Catcher In The Rye Compare And Contrast Essay On Holden Caulfield

523 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Aspect of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye that is interesting to you

Throughout the novel The Catcher In The Rye written by J.D. Salinger. Holden Caulfield talks about familiar and unfamiliar characters who both alter his life throughout his teenage journey. The two most influential people are Allie Caulfield and Phoebe Caulfield but their effects differentiate. Holden Caulfield’s brother, Allie, is a negative impact on Holden's life, the death of Allie drives Holden on a downward spiral of depression and anger. An example of this includes when Caulfield is talking to his teacher, "You mean about my flunking out of Pencey and all?"( Salinger.12). Holden has been sent away because his parents lack an understanding of how to handle his depression caused by Allies death. Holden no longer feels the importance of …show more content…

When Holden comes home for the first time in months him and Phoebe sits Holden down and says "you don't like anything that's happening... You don't like any school.You don't like any million thing. You don't,"(Salinger.169). Phoebe is tired of Holden complaining about is life and how it is so miserable. Phoebe directs her full attention to the problem hoping it will bring perspective to hold in and show him how bad is over exaggerated behavior is. Also it shows that Phoebe, an unlikely listener, actually go out of her way to help her brother. Near the end of the book, Holden tries to get Phoebe to go back to school so she can't join him in leaving. Phoebe says, "I said I'm not going back to school. You can do what you want to do, but I'm not going back to school. So shut up"(Salinger.208). Phoebe saying "shut up" shows how she hurt Holden psychologically , but it proves to Holden that someone actually cares about him and his well-being. Holden feels the need to address his inconsiderate and reckless actions, because if he doesn't, they are not only going to affect him, but the people he cares about around him. Allie and Phoebe both affect Holden Caulfield's life. Allie completely destroys his brother’s life, leaving him emotionally damaged. Phoebe brings her brother up from his depression and puts meaning back into Holden’s

Show More
Related

  • Allie and Jane’s Impact on Holden

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    In J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, The main character Holden, is a lost individual that has certain people that have immense impact on his life although they never appear in the novel. Holden’s Journey starts when he runs away from his school and travels to New York City. In the city he has many experiences with girls and other people that eventually make him realize home is where he needs to be. Holden finally decides to go home to his family and especially to see his sister, Phoebe. Allie and Jane are two characters that Holden talks in thinks about a good amount in the novel, and because of it they impact his thoughts as well as his behaviors throughout his time in New York City, and in the novel as a whole.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Catcher in the Rye

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    J.D Salinger gives his personal vision of the world successfully through his persona Holden Caulfield in the ‘Catcher in the Rye’.  Caulfield struggles with the background of New York to portray Salinger’s theme – you must live the world as it is, not as you would like it to be.  There by exposing Salinger’s vision on the world.

    Read More

  • Free Catcher in the Rye Essays: Symbols and Symbolism

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    Allie, Holden's young brother who died several years earlier, was a major symbol throughout the story. When Holden remembers incidents from his past involving Allie, his attitude changes, such as when he writes the composition about Allie's baseball glove or when Holden broke his hand after punching all of the windows after Allie died. "I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it". (39) He feels that Allie was one of the few people who were not phony in a world full of phonies. More importantly, Allie represents the innocence and childhood that Holden strives to find throughout his three-day journey. In Holden's opinion, Allie represents the purity that Holden looks for in the world. Holden admits that he admires Allie more than he admires Jesus, and even prays to Allie at one point, rather than Jesus. Allie is Holden's role model, whom he judges the rest of the world according to. When Allie dies, it creates turbulence in Holden's life.

    Read More

  • Holden Familial Love Essay

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    Phoebe tries to help Holden by asking him to name one thing he likes. However, when Holden mentions Allie, Phoebe tries to be his wake up call and remind him that Allie is dead (Salinger 171). This part in the novel shows how Holden is still attached to Allie, and will not forget about him. However, Phoebe tries to remind Holden that Allie is dead, attempting to make Holden let go of what happened in the past. Phoebe attempts to get Holden’s mind off of his removal from his school by asking him what he wants to become in the future (Salinger 172). This is when Phoebe’s words of advice and support start effecting Holden. Holden begins to think about his options, and what he truly wants to do in the future. “Why can’t I? Please, Holden! I won’t do anything-I’ll just go with you, that’s all! I won’t even take my clothes with me if you don’t want me to-I’ll just take my-” (Salinger 206). This quotation shows how supportive and encouraging Phoebe is towards Holden. When Holden tells Phoebe that he is leaving, Phoebe’s reaction is very affectionate. Phoebe brings a suitcase filled with her clothes, and begins to beg Holden to let her follow him. Phoebe’s encouraging words of advice, is another source of familial love for Holden to move on, and look forward towards his

    Read More

  • Examples Of Holden Caulfield A Hero

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyone has their own perception on what defines a hero; some may argue that they exhibit characteristics such as honesty or courage, while others may think that heroes have special power. Our society may have changed the values in which we associate heroes with, but one thing seems to have never changed: the main character of the book turns out as the hero. In my analyst, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye, is put on trial as we see through our own eyes how Caulfield can not be considered a hero in modern society.

    Read More

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

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...her. Other than his sister, Phoebe, Allie was the only person that really connected with Holden. Holden feels as though he has no one anymore, and he can never find joy in activities he now does by himself. His anxiety and depression go hand-in-hand and share many of the same symptoms. Holden is not a normal teenager who experiences stress and depression from tests and friendships, but a teenager who needs help coping with the stress and depression from the death of a loved one.

    Read More

  • Catcher in the Rye

    329 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is an enthralling and captivating novel about a boy and his struggle with life. The teenage boy ,Holden, is in turmoil with school, loneliness, and finding his place in the world. The author J.D. Salinger examines the many sides of behavior and moral dilemma of many characters throughout the novel. The author develops three distinct character types for Holden the confused and struggling teenage boy, Ackley, a peculiar boy without many friends, and Phoebe, a funny and kindhearted young girl.

    Read More

  • Free Catcher in the Rye Essays: Holden as the Typical Teenager

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holden Caulfield, portrayed in the J.D. Salinger novel Catcher in the Rye as an adolescent struggling to find his own identity, possesses many characteristics that easily link him to the typical teenager living today. The fact that the book was written many years ago clearly exemplifies the timeless nature of this work. Holden's actions are those that any teenager can clearly relate with. The desire for independence, the sexually related encounters, and the questioning of ones religion are issues that almost all teens have had or will have to deal with in their adolescent years. The novel and its main character's experiences can easily be related to and will forever link Holden with every member of society, because everyone in the world was or will be a teen sometime in their life.

    Read More

  • The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger as Holden Caulfield

    424 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is home to the protagonist Holden Caulfield.  There is no coincidence that he holds a striking resemblance to the author of the novel himself.  Salinger seemed to have a similar childhood as Holden describes in The Catcher in the Rye.  Both men also seemed to have a certain fascination with younger children, especially younger women.  J.D. Salinger based one of his most famous characters, Holden Caulfield, on personal experience.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye: A Psychoanalytical Perspective

    1473 Words  | 3 Pages

    This novel by J.D Salinger is about a rebellious teenage, Holden Caulfield. Holden's brother, Allie death affects Holden academics and future. Holden goes through many different experiences that make his pyschoanalytic traits stand out.

    Read More

  • Why Is The Catcher In The Rye Successful

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    J.D. Salinger’s, The Catcher in the Rye successful in many respects, from its popularity among adolescent readers, to its 29 weeks spent on the New York Times Bestseller List. One part of The Catcher in the Rye that was not successful is its main character, Holden Caulfield. Holden mentions at a certain point in the novel that he aspires to be a “Catcher in the Rye”. Whether he achieved his goal is controversial amongst many readers. I believe that in the end, Holden was not successful in becoming, the “Catcher in the Rye” because he cannot change the the lives of others by protecting their innocence.

    Read More

  • How Holden Deals with Grief in Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden Caulfield values his brother, Allie. When Allie died of Leukemia on July 19, 1946, Holden was left devastated. However, Holden always thought that Allie was the most interesting person that he has ever met. Allie was one person that Holden mentions that he loves in the novel. When Holden’s younger sister Phoebe asks Holden what he likes he says, “I like Allie” (171). Holden hides or at least does not want to join the world because of Allie’s death. He cannot come to terms with himself to see that Allie’s death has nothing to do with how he should live his own life. Holden carries A...

    Read More

  • Catcher in the Rye Essay: Holden and His Phony Family

    1224 Words  | 3 Pages

    The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, interacts with many people throughout J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, but probably none have as much impact on him as certain members of his immediate family. The ways Holden acts around or reacts to the various members of his family give the reader a direct view of Holden's philosophy surrounding each member.

    Read More

  • Mental illness and Mental Disorders in Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    2034 Words  | 5 Pages

    Holden Caulfield suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder throughout the course of the novel. In fact, the root of all his problems come from Allie’s passing; he died from leukemia. Holden used to be extremely close with him and his imminent death changed his entire life and psyche. Holden seems to relive the event of his beloved little brother Allie’s death over and over. “What is clear, however, is that many of the symptoms Holden displays in the course of the novel mirror the classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The death of his younger brother, Allie was a traumatic event in Holden Caulfield’s life and is perhaps at the root of the depression he battles in the novel. The death of a sibling can trigger post-traumati...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Holden Caulfield And Into The Rye

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    Statistics believe that eleven percent of peoples in the entire world is currently facing depression and anxiety. These two famous character have a strong connection with eleven percent of the world population. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer main character has similar view of society and challenges. Holden Caulfield and Chris McCandless suffered from depression and despair. However, they have very distinctive characteristics and personalities. Holden Caulfield is a teenager that always assumes society is full of phonies. Chris McCandless is an educated person with a college degree and wanted to be free from the ugliness of society and their way of life. Caulfield’s thoughts and opinions about society

    Read More

More about Catcher In The Rye Compare And Contrast Essay On Holden Caulfield

Open Document