The Unusual Style and Message of Catcher in the Rye In this book, the main character, Holden McField, tells the story about what happened during his Summer vacation. Holden is a sixteen-year-old boy who has flunked out of a private prep school. Because he is afraid that his parents would find out this fact, he goes to a hotel in Las Vegas instead of going home after he leaves school for Summer vacation. In Las Vegas, many things happen to him within a few weeks. For example, he goes to the hotel bar and meets two women after he first arrives there. The women go away soon after he fails to talk with them, and Holden feels lonely and depressed. He goes to another bar to find someone to spend some time with, but he fails to find anyone to talk to and comes back to the hotel feeling more intent on finding a woman. In the hotel, he meets a prostitute, but he sends her back without having sex because he has trouble with his "clavichord". He was further disappointed when she tries to rob him of his money even though he tried to have sex with her. In the next morning, he has a date with an old girl friend, and asks her to give him her car so that he can drive to the Ivory Coast. However, she tells him he is "too cute" and then leaves him. Holden meets some more people later, but they also cannot solve his problems, and he feels more and more depressed and lonely. He finally decides to run away and live as a forest ranger who will not need to communicate with anyone but the bears. Before leaving, he goes to say good-bye to his little brother, Jason, who he admires the most. While talking and playing with him, Holden changes his mind and decides to rejoin his family and because he realizes there are many things that he cannot solve by himself, and he knows that his father can solve everything for him. His fater, being a casino owner, has taught Holden everything he knows and can help him out now. The theme of this novel is how schools are corrupted by society. Holden thinks everybody who is grown up is immature because their behavior and advice are all superficial. The title of this book is based on an old game where someone catches children from jumping off a field of rye into a pit of spikes. This symbolizes that Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye because he wants to protect the small things, especially to prevent small children from losing their lives and becoming corrupted by school as they learn about diferent subjects. Holden Caulfield is an amusing character because he talks about everyone without any respect, but with much irreverence to himself. This is shown thorough the language he uses which includes slang and swear words. Even though Holden believes in the institutions of society, he is a pessimistic character because he seems to find something dangerous in almost everything and everyone. For instance, his old girlfriend Stephanie has a tendency for violence when the subject of sex is touched upon. He is also a depressed character because he feels dormant most of the time, and he never finds any place where he feels comfortable, except for the Cozy Inn. He doesn't fit into society because of his profound genious and superfluous intellect This is shown very well when he says: "I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, nobody's around- nobody big, I mean- except the big bully. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy pit. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go into the pit- I mean if they're running and they don't look they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be." This shows Holden's compassion and sensitivity very well, but it also shows Salinger's need to live vicariously through his characters. Salinger always wanted to use his life to help others by becoming a doctor, but he was unable to get accepted to medical school. He was then forced to go into writing, a decision which his regret can be seen through his works. Salinger seems to be too good a person to be in this corrupt world, where a selected profession cannot always be attained. The style of this book is unusual because it is told by a sixteen-year-old boy who appears to be sympathetic since he is so amusing. However, one of the problems with this style is that some of the things he observes might not be true, but somewhat exaggerated and fibbed. We are not very sure that he is even mentally stable since he tells us the story from a maximum security institution. Despite these things, this style is highly effective because it get's the reader to really love Holden and be sympathetic to him. I liked this book very much because it talks about the concerns of teenagers who feel the pressures of school. Although some parts of the message of this book can be dangerous because they suggest rejecting school and family and friends, it also made me think about many things filled with the false standards, and I could find some of the real truths. I also appreciate the way Holden talks which is very comical even though he's dealing with a serious and sad subject of the death of his favorite teacher Mr. Pemberton.
“I shall never forget the awful climb on hands and feet out of that hole that was about five feet deep with greasy clay and blood (although I did not know then that it was blood).
details the causes of the first World war and describes the first month of the war. The book clearly illustrates how a local war became an entire European struggle by a call to war against Russia. Soon after the war became a world issue.
An anti-war poem inspired by the events of the Vietnam War, Homecoming inspires us to think about the victims of the war: not only the soldiers who suffered but also the mortuary workers tagging the bodies and the families of those who died in the fighting. The author, Australian poet Bruce Dawe, wrote the poem in response to a news article describing how, at Californian Oaklands Air /Base, at one end of the airport families were farewelling their sons as they left for Vietnam and at the other end the bodies of dead soldiers were being brought home. Additionally, he wrote in response to a photograph, publishes in Newsweek, of American tanks (termed ‘Grants’ in the poem) piled with the bodies of the dead soldiers as they returned to the city following a battle.
me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I
War is cruel. The Vietnam War, which lasted for 21 years from 1954 to 1975, was a horrific and tragic event in human history. The Second World War was as frightening and tragic even though it lasted for only 6 years from 1939 to 1945 comparing with the longer-lasting war in Vietnam. During both wars, thousands of millions of soldiers and civilians had been killed. Especially during the Second World War, numerous innocent people were sent into concentration camps, or some places as internment camps for no specific reasons told. Some of these people came out sound after the war, but others were never heard of again. After both wars, people that were alive experienced not only the physical damages, but also the psychic trauma by seeing the deaths and injuries of family members, friends or even just strangers. In the short story “A Marker on the Side of the Boat” by Bao Ninh about the Vietnam War, and the documentary film Barbed Wire and Mandolins directed by Nicola Zavaglia with a background of the Second World War, they both explore and convey the trauma of war. However, the short story “A Marker on the Side of the Boat” is more effective in conveying the trauma of war than the film Barbed Wire and Mandolins because of its well-developed plot with well-illustrated details, and its ability to raise emotional responses from its readers.
prompted him to try to earn some extra money. At first he tried to get
him to return the girl to her father so the plague will end. He agrees to return
be lost at sea, so it looked as if Antonio would not be able to repay
Reckless actions lead to untimely deaths. In Shakespeare’s tragedy “Romeo and Juliet”, both protagonists fight for their hopeless love. Bloodshed and chaos appear inevitable in fair Verona; Romeo and Juliet come from enemy households, the Montegues and the Capulets, who have sworn to defeat one another. The young and handsome Romeo weeps over his unrequited love for Rosaline, until he lays his eyes on Juliet. Strong and independent, Juliet seeks to escape her family’s will to marry her off to Paris, a kinsman of the Prince. Fate ties these adolescents’ lives together binding them to witness the ill-fortunes of Romeo and Juliet’s love. Romeo and Juliet prove themselves woefully impulsive through their words and actions, which ultimately lead them along a series of unfortunate mishaps.
Many war poems such as “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae depict the typical war themes of death, despair, and sadness. In Alan Bennett’s book “The History Boys”, the students recite the poem “MCMXIV” by war poet Phillip Larkin who describes the more joyous part of the war, the celebrations held in the days before the men left for war. In this commentary, we will analyze the question the students made to their teacher Mr. Irwin asking whether the poem “MCMXIV” as a piece of art describes the truth about history.
World War 1 (better known as The Great War), was caused by a great many elements, some long-term, some short-term and the spark. Together these reasons created a brutal war involving many countries across the globe and also killing a vast number of the world’s population. In this essay, I will thoroughly explain what started this war and which reasons made it start sooner.
is the only thing of value she has to give him. One Christmas Day Moll
cash. They oblige and thrown in a last ditch effort to woo her. She smiles
money and jewels with her, he says ' I would my daughter were dead at