Holden as a Hero Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a story about the trials of life and the toll it can take on the psyche. I believe that Holden Caulfield is an under credited hero. He is a teenager forced to grow up in a time of turmoil with severe emotional handicaps placed upon him by family, friends and life in general. Holden is one confused kid trying to beat the Man in the 1950’s. He grew up ignored by his parents, drifting from school to school in search of a purer lifestyle. On page
The novel, The Catcher in the Rye, written by JD Salinger, touches on the themes of innocence, death, and the artifice and the authenticity in the world, while following the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, through his weekend trip to New York City. As the story unfolds, Holden, as narrator, becomes more vulnerable to the reader, and starts to express his feelings surrounding the death of his brother, Allie, as well as his feelings about himself. Holden is faced with a truth that has haunted him
Through the character of Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger illustrates how the Museum of Natural History represents Holden’s wish to stay innocent and free of change. Holden sees the exhibits behind the glass cases at the museum and how all of the pieces inside are stuck in time. Holden wishes to be able to “stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them there,” and to isolate them from the rest of the world. (Salinger 122). When Holden speaks of “them,” he subconsciously refers to
often judge strangers without necessarily getting to know them very well. In J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield marks many people as phonies without getting to completely know them. During his trip through New York City, Holden Caulfield meets many people, and most of the people he judges right away. Holden Caulfield shows that he is very judgmental even if he does not know the person, by noticing only kids as innocent, marking most adults as phonies and trying
J.D. Salinger, allows many readers to view the novel, The Catcher in the Rye in a different perspective by using various psychoanalytic theories. Throughout the novel, the main character, Holden Caulfield exemplifies many characteristics that fit into Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theories which is concludes that the “human behavior was the result of the interaction of three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego. His structural theory placed great importance on the role of unconscious
about Allie, then finally he’ll get back to present day without the reader realizing. Overall, I personally enjoyed the book. It made me laugh many of times and I believe Holden Caulfield is a character with a conflicting personality, who admires his little sister, Phoebe, very much. #2: What’s up with Holden? Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy who moves from one school to another,
J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a story told by a troubled 17-year-old teenage boy named Holden Caulfield. Throughout the novel, Caulfield displays unquestionable evidence of personal psychological battles and severe depression. Caulfield’s self-destruction is a result of his dissatisfaction with society and the way that he perceives the human condition; fake and inevitably “phony”. While spending time in New York, Holden engages in many different adventures and encounters with adults,
In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, the narrator and protagonist, sixteen year-old Holden Caulfield, practices hypocrisy throughout the novel. Caulfield believes that people in society should be who they appear to be and therefore should act accordingly, yet Holden himself is extremely dishonest and not always genuine when interacting with other characters during the novel. Caulfield refers to people that don’t act accordingly as “phonies” in the novel but he himself is being a hypocrite
The Complexity of Holden Caulfield J.D Salinger writes from personal experience in his novel, The Catcher in the Rye. The American author lived in New York City and attended a Manhattan public school for most of his adolescence before attending a boarding school that he soon left. He also suffered a mental breakdown while serving in the army. His experiences were a major part in not only the plot of his novel, but in building the character of Holden Caulfield. As the male protagonist in this
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
Holden Caulfield a kid who has emotional, and social problems is having a struggle with growing up. Holden has many complications with his social abilities, and is in a very poor emotional state. He is hitting the age of maturity and he is struggling with that process. The book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, tell the story of how Holden Caulfield deals with his recent expulsion from his high school Pencey prep, and how he is struggling with growing up, and deal with mature situations. Holden
Rye, Holden Caulfield, faces harsh adulthood realities which compel him to protect childhood innocence. Throughout Holden’s 3-day journey in New York, he demonstrates his desire to retain childhood innocence in himself and other children. In The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger develops Holden Caulfield as a reflection to the main theme of childhood innocence through his use of characterization, stream of consciousness point
Evaluation of Holden Caulfield 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
literature and written by J. D. Salinger in 1951. In the novel, the author sheds light on the series of events in the disturbed life of a confused, aggravated adolescent, whose despises “phoniness” and all the adult evils prevalent in the society. Holden Caulfield is portrayed to be an impressionable teenager who is exceedingly sensitive to the evils prevailing in the society. He believes that all the lying, deceit, hypocrisy and moral degeneracy that the adults of the society practice as common behavior is
Being classified as a regular among teenagers is a difficult feat. It is a difficult task when trying to fit into society, a task in which main character Holden Caulfield struggles with. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, author J.D. Salinger reveals how alienation can impact one’s life. The utter carelessness about life, the lack of motivation to apply himself, and rarely veering from the consistent pattern of his past all relate to how the ducks consistently revisit the same lagoon.
confusing and difficult, especially when one has experienced a difficult event in the process. The classic coming of age story The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger captures the life of Holden Caulfield who certainly did not have the easiest experiences. With evidence from “In Memoriam: Allie Caulfield” by Edward Miller and the Catcher in the Rye itself, Holden's struggles from past to present will be deeply focused on. Following a traumatic childhood event with a lack of parental support, Holden
transition to adulthood. Whether internal or external, people will always experience turmoils during youth. How each person copes with these difficulties becomes his or her own definition of youth. In The Catcher In the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a seventeen-year-old who describes his and others’ youths from a sanatorium. Salinger uses symbolism, diction, and Holden’s point of view to express that youth is not youth without pain. From Holden's perspective, Carl Luce, his ex-student advisor
The Mind Behind Caulfield of His Ducks and its Habitats The narrator of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield fails to acknowledge his identity. Born to a wealthy family, Caulfield feels lonesome and depress after his younger brother, Allie’s death. Caulfield eventually becomes confuse of what he wants for himself. He constantly longs to maintains his innocence self, yet some other times he wishes to be view and respects as an adult. Caulfield’s addiction towards alcohol and
The Catcher in the Rye When do you think people mature? In the novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger’s, the main character Holden Caulfield goes through a series of emotional events but remains as immature as he was at the beginning of the novel. Majority of teenagers become responsible and more mature people. Holden goes through many events that cause stress and burdens and instead of coming out more mature and grown up, he still has the same childish views on life. Throughout the
The most difficult thing to do in life is to change your habits. Holden Caulfield proves this in J.D. Salinger’s classic novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Caulfield, a troubled teenager, attempts to navigate his way through teenage life. Since the death of Allie, Holden’s younger brother, he turns into a depressed and lonesome teenager. His sadness leads him to various encounters with other people, like Mr. Spencer, Holden’s former teacher, and Phoebe, Holden’s younger sister. These experiences make