The American Landscape of Literature

2091 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: in the catcher in the rye j.d. salinger reveals

The authors J.D Salinger and Joseph Heller have created novels that depict the American landscape based on spirit, culture, identity and values. American spirit is defined through rebellion in both novels. J.D Salinger captures rebellion through Holden’s refusal to go with the flow of society, and Joseph Heller shows rebellion using Yossarian to capture rebellion by his ideals that it is better to survive then fight in a war while most Americans uphold the belief that it is an honor to sacrifice oneself for one’s country. The essence of American culture is portrayed in the novels by the loose meaning of love in that era. Both authors define the loose meaning of love through the multiple lovers both Holden and Yossarian obtain, as well as the lack of seriousness used when stating they are in love. J.D Salinger defines the American identity of individualism through Holden’s desire to make his own decisions and choose his own fate. Joseph Heller uses Yossarian to describe the American identity of independence because of his want to be free of the war and all the hardships it brings. Finally the American values are defined by J.D Salinger and Joseph Heller through Holden’s concern for a person’s inner being, and Yossarian’s concern for self-preservation. Through the development of the characters Holden and Yossarian, the novels Catcher in the Rye and Catch-22 capture the meaning of being an American through spirit, culture, identity and value’s.

The Catcher in the Rye and Catch-22 are novels which equally capture the essence of rebellion in the entirety of the American spirit. Salinger demonstrates the American spirit through teenage rebellion arising from the needs of truth and security in life. The protagonist, Holden, creates this...

... middle of paper ...

...fluences him to impress his superiors with the sacrifice of his inferiors.

Throughout both novels, the essence of being an American has portrayed by Holden and Yossarian through American spirit, culture, identity, and values. Both characters develop through the novels to capture the American landscape of literature. The American spirit is conveyed by the spirit of rebellion in Holden and Yossarian. American culture is portrayed by Holden and Yossarian through the loose term and meaning of love in the era around World War II. Both protagonists and antagonists in Catcher in the Rye and Catch-22 capture the American identity of individualism and independence, as well as their opposites. The American values are also shown by both protagonists and antagonists through the concern of the inner being of a person and the desire for self-preservation and their opposites.

Show More
Related

  • Symbols In Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye follows the journey of a young boy, Holden Caulfield, from adolescence to adulthood. There are a number of symbols that Salinger uses to help to portray the various stages that Holden goes through as he matures into adulthood. The snowball incident, his sense of fulfillment when at the museum, and his run in with a pimp, are all representations of how Holden is deeply obsessed with innocence thoughts and how reluctant he is to give them up.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield Betrayal

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is a popular novel that was originally published in the 1950’s. In the book, Salinger explores various themes through the main character Holden and his interactions with others. Some of these themes include, alienation, loss and betrayal. Holden constantly feels betrayed throughout the novel by several people, including his roommate, teacher, and sister.

    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

  • 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: Crash Course Analysis

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    This article illustrates five major lessons a reader can learn from The Catcher in the Rye. Some of the lessons are about growing up and not being alone, which are two major themes in the novel. By including some universal lessons, this article is able to not only relate to children and adolescents, but also adults who are having the same troubles. Along with the lessons, the article illustrates some of Holden’s important qualities, such as his love for reading and his catchphrase, “phony.”

    Read More

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

    2262 Words  | 5 Pages

    When one’s imagination becomes the director and producer of his thoughts and actions, he loses touch with reality. The ideas and plans are in a chaotic time slot; loneliness becomes the major factor in forming erratic thoughts and actions. In the novel A Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger gives insight to the protagonist’s thoughts, experiences, and frustrations in his world. Holden Caulfield’s instinctive desire to be a savior of the innocents evolves, and many times in the story, he faces disappointment. The internal struggles arise when his imagination draws him into situations in which he is unable, but wants desperately to be the hero. The world around him including his peers, family, and random encounters, are those conflicts, which are the externally trenchant ones. The external and internal influences on Holden blend to create an overall frustration, dislike, and pessimistic outlook on his present environment. When a Holden loses confidence in him and in the world, he develops a hopeless view of his and the world’s future. J. D. Salinger depicts the chaotic external and internal conflicts that plague the protagonist Holden Caulfield in his The Catcher in the Rye.

    Read More

  • Wisdom In The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Sallinger

    2635 Words  | 6 Pages

    It is widely agreed that Salinger’s Catcher in The Rye is unarguably the quintessential coming of age and initiation story . This story has been compared against Ellis’ Less Than Zero and T.S. Elliot’s Wasteland as being among the literature that best elucidates the alienation of our youth . The story of Holden’s transition into manhood has been compared against the American transition into consumerism after the world wars . The story has been elevated above bildungsroman to an epic of Odyssean proportion . Certainly the chronicle tackles Holden’s identity crisis to include the desire to be authentic . Adolescent development is explored through Holden’s exploits . Small details of the story, such as the name Caulfield, have been critically dissected as allusions . Most unusually, a critic even explored the relationship between the siblings, Holden and Phoebe, through the lens of feminism . Even though there are many different ways to look at Catcher, everyone agrees that this story employs the loss of innocence model of the fall from disillusionment and pain which leads to wisdom.

    Read More

  • Holden’s Sexual Confusion in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

    1295 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is a coming-of-age novel set in New York during the 1940’s. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the story, is a detached seventeen-year old boy harboring feelings of isolation and disillusionment. He emphasizes a general dislike for society, referring to people as “phonies.” His lack of will to socialize prompts him to find nearly everything depressing. He’s alone most of the time and it’s apparent that he is very reclusive. This often leads him to pondering about his own death and other personal issues that plague him without immediate resolution. Holden possesses a strong deficit of affection – platonic and sexual – that hinders and cripples his views toward people, his attitude, and his ability to progressively solve his problems without inflicting pain on himself. The absence of significant figures in his life revert him to a childlike dependency and initiate his morbid fascination with sexuality. In this novel, Salinger uses Sunny, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce to incorporate the hardships of discovering sexual identity and how these events affect adolescents as they try to understand their own sexuality.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye American Dream Analysis

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye is a historical fiction novel by J.D Salinger. The book starts with Holden Caulfield, the main character, explaining a little about himself and goes on to tell his story of what happened after he left Pencey. Everyone strives to set themselves to a place in life where they feel safe, comfortable, and secure, that is the American dream. The journey to achieve this dream is known as the American experience. In the novel, Holden tries to act and look older. He reflects on his shortcomings and the setbacks in life, and leaves to collect himself, all reflecting elements of the American experience.

    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

  • Holden's Cry for Help in The Catcher in the Rye

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

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

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” revolves around the protagonist Holden Caulfield as the story is told from his perspective. J.D. Salinger constructed Holden Caulfield as a cynical person who cannot accept to grow up. Throughout “The Catcher in the Rye,” J.D. Salinger uses symbolism to reveal and reinforce critical aspects of the protagonist Holden Caulfield. Three important aspects Holden acquired through Salinger’s use of symbolism are: his stubborn, uncompromising mentality; his softer, more caring respectful side; Holden’s cowardly way of acting and thinking.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Bell Jar And Catcher In The Rye

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    This year summer assignment required students to read and analyze The Bell Jar written by Sylvia Plath, and The Catcher in the Rye written by J. D. Salinger. From there we are introduced to two characters, Esther and Holden. Both share multiple traits but are respectively still differ from each other. Because of their similarities, Holden and Esther go through similar struggles in life, therefore giving the books common themes. The three major themes that are covered throughout the novels are the search for identity, the American Dream, and the melting pot.

    Read More

  • Catcher in the Rye Essay: Holden and the Complexity of Adult Life

    1175 Words  | 3 Pages

    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?"

    Read More

More about The American Landscape of Literature

Open Document