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The catcher in the rye overview essay
Holden caulfield in society
Essays about the catcher and the rye
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In J.D. Salinger's novel “The Catcher in the Rye” the author uses the main character's positive and neutral reactions to unpleasant and gross imagery, and situations to show more of Holden’s personality, and reactions although the imagery seems as though it would only be used for comic relief, or advancing the story, instead of giving the reader insight on a character. For example, During a speech from a money donor for the school one of the other students Edgar Marsalla “laid this terrific fart”, and Holden says “it was quite amusing”. This shows a strange childish side to Holden’s personality even though, throughout the story Holden tries to show how mature he is compared to society. However in the novel when Holden goes back to his room
I would like to discuss how Holden’s misinterpretation of the Robert Burns poem, “Coming Through the Rye”, sums up his deepest desires by taking a journey through his troubled adolescence and his journey to self–discovery that results in his breakdown. According to Phoebe, the original line in the poem is “if a body meet a body”. However, Holden’s misinterpretation of “if a body catch a body” removes all sexual connotations from the original poem. Holden is a deeply disturbed adolescent in search of a way to preserve his childhood innocence. His “red hunting cap” is a symbol of his uniqueness and his rejection to conform to society.
To conclude, Holden try’s desperately on holding on to his innocents. Triggered by the loss of his brother, Holden makes it his mission to protect kids from there inevitable maturity, sealing them from phony’s and. When he realised that he could not achieve the qoel of saving all children from growing up Holden has a nervous breakdown. He dosint understand the proses of life ad he can’t pick to stay a child for ever when in reality growing up is inevitable. ‘’We've let the blade of our innocence dull over time, and it's only in innocence that you find any kind of magic, any kind of courage.”
In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden views the world as an evil and corrupt place where there is no peace. This perception of the world does not change significantly through the novel. However, as the novel progresses, Holden gradually comes to the realization that he is powerless to change this.
There are very few life changing events that, in an instant, completely alter the way one sees the world. However, the death of a family member is one such event. Family has often been called the backbone of healthy development and growth. Therefore, when this process is disrupted it can cause significant psychological problems. In The Catcher in The Rye, Allie's death caused Holden to develop a fear of abandonment and forced him to become protective of himself.
Holden’s “catcher in the rye” dream represents God’s wishes for the human race in the Garden of Eden. Holden symbolizes God when he dreams that he has to “catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff” (191, Salinger). The imagery of the cliff represents loss of innocence, so when Holden has to keep the kids from going over the cliff into a chasm, he represents God, when God tries to preserve the innocence of Adam and Eve, and when God warns them from eating the apple, which like the cliff, causes them to lose their innocence. In the same dream, Holden thinks that the kids are “running and they don't know look where they're going” (191, Salinger). This vision of the kids shows that the kids don't know that they are going to lose their
Real change is something that cannot be achieved in a short period of time. However, sometimes a sudden insight can help a person learn from their past mistakes or misconceptions. In the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the protagonist, Holden, is just on the cusp of entering adulthood. Unfortunately, his alienation from society makes it difficult for him to mature. While he does not overcome this alienation, Holden’s realization that it is not his responsibility to shield children from painful experiences helps him feel less burdened. Through Holden’s changed core beliefs, the author portrays Holden as a dynamic character to demonstrate the effect of change on a person.
Margaret Atwood defined the “thinking man” as on who resists, believes survival is a necessity, is isolated and alienated, and who is aware of the elements that make one's psyche and physical being disappear. Atwood's "thinking man" is exhibited in Holden Caulfield through the use of character, plot, and symbolism.
in all but one of his subjects. He does not like to talk about his
The Catcher in the Rye revolves around Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the novel, and his disillusionment. Holden’s disillusionment illustrates that he has a problem accepting such. Aforesaid is based upon multiple factors, most which have brought Holden lasting traumas. A remedy is required for Holden to accept his disillusionment and enable an improvement of his situation. For Holden’s remedy, the consultation of psychologists, and additional specialized health professionals would be the core of an apt remedy for Holden’s psychological and physiological state based upon the numerous causes of such and the everlasting trauma of some of the determinants of aforesaid situation. The origins of Holden’s disillusionment revolved mainly around the death of his younger brother Allie three years ago, of which he still experiences the trauma to this day. His disillusionment is caused by both
The plot of The Catcher in the Rye consists of Holden fighting the need to mature. This need, powered by the passage time, is stimulated by societal expectations. Society tells him he needs to act his age, to move on, to leave his immaturity in the dust, but still Holden stands his ground to rid himself from the grief that has become his own. This grief arose in Holden when Allie Caulfield, Holden's younger brother, died at the age of eleven from leukemia. He is reminded of the vibrant force that used to be his brother constantly, and Holden cannot move on from his death. Holden is used to dealing with his issues via his immaturity, but society has prevented Holden from using this childish innocence, keeping Holden from moving on. In the end, anger toward society is Holden's only logical response. Holden is the protagonist in a man vs. self and man vs. society scenario, fighting what is likely a losing battle, making him a righteous protagonist and pressing him ever forward into martyrdom.
Many young people often find themselves struggling to find their own identity and place in society. This search for self worth often leaves these young people feeling lonely and isolated because they are unsure of themselves. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character in the book The Catcher In the Rye, is young man on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. One contributor to this breakdown, is the loneliness that Holden experiences. His loneliness is apparent through many ways including: his lack of friends, his longing for his dead brother, and the way he attempts to gain acceptance from others.
J.D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye revolves around Holden's encounters with other people. He divides all people into two different categories, the "phonies" and the authentics. Holden refers to a "phony" as someone who discriminates against others, is a hypocrite, or has manifestations of conformity. A person's age, gender, and occupation, play a key role in how Holden interacts with them.
At first glance, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye simply tells the story of Holden Caulfield, who is often characterized as annoying and whiny by the people around him. The anti-hero frequently speaks on impulse, making quick and often inaccurate observations of others. Holden’s immature and overly critical attitude turns off those he encounters, who are displeased with how callow he is. However, what these characters fail to understand is that there is actually a sort of sophistication behind Holden’s reasoning. In fact, throughout the novel, Holden disguises his maturity through outward displays of childishness.
In today's world many people do not show their true self to people that they do not feel comfortable around. Readers can see this in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Holden only shows his true authentic self to women and girls. Although Holden seems that he does not like to talk to anyone, when he is around women he pays attention to them, is comfortable, and expresses his true feelings.
Foster’s characteristics of the QUEST are the quester, the destination, the purpose, the challenges along the way, and the reason behind going to the destination. In The Catcher in the Rye Holden is the quester who begins his journey by being kicked out of Pencey Prep. He decides to go on a trip instead of going home and revealing to his parents that he has been expelled. Staying around New York is a challenge in itself, and by the end of his trip Holden realizes more about himself. Some of the challenges he faces are his immaturity levels getting in the way of certain tasks and his loneliness. At the end of his trip Holden begins to have a new sense of maturity, and is ready to grow up.