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Essays on the catcher in the rye
Essays on the catcher in the rye
Understanding the catcher in the rye
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Could you benefit in 2017 from reading about a mentally ill teen and his dull story set in 1950? Could you learn a life lesson from someone you can’t sympathize with? Contrary to the popular and initial views on J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s story is still applicable in the present day. Although the current notion by many is Holden’s story is outdated, many people fail to realize that the book is still applicable today.
Holden’s activities in Catcher in the Rye are identical to activities by teens in the present day often for the same reasons. Often in the book Holden can be found doing activities he does not want to participate in to gain social acceptance from his peers. This is clearly seen when Holden goes
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Ariel Levenson, an English teacher in Manhattan, makes “A typical response”(Schuessler) that language in Catcher and the Rye is “grating and dated”(Levenson). Language is always changing throughout history, but instead of focusing on the language of the book the ideas and themes can still be utilized today. For example, in the book Holden has a strong appeal for the word phony, and although that piece of vocabulary does not present itself in general conversation today, it can have several deeper meanings that can be applied today. One meaning of Holden's excessive use of the word Phony is because it is the only way he can express his discontent with growing up. In the present day many teens have similar views on growing up, and the way Holden deals with this discontent can serve as a method to or to not adopt when dealing with growing up in the present day as a teen. Another language barrier between Catcher in the Rye and the present day, is it’s use of explicit vocabulary. Many schools all over the United States have censored The Catcher in the Rye for it’s inappropriate language and scenes. Although there are parts in the book that may not be seen as appropriate for school, there are other lessons that can be derived from these scenes. In one part of the book Holden buys a prostitute to partake in sexual
One of the best known novels in English-speaking countries, J.D Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye deals with Holden Caulfield’s past trauma which is the triggering factor in his depression, anxiety and alienation. Holden tells an unnamed person what has happened in the three days prior to his mental breakdown. Through Holden’s relatable characteristics and Salinger’s narrative treatment, the book continues to engage audiences across generations.
The form of diction used in The Catcher in the Rye is a topic on which many people are strongly opinionated. Because the narrator speaks solely in the vernacular, the novel is ripe with vulgar language. Most of this language is used to characterize Holden, the protagonist and narrator, as a typical American teenager living in the late 1940s or early 1950s, but some of it is utilized to convey Salinger’s theme of innocence versus corruption. When Holden is walking through his sister Phoebe’s school, he sees a scrawl on the wall saying “Fuck you.” He imagines the writing was etched by “some perverty bum that’d sneaked in the school late at night to take a leak or something” (260-61). Again in the museum, Holden encounters another such sign. Both the school and the museum are places he identifies with his childhood, but they have been perverted by the corruption of the world. He is concerned for the children who will inevitably see these signs and be told what they mean by “some dirty kid…all cockeyed, naturally” (260), spoiling the children’s innocence. This is just one more step towards adulthood and corruption. He is disgusted by the people in the world, saying “You can’t ever find a place that’s nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any. You think there is, but once you get there, when you’re not looking, somebody’ll sneak up and write ‘Fuck yo...
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.
First off, he is a teenager, which is on average, most of the people who has read and is reading The Catcher in the Rye. Young teenagers can relate to Holden quite easily, mainly due to his speech and actions. Holden Caulfield is a young lad, who swears in just about every other sentence. An example of Holden 's usage of swear words would be, “It was a funny thing to say. It sounded like a real kid. You 'd think a prostitute and all would say "Like hell you are" or "Cut the crap" instead of "Like fun you are” (Salinger 51). Instead of speaking politely, Holden uses his own normal vocabulary, or instead, most of the teenagers ' vocabulary. It is so common to just walk into a high school and hear people use swear words left and right. Salinger’s purpose is to create a chain of connection between Holden and the reader, so that way, the reader can feel in place when reading the novel. Another way Holden connects with the reader is through his actions. Holden dropped out of high school, and occasionally got into fights. According to a quotation on page 5 of The Catcher in the Rye, it states, “Well. . . they 'll be pretty irritated about it," I said. "They really will. This is about the fourth school I 've gone to." I shook my head. I shake my head quite a lot. "Boy!" I said. I also say "Boy!" quite a lot” (Salinger). Now, before we all criticize Holden for
When Phoebe asks Holden what he wants to do with his life he replied. This reveals Holden’s fantasy of an idealistic childhood and his role as the guardian of innocence. Preventing children from “going over the cliff” and losing their innocence is his way of vicariously protecting himself from growing up as well. Holden acknowledges that this is “crazy,” yet he cannot come up with a different lifestyle because he struggles to see the world for how it truly is, and fears not knowing what might happen next. Holden’s “catcher in the rye” fantasy reflects his innocence, his belief in a pure, uncorrupted youth, and his desire to protect it. This fantasy also represents his disconnection from reality, as he thinks he can stop the process of growing up, yet he
In the 1950’s, many Americans were refusing to conform to the changes in society that took place after World War II. J.D Salinger published The Catcher In the Rye to show through all males adolescent’s eyes some of the struggles teens go through, loosely based on the author’s life. Salinger uses Holden Caulfield, a distressed adolescent, to develop the theme of “phoniness” of the adult world, through the use of metaphors and hyperboles.
In 2003, Thomas C. Foster wrote How to Read Literature Like a Professor as a guide for students to develop strong literary analytical skills and to become well read. He discusses topics such as literary and rhetorical devices and how to approach a piece of writing. Fifty two years prior to How to Read Lit.’s publication, J.D. Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye, a fiction novel following the quests of Holden Caulfield, an adolescent trying to find his place in the world. Three of the most significant devices Foster discusses are flight, illness, and symbolism; all present in Salinger’s novel. With substantial evidence, strong analytical skills, and a critical reading of The Catcher, Foster’s claims regarding literary analysis can be proven
He begins to tell his story while undergoing treatment in a mental hospital. Holden starts his narrative on a Saturday at the Pencey prep school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. This is the fourth school that Holden is expelled from due to not meeting academic requirements. Since Holden is not scheduled to return home until Wednesday, he decides to stay in Manhattan for three days without telling his parents. While living on his own, Holden tries to retain his innocence as he witnesses the vulgar and repulsing actions of adults in the real world. Holden’s attributes make him susceptible to this level of explicitness. In, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s attempt to protect himself from the adult world, to stop himself from growing up, and to preserve purity are all characteristics that develop the theme of
The main purpose of The Catcher in The Rye is to glorify and show the importance of innocence and why it should be protected. This means that Holden has to choose between the adult life that he will take, or continue to lead a life of childhood. Bryan beautifully summarizes the plot of this novel here: “ Holden is poised between two worlds, one he cannot return to and the other he fears to enter.”(Bryan 4) Holden’s main issue is the he is “hypersensitive to the exploitations and insensitivity of the post pubescent world and to the fragility of children” (Bryan 4) Throughout the entire novel he struggles to understand other character such as Ackley and Stradlater, both are extremes of the personality spectrum. In this spectrum, Ackley is the “Nerd” and Stradlater is the “jock” both are characters Holden doesn’t want to be. He also doesn’t want to become a sex machine, as exemplified with his experience with sunny, a young hooker he hires but only talked to before being extorted and being betrayed by her and her pimp. (Salinger 90) another sign that Holden doesn’t want to grow into a sexual being is that Holden is disgusted more from the act of the word “fuck” than the word itself. (Bryan 15)....
Some people feel all alone in this world, with no direction to follow but their empty loneliness. The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger, follows a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who despises society and calls everyone a “phony.” Holden can be seen as a delinquent who smokes tobacco, drinks alcohol, and gets expelled from a prestigious boarding school. This coming-of-age book follows the themes of isolation, innocence, and corrupted maturity which is influenced from the author's life and modernism, and is shown through the setting, symbolism, and diction.
The 1950’s novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, revolves around a teenage boy named Holden Caulfield who is expelled from school and decides to spend a few days in New York before he goes home. The shift of no longer being a child, but not quite being an adult is present in the novel. As Holden narrates his difficult transition to adulthood, it becomes clear he is puzzled by the changes around him. Throughout the novel, Salinger uses characterization and symbolism to show Holden’s fear about entering the confusing adult world.
One of the primary topics in The Catcher in the Rye is the protagonist, Holden, and his curious, conflicted relationship with adolescence and adulthood. It is a momentous reason for why the novel is so popular amongst teenagers and young adults. The targeted audience can relate to his teen angst and rebellion towards a structured society. Author J. D. Salinger uses figurative language and literary devices to demonstrate Holden’s adolescent development. For instance, Salinger uses symbolism to convey Holden’s emotions and reality while growing up in an urban environment. Salinger also illustrates Holden’s physical and emotional changes through various descriptions of him. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s means of coping with adolescence
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.
The novel Catcher in the Rye by author J.D. Salinger illuminates the exploits and downfalls of the book's main character whose name is Holden Caulfield. Set in the mid twentieth century in a time when America was experiencing a post-war boom of both economic and social changes which included emphasis on wholesome family values and religion. In a time where anything other than the typical post-war American lifestyle was considered taboo, Salinger brings forth a young boy who is anything but adhering to the status quo of what society expects. While sixteen year old boys are always going to exhibit signs of trial and error as they find out who they are as a person. However, in the case of Salinger’s tale about the
What was wrong with Holden, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D.Salinger, was his moral revulsion against anything that was ugly, evil, cruel, or what he called "phoney" and his acute responsiveness to beauty and innocence, especially the innocence of the very young, in whom he saw reflected his own lost childhood. There is something wrong or lacking in the novels of despair and frustration of many writers. The sour note of bitterness and the recurring theme of sadism have become almost a convention, never thoroughly explained by the author's dependence on a psychoanalytical interpretation of a major character. The boys who are spoiled or turned into budding homosexuals by their mothers and a loveless home life are as familiar to us today as stalwart and dependable young heroes such as John Wayne were to an earlier generation. We have accepted this interpretation of the restlessness and bewilderment of our young men and boys because no one had anything better to offer. It is tragic to hear the anguished cry of parents: "What have we done to harm him? Why doesn't he care about anything? He is a bright boy, but why does he fail to pass his examinations? Why won't he talk to us?"