The duration of Holden's stay in the city is filled with depression
and loneliness, but also small glimpses of hope and happiness. Through the use of repetition and the
use of anecdote, Salinger spins a cautionary tale which all adolescents should heed.
Through the entirety of the novel, Salinger intentionally has Holden use phrases such as, "and all",
"or anything", and "or something" multiple times to create an authentic representation of the 'average
American teen' in the fifties. Salinger writes in this manner in order to attract the attention of the
real 'average teens' in the era the novel was written. However, the repetition which is used to spin a
cautionary tale is found within the voice of Holden when he is speaking about something he is
passionate about. From...show more content...
The anecdote Salinger includes about the death of Holden's younger brother Allie is a
commentary on the loss of innocence in the world. Holden is deeply troubled by Allie's death at a
young age. Allie's death is one of the factors which have contributed to Holden's skewed view of
the world. Because of Allie's death, Holden's childhood and youth is spent in sadness and anger at
the world and at himself. Holden associates 'phonies' with older, duller, and denser people. Further,
the anecdote about Holden witnessing an acquaintance commit suicide shows that Salinger wants the
reader to understand the severity of depression among the youth. Holden witnessing the suicide is
key to his decision to push forward and not take his own life. Salinger is leading the reader to see
that suicide is no joking matter and that nothing is worth taking your own

Literary Analysis Essay: The Catcher In The Rye
The Catcher in the Rye Literary Analysis Essay Teenage years are difficult. Time tells this story of
struggle again and again. The Catcher in the Rye is a classic novel showing the struggles a teenager
goes through while transitioning into adulthood. The main character, Holden Caulfield, is a
judgmental and temperamental boy who struggles to see the positivity in life. Throughout the story,
Holden searches to find himself, as he feels forced to grow up. He holds onto aspects of his
childhood and isolates himself so much that it is even harder for him to transition. J.D. Salinger uses
the red hunting hat, the museum and cigarettes as important symbols in the story to convey the
themes of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, loneliness, and isolation. Salinger uses the
symbol of a red hunting hat to suggest and develop the themes of transitioning from childhood to
adulthood, isolation and loneliness. Holden...show more content...
Holden enjoys certain aspects of adulthood. Holden likes to smoke, drink and have sex. These are
all new aspects of adulthood that many children do not face. Holden is going through a transition
stage in his life where he is figuring out who he is, and what he likes as a young adult while still
grasping onto safer feelings aspects of childhood. Holden smokes cigarettes when he feels lonely.
On page 97, Holden says, "I'd probably go down to the can and sneak a cigarette and watch
myself getting tough in the mirror." In this quotation, Holden implies that he is by himself and
feels isolated from everyone because he says he would get tough in the mirror. This is the time
that Holden chooses to smoke because he feels safer and isolated from everyone else. This
quotation also suggests that Holden smokes to feel older because it is something he knows adults
do even though he is not sure yet how to be an

"The limits of my language means the limits of my world."– Ludwig Wittgenstein. The narrator,
Holden, tells the story in the vernacular language of a teen in the 50s: slangy and colloquial. J.D.
Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is about a teenager's major struggle against death and growing up
in the 1950s. The book takes place in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. Holden Caulfield, Phoebe, Allie,
D.B., and Mr. Antolini are the main characters. There are plenty of symbolic things in The Catcher
in the Rye. A major one is 'the catcher in the rye'; Holden wants to save himself and other children
from having to grow up into an adult world he thinks is bogus. Another is Holden's red hunting hat.
It is a symbol of his alienation and attachment to childhood....show more content...
Foreshadowing, imagery, symbolism, and irony are all used in the novel. "I'll just tell you about this
madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run–down and had
to come out here and take it easy." – Holden (1). Here, Holden is foreshadowing to him ending up in
the hospital for going mad. The rest of the story is the events that led up to this. Imagery is a
visually descriptive or figurative language. In this next quote Caulfield visually describes how he
would beat the man if he caught him. "I kept picturing myself catching him at it, and how I'd smash
his head on the stone steps till he was good and goddam dead and bloody." – Holden (201). There is
plenty of irony this novel by Salinger. For instance, "I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie of
course, but I meant it when I said it." – Holden (125). This irony because he always talks about
people being "phony", but yet he was being phony himself. The biggest literay device is
symbolism. There is a lot involved in The Catcher in the Rye. There is the red hunting that Holden
wears and the title of the book itself. Those are just two; There are plenty more. "I took my red
hunting hat [...] and put it on–I didn't give a damn how I looked" – Holden (88). The red hunting hat
is a symbol of his alienation. It protects him, and makes him feel unique, but also singles him out as
weird or strange. It also stands for an

Essay On The Catcher In The Rye
" [I keep picturing] What I have to do, I have to catch everybody... I'd just be the catcher in the
rye..." (page 115), a quote exhibiting the title of the book and a significant symbol. The Catcher in
the Rye by J.D. Salinger expresses his feelings from a tuberculosis rest home through a story of
events that happened to him just before the previous Christmas. This book, although created and
published in 1951, still relates to teenagers today. One theme that is clearly seen throughout the book
is authenticity versus the artificial. Holden has an issue with the adult world which is exactly polar
to the attitude he holds toward children, "I was surrounded by phonies...They were coming in the
goddam window". This relates to teenagers because nowadays, we...show more content...
The title itself (Catcher in the Rye) demonstrates this theme. Throughout the book, most of the
people he is shown to admire portray or protect innocence. For instance, when Holden thinks of
Jane Gallagher he says they had no sexual relationship, even becomes infuriated thinking she was
subjected to sexual advances by her stepfather or his roommate (Stradlater), and envisions her not
as a young woman, but as the girl he played checkers with, "She's a dancer... I used to play
checkers with her all the time" (page 31). This incident relates to teenagers nowadays since when
teenagers like someone, they don't just think of them as sexual objects, but like them for their
personality. Through the whole of the book, Holden brings up the title in some way, "Thousands of
little kids, and nobody's around– nobody big, I mean– except me"; this statement took place when
Holden discussed what he wanted to be– a catcher in the rye. This quote shows how much Holden
likes children, which are full of purity, by saying he wishes to be only around kids with no adult
around, except him– this is his ideal world full of

Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18, experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during
their life. It is hard for mentally healthy people to know what it feels like getting flashbacks of the
things you don't want to remember It is hard for mentally healthy people to know what it feels
like to let go of the past but the past continues to hold on to you. It is hard for mentally healthy
people to know what it feels like to be inside a body that wants you to live, but with a mind that
wants you to die. People with mental illnesses go through these experiences and everyday they're
stuck with their illness and for some of these people, it never goes away. The main character of
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, is a realistic...show more content...
For instance, being in a severe automobile accident, participating in military combat, witnessing a
homicide or suicide, experiencing sexual or physical assault, and relentless societal oppression are
included among the long list of precipitants. (pg. 106–128). J.D Salinger, unlike his society,
understood that trauma came from a multitude of different experiences and in The Catcher in the
Rye Salinger explores this through Holden. The way that Salinger explore PTSD through Holden
is by giving Holden symptoms of PTSD through realistic means of getting PTSD. Holden
Caulfield gets PTSD when his brother dies of Leukemia, the reader knows he has PTSD because
he tries to relive his past with Allie trying to fix his mistakes, by hallucinating Allie (pg.53). The
reader also knows that Holden is very worried and gets nervous sweats when Mr.Antolini
innocently strokes Holden's head and describes the entire experience very intense during his stay
with Mr.Antolini, when there's no indication the stroke on the head is in any way sexual. Holden
experiences even more symptoms of PTSD such as irritable behavior and angry outbursts, Reckless
or self–destructive behavior, Problems with concentration. Sleep disturbance (e.g., difficulty falling
or staying asleep or restless sleep). feelings of detachment or estrangement from others and
avoidance of or efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about or closely
associated with the traumatic event(s)

Catcher in the Rye Essay
In the novel Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist proves to be quite a self
contradicting character. His mind is often pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling
desires. One compelling force would be Holden's wish for a companion against his actions and
approach towards people and society. Another would be his yearn to preserve innocence compared to
his desire to fit in with adults. Both of these contradicting forces within the main character, Holden,
illuminate the meaning of the novel as a whole.
One main conflicting force in the novel would be Holden's desire for companionship against his
attitude and behavior towards everyone he meets. Most of the novel describes his search for
friendship as he moves...show more content...
Throughout the whole novel, Holden tries to protect the people he knows from the real world and
encourage them to hold onto their innocence. He tries to escape the fact that as children grow up
and mature they lose a sense of innocence and he is unable to bear the reality of growing up. The
characters he speaks most affectionately about in the novel are children, specifically Phoebe and
Allie, possibly because they are still young and have yet to enter the adult world. He sees
children as pure, gentle, and innocent, in contrast to adults whom he views as "phony." Holden is
terrified that he will have to face complicated issues varying from sex, to intimacy, to facing
death, as he matures into an adult. Although he is constantly trying to remain in his childhood, he
strives to fit in as part of what he sees as the adult world by creating plans to run away to a cabin
or work out West on a ranch on his own, which would require a mature and independent mindset. He
also attempts to fit in by ordering drinks at the bar, smoking cigarettes, and attempting to start
conversations about sex with Luce. His mind proves to be pulling in quite compelling directions
because although he is yearning to fit in as an adult, he is stuck on trying to preserve the innocence
of children and society. In general, Holden has a difficult time dealing

The Importance of Language in The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has
captured the spirit of adolescence, dramatizing Holden Caulfield's vulgar language and melodramatic
reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep school student named
Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye deals with material that is socially scandalous for the time
(Gwynn, 1958). As an emotional, intelligent, and sensitive young man, Holden puts his inner world
to the test through the sexual mores of his peers and elders, the teachings of his education, and his
own emerging sense of self. Throughout the years, the language of the story has startled readers.
Salinger's control of Holden's easy,...show more content...
Another colloquialism can be seen in the last two examples. Holden has a habit of ending his
descriptions with tag phrases such as "and all" or "or anything." (Salzman, 1991). Not only does
Holden speak like this in the beginning of the novel, but throughout the book, making this pattern
a part of his character. One could imagine Holden frequently ending his sentences with "and all,"
and realize it is a character trait of his, since not all teenagers used that phrase. Therefore, the "and
all" tag to Holden's speech served to make his speech authentic and individual. (Salzman, 1991).
Salinger intentionally used such speech patterns to individualize Holden but also to make him a
believable teenager of the early 1950's. Another example of how Holden's speech helped define
his character is his constant need to confirm his own affirmations, as if even he did not quite
believe himself. These confirmations include phrases such as "...if you want to know the truth," or
"...it really does." Holden repeats the first phrase several times throughout the novel: "I have no
wind, if you want to know the truth," "I'm pacifist, if you want to know the truth," and a variation:
"She had a lot of sex appeal, too, if you really want to know." In each of the above instances,
Holden makes a statement and then feels compelled to clarify that is he is not making it

Catcher In The Rye Essay example
From the Outside, Looking In
Despite the debate that may wage on regarding the status to be afforded J. D. Salinger's writings, the
author's books have not quietly faded into obscurity. Although published almost a half–century ago,
the author's most famous work, Catcher in the Rye, enjoys almost as healthy and devoted a
following today as the book did when it was first published. Because of a self–imposed exile that
began almost at the same time the Salinger's career was just taking off, much of the substance of the
writer's lifeВ—his thoughts, ideals, writing objectivesВ—remain shrouded in mystery. The few
writings Salinger did offer up for public consumption, though, provide his audience cryptic clues into
his inner most thoughts and...show more content...
Perhaps the reason the author has become such a recluse is because it is only by withdrawing from
society that Salinger has been able to resolve his personal conflicts with the workings and objectives
of the society in which he lives. Take religion for example. If his writings truly do offer some insight
into the private thoughts and beliefs of the author, J. D. Salinger is a God–fearing man who has the
utmost respect for his Creator. It is not the reverence of a divine being that causes Salinger
difficulty; it is the mind–numbing customs and practices that cause parishioners to lose focus on
the basic reason they engage in religious worship that compels the writer to speak out. The formal
practice of religion at times places a greater emphasis on conformance with rituals than it does on
fostering a better understanding and appreciation of the basic notions upon which a religion is
based. In Salinger's mind, some religious practices have run so far afield of the original premise
upon which the religion was based that he questions whether the customs today can even loosely be
tied to actual religious worship. Salinger's most noteworthy character, Holden Caulfield, struggles
with how society has lost sight of the foundations upon which Christianity was organized. The
setting for Salinger's novel, Catcher in the Rye, is the Christmas season in New York City.
ChristmasВ—the time–honored tradition by which Christians pause to reflect on the birth of their

Catcher in the Rye Theme Essay
"Catcher in the Rye" written by J.D. Salinger, is a novel in which the author creates much irony in
the way he presents the loss of innocence or the fall from innocence in his main character, Holden
Caulfield. While Holden clearly believes in protecting the innocence of children in society, he
himself cannot seem to hang onto his own innocence. Throughout the novel Holden shows his love
and protection for childhood innocence, the irony that he in fact himself may be losing his own
childhood innocence mainly due to the responsibilities which he has taken on, and also shows that
he may be more innocent than the reader first thinks as his simplified view of a complex world is
much like an innocent child would see. In this novel...show more content...
In the book Holden seemed to be angry with life and almost everyone in his, and although we
dont know for sure I believe he wasnt as pessimistic before his brother died. Holden did not
understand why innocent people like Allie had to die and let conceited people like Stradlater live.
No one was there to catch Allie and he feels that no one is there to catch him either.

Analyze the development of the weather in Catcher – how does it reflect Holden's mentality and its
development throughout the book? In J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, a
rebellious teenager, runs away from school and goes on a journey where he reflects on himself and
his ideals. Holden often notices that it is snowing in the beginning of the book, but towards the end
of the story, the weather shifts into rain. The development of snow and rain throughout the book
parallels the change of Holden's mentality towards the preservation of innocence and moving on
from the death of his brother. In the beginning of the book, Holden's frozen mentality of preserving
innocence is portrayed when he handles snow. Holden starts to make a snowball when he is about to
go out to the city with his Pencey friends, but he "didn't throw it at anything, though.... All [he] did
was close the window and walk around the room with the snowball, packing it harder."...show more
content...
As Holden sits in heavy rain while he waits for Phoebe near the carousel, he notices that his
"hunting hat really gave [him] quite a lot of protection, in a way; but [he] got soaked anyway.
[He] didn't care, though." (Chapter 25) Similar to Holden and the snowball, the hat and Holden
getting soaked by rain symbolizes that no matter how much protection Holden receives from pain,
he still has to face it anyway. But instead of trying to prevent himself from confronting the problem,
Holden does not care because he is too occupied with Phoebe. Because she helps distract Holden
from thinking about his broken fist and Allie when it rains, Holden is able to move on from Allie's
death now that he connects rain with someone who is alive and understands him. By the end of the
book, Holden's perception of the weather changes with the help of Phoebe, paralleling his attitude
towards moving

Essays On Catcher In The Rye

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Plus de Best Paper Writing Service Reviews

Plus de Best Paper Writing Service Reviews (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Essays On Catcher In The Rye