Catcher in the Rye analysis The Novel “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger is often know for being the novel that led to the death of pop culture icon John Lennon, but it is also known as one of the greatest novels ever written. Although it does not move me to strike down a Beatle, it does move me to consider my own relationships and what we as a society value and promote among each other.
At the beginning of the novel, Holden Caulfield’s pessimism prevents him from succeeding, or even attempting to fit in society, because he is too close minded to the world around him. However by the end of the novel he learns to accept others and to take action in his life. As the novel begins we are introduced to a character that can only really be described
This proves to be a major deterrent for him on many of his adventures in the big city, and will ultimately cause him to change his outlook on the world. The first thing that Holden notices about the Hotel is that “[it] was lousy with perverts” (Salinger 81). He immediately takes the negative stance on a situation and this prevents him from taking advantage of the situation and developing as a person. This attitude is what almost drives Holden to the grave. As his adventures in New York continue he pushes people further and further away in the idea that they are all phonies and Holden is the one in the right. This ideology is flawed, and that is one of the main messages that Salinger wants the reader to understand. This pessimism is constantly driving others away such as Sally Hayes when he asks her to run off to the woods forever with him. Holden even said that in the middle of their conversation, he “was beginning to hate her” (Salinger 172). Salinger discourages this behavior through Holden by showing that this attitude cannot even allow Holden to accomplish the easiest tasks. He cannot even bring himself to have sex with a prostitute that he had already hired because he just wanted to talk, despite his constant allusions to him being a sex maniac. In Behrman’s “vision of the innocent” he describes Holden as having the “he has the deadpan literalness and the all-or-nothing combativeness of the passionate adolescent” that will force others against him (Behrman 3). This pessimism prevents him from maturing and accepting the role of adulthood, even though he just wants to be the catcher in the rye. His attitudes directly relate with Holden’s inabilities to adapt to the changing world. Through all of his endeavors in New York, he is slowly and slowly broken down into a realistic man. His emotional collapse and his physical collapse seem to coincide as
Since Holden was isolated from his family, in order to not get hurt again he tries to find hypocrisy in people to stop himself from trusting others. Holden feels isolated after being sent to a boarding school that “was full of phonies” by his parents (Salinger 90). Salinger’s message to the audience with this quote is that when
Immaturity of Holden in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden, cannot accept that he must move out of childhood and into adulthood. One of Holden’s most important major problems is his lack of maturity.
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.
American Literature is widely known for possessing themes of disillusionment. Faulkner, Harper Lee, Fitzgerald, and Hemingway dominate this category of literature. However, the most influential piece of American Literature is arguably J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. What makes this piece of art stand so far out from any other work of literature is the attributes that make this novel so relatable. The source of this raw, real emotion that completely captivates the reader is Salinger himself. The Catcher in the Rye ‘s main character Holden Caulfield is undeniably Salinger. This work of fiction nearly resembles an autobiography. J.D. Salinger uses his novel to express his disillusionment through motifs, pathos, and symbols.
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.
The Catcher in the Rye is a story about a boy, Holden Caulfield, and a few days of his life as he goes to New York near Christmas. He has been kicked out of four distinguished high schools for his poor grades. From the beginning of the story it is visible he is very pessimistic and has a negative outlook on almost everybody in the book. It is because of this that I do not judge people based on his opinions of them. Holden’s brother died three years before the story starts, and his death might be the cause of some of his personality. At the beginning of the book, he is getting ready to leave the all-boys Pencey Prep in a few days. His roommate, Stradlater, is going on a date with Jane Gallagher, a girl whom
Holden Caulfield, the main protagonist in the book “Catcher in the Rye”, is usually described as an uncouth, impolite, inappropriate character, who has little to no respect for anyone but himself. However, after I completed the book, I realized that while Holden did a poor job of establishing his positive characteristics to the readers, his behavior often proved he was a respectable, honest human being that was often misjudged. My opinion is that Holden possessed contrasting characteristics that were both undesirable and admirable qualities. I believe that because the book was written in the first person point of view, Holden is often judged based on his thoughts and not on his actions. Throughout the entire book the reader was given a perspective
... is trying to catch Holden in the midst of a “fall.” But Mr. Antolini “fall” describes is very different from the one Holden had imagined. Holden desires an idyllic world of childhood innocence; But Mr. Antolini describes that Holden is giving up or disengaging himself from the real world, or that he would fall in a void that removes life around him. In both these cases, we see that Holden envisions himself as the protector rather than the one to be protected. Holden is the one who really needs to be “caught”. But Mr. Antolini thinks that Holden feels disconnected from his environment, and, his assessment is accurate. Holden wants to attempt to be his own saviour, but Mr. Antolini’s imagines Holden’s falling presents in a more accurate image of what awaits Holden on the other side of the “cliff.” This thus reveals the weaknesses of Holden’s romantic outlook.
In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, Holden is deals with one of the largest obstacles one would ever face in one’s lifetime. He must deal with the concept of development and the idea that he’s growing up, that he’s no longer a child and must accept maturity. This internal struggle is evident in multiple aspects of this novel, particularly highlighted when Holden visits the museum and the carousel at the conclusion of the novel.
Throughout The Catcher in the Rye Holden puts himself in situations that are very stressful. His personality type puts him in these situations. Holden has trouble-making friends because he thinks almost everyone is a phony. The pressure created from not having friends and being able to be comfortable at a school forced him out of an education, “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies. That's all...For instance, they had this headmaster, Mr. Haas, that was the phoniest bastard I ever met in my life” (Salinger 13) not only did this force him out of the school but also onto the streets. The song “Under Pressure” by Queen perfectly fits the theme that the pressure Holden created on himself forced him to the edge of sanity. In the song, one of the reoccurring lines is “puts people on the streets” (Queen) referring to pressure. This song perfectly relates to this theme.
In the Catcher in the Rye, Holden is an immature boy. Holden’s immaturity cause him many problem throughout the book. He is physically mature but not emotionally mature. He acts like a child. “All of a sudden I started to cry. I’d give anything if I hadn’t, but I did” (p. 103). Holden shows his emotional unstableness.
By the end of the book, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger’s purpose was clear. He wanted to create a novel with the main character characterized as an outcast, rather than a popular or strong protagonist. J.D. Salinger gave the story a different perspective, hoping to make readers look at life with a different perspective also. After reading this novel, readers will be able to view adulthood and childhood at different angles, giving life a whole new approach.
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.
J. D. Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye explores the ambiguity of the adult world Holden must eventually learn to accept. Throughout the novel, Holden resists the society grownups represent, coloring his childlike dreams with innocence and naivety. He only wants to protect those he loves, but he cannot do it the way he desires. As he watches Phoebe on the carousel, he begins to understand certain aspects of truth. He writes:
Holden and the Complexity of Adult Life 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 has anything better to offer.