Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

1316 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: the catcher in the rye by j.d salinger shortessay free

Holden Caulfield, J. D. Salinger’s protagonist in the novel “Catcher in the Rye”, is a seventeen year old experiencing that period of life between childhood and adulthood, often referred to as "years of teenage angst”. Caulfield says in the novel “You had to feel a little sorry for that crazy sonuvabitch”, which is exactly how I feel towards Holden (Salinger 39). The use of vulgar language and taboo subjects has made this novel a main concern in the censorship debate for over sixty years. Thankfully we have moved past the outright banning and destruction of literary works that challenge traditional views, protecting the freedom of one’s right to express their thoughts, opinions and imaginations as well as the freedom of people to choose what they wish to read. Children and young adults however require guidance during their impressionable developmental years. Knowledge of the unsavory side of life is not appropriate for all ages and caution does need to be exercised when determining what is understandable and beneficial to a young mind.
In today’s world of multimedia it has become extremely hard to avoid the introduction of adult themes to younger children, who lack the maturity to process and question the information. Young people are bombarded continually with unsuitable and undesirable concepts that give false images of acceptable behavior. Music, movies, television, internet and video games are accredited with the moral deterioration of present day youth. Great strides have been made to establish rating guidelines, parental controls and warning labels that assist adults in making informed choices on what their children should or should not be able to access but they are not perfect.
The recent uproar over Miley Cyrus’ risqué...

... middle of paper ...

... maturity levels rise? In my opinion we should allow Americas youth to read the books that they please. But to allow this I believe there needs to be a rating system to tell parents and the children the level of maturity the book is and why it is rated so. This will allow youth to mature at a constant rate as they read, rather than having them mature at an extremely fast rate. This allows our youth to mature at a reasonable rate so that they are aware of life’s difficulties but not bombarded with unnecessary information to pollute their young minds.

“Banned Books List Reveleved.” The Huffington Post. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
“Banned & Challenged Classics | Banned & Challenged Books.” Ala.org. 2013. Web. 8
Nov. 2013
“CEE LO GREEN LYRICS-Fuck you!” azlyrics.com. 2013. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
Salinger, J.D. “The Catcher in the Rye.” Little, Brown: Boston 1951. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Salinger's Catcher in the Rye

    1462 Words  | 3 Pages

    This book is a good book. "What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by. I mean I've left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I don't care if it's a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I'm leaving it. If you don't, you feel even worse. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 1

    Read More

  • J.D. Salinger's A Catcher in the Rye

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite being a worldwide best seller, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has been on the banned books list since 1961 ( (Baldassarro). The Catcher in the Rye tells the short journey, of anti-hero Holden Caulfield, between the end of the fall semester and Christmas break (Salinger). The story begins when Holden is expelled from his school, Pency Prep, for failing a majority of his classes (Salinger). Holden knows he must return home, so he attempts to prolong the scolding he will receive from his parents, for being expelled, by venturing around Manhattan until it becomes necessary to return to his home (Salinger). Holden tells his story in the most vulgar way possible. Holden accounts being offered a prostitute by an elevator operator when he asks, “Innarested a little tail t’night?” (Salinger 91). Offensive language is also used throughout the book, for example, “You’re a dirty stupid sonuvabitch of a moron” (Salinger 44). Underage drinking is also one of Holden’s favorite passtimes as evident in the quote, “I ordered a scotch and soda, and told him not to mix it- I said it fast as hell, because if you hem and haw, they think you’re under twenty-one and won’t sell you any intoxicating liquor” (Salinger 69). These three quotes express the precise justifications for banning books: sexually explicit content, offensive language, and underage drug use (Association). Although, many consider The Catcher in the Rye to be morally wrong, it should not ...

    Read More

  • J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

    784 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden Caulfield is a strange character in the story The Catcher in the Rye. He is first seen this way by when he gets expelled from a school called Pencey Prep. He is expelled for flunking almost all of his classes. Holden then watches his school play in a football game from afar and decides he wants to say bye to his teacher. After that he decides to leave Pencey early and head home to New York. He goes out drinking and hitting on women while he is there and then goes to see his sister, Phoebe. He is very close to his younger sister and really connects with her. This disorder that Holden has could be believed to be bipolar disorder; which he displays in different occasions throughout the novel.

    Read More

  • Catcher in the Rye by Salinger

    516 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye is a story about a teenage rebel who is exploring the world on his own. The author, Salinger, uses many tools to deepen the impression on the reader such as linking the title to the story in an intricate way or creating a complex name for the protagonist. The symbols used in The Catcher in the Rye are there for a just reason, an example being how the author used the title, which is also a poem, as a symbol. Salinger uses the geographical locations, such as the Museum of Natural History, as symbols as well.

    Read More

  • The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    1106 Words  | 3 Pages

    Do you ever wish you could return to the early time of your existence where the innocence and purity of childhood enveloped you on a day-to-day basis? These were the times when committing wrong doings were not only met with meager consequences, but also expected of you by the parental guardians or guides in your life. In "The Catcher in the Rye" , written by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, expresses his yearning for this feeling continuously throughout this detailed depiction of a struggling young man who craves nothing more than to make the dream he has given his entire being to, into a reality he can physically experience. A simpler way to help readers understand his complex idea is to compare his dream to the dreams of the fabled "Fountain of Youth" that countless stories are written about. Instead of the physical attributes that staying young would give an individual, the mental ideals of innocence and purity are the cause of Holden's tireless pursuit and inability to interact and function in every facet of society. The tragedies and socially awkward life that Salinger's character endures would be extremely damaging to most any human being's, already precariously balanced, mental health. The symptoms of popular health disorders such as bipolar disorder, anti-social disorder, and anxiety disorders are expressed prominently by Holden Caulfield throughout the entire novel.

    Read More

  • J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    J. D. Salinger's notable and esteemed novel, Catcher in the Rye, reflects the hypercritical views of a troubled teenager, Holden Caulfield, towards everyone around him and society itself. This character has a distinguished vision of a world where morality, principles, intelligence, purity, and naivety should override money, sex, and power, but clearly in the world he inhabits these qualities have been exiled. Holder desperately clings to and regards innocence as one of the most important virtues a person can have. However, he son becomes a misfit since society is corrupted and he yearns for companionship, any kind of connection with another to feel whole and understood again. Ironically, despite his persistent belittling and denouncing of others, he does not apply the same critical and harsh views on himself.

    Read More

  • The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden Caulfield, the narrator of The Catcher in the Rye, is a troubled man who does not have everything going right for him. He shows obvious signs of depression and a few symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Throughout the book he keeps thinking about his brother Allie, who passed away. The only reasonable explanation for his mental illnesses is that he misses Allie, and he does not know how to function normally again. Everything he does reminds him of Allie in some sort of way. Mental illness is very common in someone who is suffering from the loss of a love one, but it is in no way a normal act of a teenager.

    Read More

  • The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nostalgia can be considered an invertible feeling that everyone will experience at one point in their life. The definition of nostalgia is “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations”. The Catcher in the Rye contains characters which follow the definition of nostalgia, to the point where it will affect their outcome in life, causing nostalgia to become an egregious trait. Everyone who overly desire or reliant on nostalgia can not be successful in life.

    Read More

  • The Catcher In the Rye Should Not be Banned

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since its publication in 1951, The Catcher In the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger has served as a conflagration for debate and extreme controversy. Although the novel has been the target of scornful criticism, it has also been the topic of wide discussion. The novel portrays the life of sixteen year old, Holden Caufield. Currently in psychiatric care, Holden recalls what happened to him last Christmas. At the beginning of his story, Holden is a student at Pencey Prep School. Having been expelled for failing four out of his five classes, Holden leaves school and spends 72-hours in New York City before returning home. There, Holden encounters new ideas, people, and experiences. Holden's psychological battle within himself serves as the tool that uncovers the coming-of-age novel's underlying themes of teen angst, depression, and the disingenuous nature of society. The novel tackles issues of blatant profanity, teenage sex, and other erratic behavior. Such issues have supplemented the controversial nature of the book and in turn, have sparked the question of whether or not this book should be banned. The novel, The Catcher In the Rye, should not be banned from inclusion in the literature courses taught at the high school level.

    Read More

  • The Catcher In The Rye

    429 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, describes a period of time in a young

    Read More

  • The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, a sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield gets expelled from his school and runs away before his parents find out. He goes to his home town, New York, and encounters many people. Throughout the novel, Caulfield is still coping with the death of his brother Allie. His attitude slowly decreases and various signs of a mental disorder are exhibited through his actions and his thoughts. Some people believe that he does not have a mental disorder, he is just grieving; however, he has clear symptoms that he is suffering from depression and anti-social disorder. These disorders are shown when Caulfield takes everything in a negative way, talks about being depressed, thinks that everyone is “phony”, and talks about his deceased brother.

    Read More

  • The Catcher In The Rye

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1950 J.D. Salenger captures one of society’s tragedies, the breakdown of a teenager, when he wrote The Catcher In The Rye. Holden Caulfield, a fickle “man” is not even a man at all. His unnecessary urge to lie to avoid confrontation defeats manhood. Holden has not matured and is unable to deal with the responsibility of living on his owe. He childishly uses a hunter’s hat to disguise him self from others. The truth of his life is sad and soon leads to his being institutionalized. He tries to escape the truth with his criticisms. Knowing he will never meet his parents’ expectations, his only true friend is his eight-year-old sister Phoebe, to whom Holden tells that he really wants to be ‘the catcher in the rye”. Holden admits his only truth and shows that Phoebe is his only friend. Another form of escape for Holden is his acting, which he uses to excuse the past. Holden has tried to lie, hide, and blame his way through life; when he finds that it is not the answer he collapses.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    Innocence lies within everyone in at least one point in their lives, but as reality consumes them, that purity begins to vanish slowly as they learn new experiences. In the coming of age novel set in the nineteen-forties, J.D Salinger writes about a sixteen-year-old boy named Holden Caulfield who stands between a road that separates childhood from adulthood and is confused about which path to take. On a three-day trip in New York away from his family and fellow peers at school, Holden encounters many situations in which lead him to think twice about who he wants to become and how he wants to guide others who are in the same situation he is in. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger utilizes symbolism, vivid imagery, and slangy diction to expose Holden’s struggle to preserve the innocence of the people that he loves while alienating himself from the adult world he calls “phony.”

    Read More

  • Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    Catcher in the Rye is one of the most famous books in American literature. Written by J. D. Salinger, it captures the epitome of adolescence through Salinger’s infamous anti-hero, Holden Caulfield. Holden Caulfield learns about himself and his negative tendencies, and realizes that if he does not do something to change his perspective, he may end up like his acquaintance James Castle whom he met at Elkton Hills. Holden tries to find help to mend his outlook on life through Mr. Antolini so he does not end up like James, who did not want to face the problems he created for himself. This is proven by the similarities between James Castle and Holden, Mr. Antolini’s willingness to try and help Holden, and Holden’s future being forecasted by James.

    Read More

  • J. D. Salinger's 'The Catcher In The Rye'

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    A discovery is rarely the endpoint, rather it catalyses an inevitable chain reaction of subsequent discoveries. It is through this domino effect of discovering, that allows us to gain new perceptions. Growth, isolation and loss are precursors for discovering new ideas, extrapolated from William Shakespeare's 1661 tragicomedy ‘The Tempest, Hannah Roberts ‘Sky High’ and J.D. Salinger’s ‘Catcher in the Rye’ (1951). Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’, elucidates the transformative power of meaningful discoveries that manifest an individual's desire to re-evaluate presumptions and reveal fresh insights into humanity’s moral flaws. These ideas consider the effect of discoveries which in turn can challenge preconceived understandings and ultimately act

    Read More

More about Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Open Document