Since the first signs of life appeared on planet Earth, the world has remarkably improved and substantially grown to what is now known as the age of industrialization. Today, people in every field of study constantly influence society without even realizing. However, without such influences, the world would be filled with questions that could no longer be answered. Specifically, the art behind writing and literature is predominantly crafted by inspiration. In fact, the greatest writers are most noteworthy for their personal revelations and how they incorporate reality with a work of fiction. In The Catcher in the Rye, Jerome David Salinger creates Holden as a misunderstood teenager trying to discover his true identity through emotional and physical homecoming. He implements a series of real-life events and develops fictitious Holden Caulfield in retrospect to his short-lived childhood. Using a biographical lens, Salinger recreates his past through the eyes of Holden who acts as extension of him to understand the character’s state of mind, in connection to his lifestyle, relationships and psychological issues.
Through the literary works of David Klingenberger’s “Salinger and Holden, Disappearing in Plain Sight: Biography of J. D. Salinger” and Edward R Ducharme’s “J. D., D. B., SONNY, SUNNY, AND HOLDEN,” both authors provide insight on how readers can see Salinger through Holden. Holden Caulfield was initially created with the intention of acting as an autobiographical character. The principle behind a biographical lens–a subcategory of a historical lens–is that it examines how the writer’s personal life influenced his work. By understanding Salinger’s own biography, readers can then discover Holden’s purpose in the book. When c...
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...at most people find entertaining, ‘dumb’. Whether its “some dame breaking a bottle over a ship or some chimpanzee riding a goddam bicycle with pants on” (Salinger Ch. 17), Holden always refuses to blend in with societies views and rather exemplify his own. By trying to disappear from the world, they actually stand out even more. Salinger casually “moved to the rural wilds outside Cornish, New Hampshire, and began what would become more than fifty years of simply, absolutely tuning the world out” (Klingenberger 20). Salinger chose to distance himself when people finally recognized his work because like Holden, he tried to avoid all interaction possible.
Ultimately, “the early Salinger interest is paralleled by Holden’s” (Ducharme 57) constant expression of himself in order to influence, understand and connect to his readers by creating a character of himself.
Salinger uses specific motifs and symbols to illustrate Holden’s naive and unrealistic view of the world. A great example of this is when he believes he can be the catcher in the rye. By doing so he imagines he is able to maintain all the innocence within society. Holden
Salinger’s view of the world is lived out thought Holden – his persona. The novel is Holden’s steam of conscience as he is talking to a psychoanalyst “what would an psychoanalyst do…gets you to talk…for one thing he’d help you to recognise the patterns of your mind”. At the start of the novel it is addressed directly to us “if you really want to hear about it”. This gives us a sense of reality as though it is us that is the psychiatrist. We see the random thought patterns of Holden’s mind as he starts to feel more comfortable, Holden goes off on to many different tangents while he is talking. Salinger is using Holden as a type of easy way out to confess his view of the world.
The first way J.D. Salinger shows that Holden’s depression is not only affecting him, but also the people around him, is...
Due to J.D Salinger’s personal and relatable narrative treatment, Catcher in the Rye continues to engage audiences, even 64 years after it was first published. The way the book deals with alienation and disillusionment in regards to Holden’s past trauma - through the closeness of first person narration and conversational writing among other techniques - creates a personal connection to Holden’s character and helps adolescents relate his troubles to their own.
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.
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.
In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger develops Holden Caulfield as a morally ambiguous character. Throughout the book, Salinger speaks as Holden and introduces him as a callous and subjective individual. However, the author permits the reader to be within Holden’s mind, giving the audience an alternative perspective of Holden’s true character. Without the obscurity of Holden’s personality, the work would lack a crucial element. As the protagonist, Holden serves as an equivocal adolescent that is relatable for the reader.
Born New Year’s Day, 1919, to the Jewish Solomon Salinger, and his Christian mother, Marie-eventually changed to Miriam, to better fit in with her husband’s side of the family-Jillich. With that, it’s safe to say that even as early as his conception, Jerome already had an identity crisis high-tailing him. As Salinger grew, this mixed religious background caused him to question his own social identity, and to be keenly aware of social divisions and prejudices; considering this, a thought may cross that instantly reminds some of J.D.’s famous literary character, Holden Caulfield, whom readily called out many “phonies”, and claimed to know a lot about anyone he encountered. Not only this, but Mr. Salinger also spent a few of his school years as a prep school student; the same can be said for Holden Caulfield. Keeping that thought in mind, Salinger had a great deal of difficulty with getting along in both public, and prep schools, still reminding us of the critical part of The Catcher in the Rye’s plot: Holden getting expelled, and more-so, mentioning how consistently irritating his roommate, and dorm-neighbors were. Still in similarity to Holden, Mr. Salinger was born to an upper-class family in New York City, as well. Both Mr. Salinger ...
J.D. Salinger is known for his infamous novel, The Catcher in the Rye. It is an intriguing story of a young man throwing all caution to the wind as he experiences life. He tells a story of inhibition while growing up which makes this 50’s tale timeless. With the use of relatable, emotional symbolism, Salinger and Caulfield draw on the reader’s attention to illustrate of a picture of the harsh realities of real life. After telling his story to the world, Holden Caulfield leaves the audience with one powerful word of advice.
Lies, failure, depression, and loneliness are only some of the aspects that Holden Caulfield goes through in the novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger. Salinger reflects Holden’s character through his own childhood experiences. Salinger admitted in a 1953 interview that "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book.… [I]t was a great relief telling people about it” (Wikipedia). Thus, the book is somewhat the life story of J.D. Salinger as a reckless seventeen-year-old who lives in New York City and goes through awful hardships after his expulsion and departure from an elite prep school. Holden, the protagonist in this novel, is created as a depressed, cynical, and isolated character and he expresses this attitude through his dialogue, tone, and diction.
Some people feel all alone in this world, with no direction to follow but their empty loneliness. The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger, follows a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who despises society and calls everyone a “phony.” Holden can be seen as a delinquent who smokes tobacco, drinks alcohol, and gets expelled from a prestigious boarding school. This coming-of-age book follows the themes of isolation, innocence, and corrupted maturity which is influenced from the author's life and modernism, and is shown through the setting, symbolism, and diction.
Holden attacks various weaknesses in the 50's society. He criticizes nearly everything that he observes, and refuses to pull punches. Often Holden uses his brilliant talent of observation to discover the true motives behind the people he calls "phony." Through his observations the reader can interpret Salinger's view of the 1950's culture. Holden's perceptions of paranoia, conformity, and the consumer culture convey Salinger's views.
The common adolescence struggle of self-identification is found in both J.D. Salinger and Holden Caulfield’s lives. Salinger was born in New York into a well-to-do family (Klingenberger 18). Growing up, he had a hard time in school and “found school uninspiring and struggled with grades. he attended a number of private prep schools before his father sent him to Valley Forge Military Academy just outside Philadelphia” (Klingenberger 18). His lackadaisical attitude towards life and academics heavily influenced his creation of characters with similar qualities. Salinger’s most famous character, Holden, struggles with the same challenges. Holden and Salinger both feel the need to give up because they are afraid of failure. “Do you ever get fed up… I mean, did you ever get scared that everything was going to be lousy unless you did something?” (Salinger 130). His motivation to amount to something bigger than himself is miniscule, which proves to be a problem for him as the book progresses. Salinger’s ability to take his experiences with teenage depression and relate it back to his novel The Catcher in the Rye is his own form of therapy, especially with his struggles overcoming P...
Jerome David Salinger’s only novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is based on the life events shaping main character, Holden Caulfield, into the troubled teen that is telling the story in 1950. The theme of the story is one of emotional disconnection felt by the alienated teenagers of this time period. The quote, “ I didn’t know anyone there that was splendid and clear thinking and all” (Salinger 4) sets the tone that Holden cannot find a connection with anyone around him and that he is on a lonely endeavor in pursuit of identity, acceptance and legitimacy. The trials and failures that Holden faces on his journey to find himself in total shed light on Holden’s archenemy, himself.
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.