The Catcher in the Rye By J.D. Salinger The Catcher in the Rye was an interesting and controversial book. I chose to read the book because of the negative status it has with parents, teachers, and school. I wanted to discover what the roots of this controversy are. The main character who narrates throughout the book, Holden Caulfield, tells about his life before and after he is kicked from Pencey Prep. At Pencey, the only subject he got a decent grade in was English, all others he failed and didn’t show up to regularly. The meat of the book consists mainly of what Holden does and thinks after he leaves Pencey. His internal conflict after leaving is what his parents will think when they find out he had been kicked from another college. The title of the book portrays the best idea of what Holden wants to do with his life. He imagines a group of children playing in a rye field that’s adjacent to a cliff. He described himself to his sister as the person that would catch the kids if they ever got near the edge. This book was truly enjoyable to read, to see Holden’s strange and peculiar outlook on life. He had very distinct things that he hated and liked. For example, the only kind of books he enjoyed were books written by his brother, who wrote short stories. In many parts of the book, he is remembering a girl he once went out with or liked at one time. In one instance he called a girl he had the number of in the middle of the night from a drab hotel room. I think he did this solely to hear a girl’s voice. The controversy that has arisen from this book also became clear after reading it. Holden has an overall negative attitude about everything and the way he lives his life. Also, his being kicked from colleges numerous times doesn’t set a good example either. This novel by J.D. Salinger about a troubled teen is one that’s controversial and fun to read at the same time.
Holden is the main character of the book. He is a complicated boy how seems to get thrown out of boarding schools left and right. He is constantly thinking about depressive thoughts of his past, like times he was with his brother, who is dead. His thoughts of his brother bring serious rage for some reason. In one instance he tells about the day after his brothers death, and Holden was filled with such anger and loneliness, he punched through all the glass doors in his garage. This required him to go to the hospital, and unfortunately his stay at the hospital forced him to miss his brothers funeral. He also keeps thinking about his old girl friend Jane. Holden is reminded of past times with her, where her father upset her, and Holden was the only one there to console her. So with that in mind, he thinks he still may have a place with her, and Holden believes that all his happiness will rest with her. Holden is just a guy who is searching for something to get him out of his depression, but he has no idea what it is, and above all how to get it.
...common in human beings, and the demonstrations that have been considered in this term paper are not the only examples that live in the novel that call up the difficulty of considering with change. believe about Holden lowering out of yet another school, Holden departing Pencey Prep and, for a while, dwelling life in the cold streets of New York town all by his lonesome. The book ends abruptly, and gathering condemnation of it is not rare. It's an odd cliffhanger, not because of the way it's in writing, but because of a individual desire to glimpse what Holden finishes up doing with his life. Perhaps, as he augments up, he'll learn to contend better through change. Imagine the death of Phoebe, decisively an event that would be similar to Allie's tragic demise. if an older Holden would reply the identical as did a junior one, is a inquiry still searching for an answer.
This article would be a great addition to a student’s understanding of the novel because of the article’s ability to relate the student to Holden and his struggles. As said before, this article contains five important lessons to be learned from the novel. By reading this article, the student will be able to understand the major themes and relate to the novel a little bit better. Secondly, the reader will be able to pick out some of Holden’s primary psychological characteristics. This article is a reliable source because it contains correct factual and textual evidence and transitions smoothly from topic to
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.
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, describes a period of time in a young
Most people who read this work do not really relate to the main character, Holden Caufield. Holden comes across as being a little mentally disturbed. He believes almost everyone is phony. Fitting in is not something he does well. He gets kicked out and expelled from schools. Most normal students would not want to be like Holden.
J. D. Salinger’s only published full-length novel, The Catcher in the Rye, has become one of the most enduring classics of American literature. The novel’s story is told in retrospect by the main character, Holden Caulfield, while staying in a psychiatric hospital in California. This is a coming of age tale that is wrought with irony. Holden Caulfield, Mr. Antolini, and Phoebe are the main symbols of irony.
In the novel “Catcher in the Rye” the reader is able to better understand Holden by the characters in his remembrances. Mr. Antolini, a person who shows affection for Holden, shows the reader that Holden makes quick assumptions and judgments with characters in the novel. Phoebe, Holden’s younger sister, makes it evident to the reader that Holden does not want to grow up, mature, and have a future as an adult. Jane Gallagher’s character also helps the reader better understand Holden by making it evident that he does not want to let go of his childhood innocence. Although Holden’s character is the main focus of the novel, his remembrances of other key characters help define him and give the reader a better understanding of who he is.
Throughout the novel represents Holden’s fear of the loss of one’s purity and how he yearns to aid others in need of saving from the world around them. Sometimes the most important symbol in a book is right in front of one’s eyes, for example the title of the book. When Holden sneaks into his parent’s apartment to speak to his younger sister Phoebe, he tells her that he imagines “standing on the edge of some crazy cliff” and what he has to do is “catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff” (173). In this, “everybody” represents childhood, and the “cliff” is the fall of innocence. To the reader it seems as if Holden not only wants to save others from falling out of innocence, but he wants to also save himself. As Holden grew older, he had to tackle hardships for example, his brother, Allie passing away from cancer. From this experience, an enormous chunk of his innocence was taken away from his as long as his mindset of growing up; He believes that as one gets older, pieces and pieces of innocence will fall out of them and that is why he has always had a fantasy of saving others from the fear that Holde...
J.D. Salinger presents Holden Caulfield as a confused and distressed adolescent. Holden is a normal teenager who needs to find a sense of belonging. All though Holden’s obsession with “phonies” overpowers him. Dan Wakefield comments, “The things that Holden finds so deeply repulsive are things he calls “phony”- and the “phoniness” in every instance is the absence of love, and , often the substitution of pretense for love.” Holden was expelled from Pencey Prep School not because he is stupid, but because he just is not interested. His attitude toward Pencey is everyone there is a phony. Pencey makes Holden feel lonely and isolated because he had very few friends. Holden’s feeling of alienation is seen when he doesn’t attend the biggest football game of the year. His comments on the game: “It was the last game of the year and you were supposed to commit suicide or something if old Pencey didn’t win” (2, Ch. 1). This also hints to Holden’s obsession with death. Holden can’t find a since of belonging in the school because of all the so-called phonies. Holden speaks of Pencey’s headmaster as being a phony. Holden says that on visitation day the headmaster will pay no attention to the corny-looking parents. Holden portrays his not being interested by saying, “all you do is study so that you can learn enough to be smart enough to buy a goddam Cadillac someday, and you have to keep making believe you give a damn if the football team loses”(131, Ch. 17). Holden does not care for school or money. He just wants everyone to be sincere and honest.
...himself he wouldn’t pass the classes. If he didn’t pass the classes he wouldn’t graduate and be able to get a decent job in the modern world. I can relate to some characteristics that Holden had. For example, the not adapting to change I can relate to very well. I don’t like changing, I could live with the same friends, surroundings for years. It provides a sense of security that nothing else gives. I enjoyed reading this book because there was always the question in my mind of what Holden would decide to do next. I truthfully don’t know why this book was ever censored. It provokes people to think in a different manner and to realize that society is what Holden makes it out to be sometimes. I like how I was able to read his every move and see what his thoughts were from his point of view. I was able to see where he was coming from when he would reach the judgments that he did. Although at times I thought he was immature and stubborn in not wanting to accept the fact that everyone has to grow up eventually. But I would have liked if the ending had said more about his situation when he was writing the journal. The novel is very thought provoking, especially about humans and society.
Superficially the story of a young man getting expelled from another school, the Catcher in the Rye is, in fact, a perceptive study of one individual’s understanding of his human condition. Holden Caulfield, a teenager growing up in 1950’s, New York, has been expelled from school for poor achievement once again. In an attempt to deal with this he leaves school a few days prior to the end of term, and goes to New York to take a vacation before returning to his parents’ inevitable irritation. Told as a monologue, the book describe Holden’s thoughts and activities over these few days, during which he describes a developing nervous breakdown. This was evident by his bouts of unexplained depression, impetuous spending and generally odd, erratic behavior, prior to his eventual nervous collapse.
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.
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.
The admiration that Holden holds for certain characters is well expressed. Especially about his younger brother Allie, who is spoken remarkably of. Allie’s death was a shocking experience that Holden goes through, in his eyes, Allie has inspired him before and even after his death. One of the most important elements throughout the book was Allie’s glove, as...