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The Catcher in the Rye is about a sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield who describes his life story from a mental institution. Formerly, he gets kicked out of Pencey Prep because he failed more than one class which leads him to a nervous breakdown. Later on, you get to see how Holden is having difficulty with trying to fit in with the world, which leads him flustered with obstacles because of his poor decisions. Withal, Holden is characterized as an idealistic but harmless rebel compared to an anti-social misfit. He portrays more of an idealistic but harmless rebel because Holden is a young immature man who does not try to harm anyone but who values child innocence. Holden’s youthfulness conceives many problems towards him throughout …show more content…
After Holden had breakfast, he began a long walk and stumbles upon a record called “Little Shirley Beans” which he buys for his sister. Holden continues to walk the streets of New York and later he ends up at a lousy park trying to look for Phoebe. He could not find Phoebe anywhere in sight, alternately, he observes two boys playing Flys Up and kids skating. Holden remarks, “God, I love it when a kid’s nice and polite when you tighten their skate for them or something” (119). Holden really values child innocence because it reminds him of his younger sister, Phoebe. In fact, Holden expresses, “That kills me. Old Phoebe. I swear to God you’d like her. She was smart even when she was a very tiny little kid,” (68). You get the feeling that Phoebe is the type of girl you will adore her when you first meet her from what Holden comments. Further, Phoebe is described to be wonderful according to Holden because she is always there to listen to Holden when he needs someone to talk to. As you are reading, Holden says, “She always listens when you tell her some. And the funny part is she knows, half the time, what the hell you’re talking about. She really does,” (167-168). He seems to appreciate Phoebe more than he would an adult or someone his age because Phoebe is a kid who is very mature for her age and who gives advice to Holden whether he likes it or not. Also, Holden admires his younger sister because she makes him feel younger and connected with
Catcher in the rye: A 16 year old boy suffers from a mental illness. Holden Caulfield tells the story of his life from a mental hospital. Throughout the novel he learns to be dependable. The main theme is loneliness.
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.
Innocence and kindheartedness is displayed in the novel through Holden's young sister, Phoebe. Whenever Holden is depressed about being alone he thinks of memories with his younger sister Phoebe and feels completely better. Phoebe is always there for her brother to listen to his stories and complaints.
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger that is told from the point of view of Holden Caulfield. Holden is a young man struggling with growing up and facing the adult world. As a misunderstood teenager, Holden learns to deal with the deception of the adult world and the consequences of his choices.
...oes want them to turn into “phonies.” Holden seeks for a peaceful and uncorrupt world but he cannot obtain that due to the actions of others. Despite Holden’s attitude and outlook on life, he is quite passionate. Although he is a firm pessimist, calling every person he comes across a “phony,” there is an alternate side to him. In his interaction with Phoebe and the other children in the book, he tries to protect them from the rest of society, since children are still naïve and pure. It is justifiable why Holden craves to preserve the innocence of others. For most of us, growing up, we begin to understand more. We start to look at life in a different perspective, different from the one we did when we were young, but as a person who has seen and experienced more in life.
Holden enjoys watching Phoebe participate in child-like activities. Holden admires the innocence of the children on the carousal and yearns for innocence throughout the rest of the world, not just with children. Another example is when he comes to terms with the idea that every child will eventually “fall” out of innocence and into adulthood. He understands that "if they want to grab 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" (211).
J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is a classic American novel set in the 1950s. Throughout the years since the book has been published, critics have both raved about it and criticized its plot. The main character and narrator is Holden Caulfield. He is seventeen and tells his psychoanalyst of his experiences over a three-day period when he was sixteen-years-old. Holden is a troubled teenage boy, who longs to preserve to his innocence. He is caught in the struggle of wanting to remain a child and wanting to do adult things like drinking and having sex. He is sometimes rebellious: he orders alcoholic beverages at bars, even though he is underage. Holden also frequently gets kicked out of the prestigious,
The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger is a novel mainly focused on the troubled teenager Holden Caulfield and his growth into maturity. Holden struggles with the fact that everyone has to grow up, and he has a constant concern over everyone's loss of innocence. Holden held onto his past and the people in his past, people like Jane Gallagher. He holds onto his memories with Jane and he holds memories with his past brother, Allie. Salinger’s novel illustrates the struggles between having to grow up and not wanting to, which introduces the correlation between Holden and the famously immortal boy, Peter Pan.
Holden is very disturbed by the writing on the walls because it is not appropriate for kids. Holden’s protective persona reflects during this scene because he shows feelings of anger towards the person who wrote the graffiti. This quote is important because it shows how passionate Holden is about protecting Phoebe. Holden’s protective side came out again when Phoebe rode the carousel. He didn't want to tell Phoebe anything because he wanted her to figure out how to stay safe instead of following what everyone else does, but of course Holden’s protective self was still concerned for her safety, he describes, “Then the carousel started, and I watched her go round and round...All the kids tried to grap for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say or do anything” (239). Holden is uncomfortable in the rain, but stays uncomfortable, so that he can keep Phoebe cheerful and intact. This scene is important because it shows the level of care that Holden has for
The Catcher In The Rye is about Holden Caulfield. Holden is a teenage boy who has many fears. However, his most notable one is his fear of change. At the start of the novel Holden has been expelled from school multiple times already. Holden’s thoughts and feelings describe his reaction to this event, and although the dialogue is of his own mind, his thoughts are still very open for interpretation. His thoughts help the reader understand his character and motives. Holden faces many problems as well. Holden is clearly depressed and we can see this through his actions and behavior. Important things such as the red hunting hat, Allie’s baseball mitt, and the ducks are symbols that represent fears Holden that change how he sees the world.
Holden shows a particular liking towards children over adults. He values the innocence and authenticity of children and he tries to protect them from the phoniness and evil of the world. When he goes back to his old school at the end of the novel to give a note to Phoebe, he sees an obscenity on the wall that infuriates him. He says, "Somebody'd written `F*** you' on the wall. It drove me near damn crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them-all cockeyed, about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days. I kept wanting to kill whoever'd written it" (201). When Holden's sister Phoebe demands that he tell her one thing that he really likes, Holden's responds saying, "I like Allie...And I like doing what I'm doing right now. Sitting here with you, and talking and thinking about stuff..." (171), showing that he's most content in the simple and innocent world of his childhood.
Holden is the main character in “The Catcher in The Rye” book who is a problematic teenager that narrates his life’s difficult stories. He, as a non-conformist boy,does not match with his environment including his family, and the Pency school’s teachers and the majority of his classmates, so he is ignored by his relatives. Also Holden is not a simple and idiot guy and even he is very intelligent person, in addition he is a protective teenager.
The Catcher in the Rye is about a young boy named Holden Caulfield who is going
Catcher in the Rye is a complicated book about a young man going through, what appears to be a nervous break down. This is a book about the boy’s negative self-talk, horrible outlook on life, and a life itself that seems to keep swirling down the toilet. He keeps trying to fill his life with something, but the reality of it is he doesn’t exactly now what he needs. It’s complicated to understand at parts, because all he does is think of things in the worst possible conditions.
Although Phoebe Caulfield may be Holden's younger sister, she is someone whom Holden looks up to for support and advice. She is one of the few people he feels great affection for and he talks about her with obvious happiness. Everything that he says of Phoebe is something that brings contentment to him and he becomes gentle and avoids the jokes that usually fill his sentences. Everything he says sounds touching. It is obvious that being with children such as Phoebe makes Holden very happy.