Through the development of characters that are outsiders, literature is a way of questioning the values of society which is recognized throughout, Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and J.D. Salinger’s novel ‘The Catcher in the rye’. These two stories feature completely different plots, although the two books show multiple overlapping themes. Outsiders are often perceived to be the odd one out, and they show this by the way they act, and the way they make themselves known. Both Scout from ‘To kill a mocking bird’, and Holden from ‘The Catcher in the rye’ are seen as foreigners but for wholly different reasons.
Unlike Scout, Holden shares his past experiences as a distressed minor, where the entire story is spoken through his own distraught mind. The novel takes place in first person which allows Holden to speak his mind although more often than not it disfigures experiences had by him. Salinger illustrates the reasoning behind Holden’s immaturity by demonstrating his untrustworthy qualities.
I think Holden Caulfield shows both his personal
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concern and his anxiety about the subject when he says, “It's no fun to be yellow. Maybe I'm not all yellow. I don't know. I think maybe I'm just partly yellow and partly the type that doesn't give much of a damn if they lose their gloves.” JD Salinger often writes passages with paradoxes within them, every time adding depth and complexity to the protagonist, and when this technique is fused with short sentences it evokes emotion and the feeling of realism along with giving a cynical theme. Through these two simple but effective literary techniques it is easy to see that outsiders find it tough to relate to the world over even the most simplistic things like losing a pair of gloves. Scout Finch from to kill a mocking bird can be described as an unusual little girl. She is remarkably intelligent, exceptionally thoughtful, and weirdly confident considering she regularly picks fights with boys without any fear. Scout narrates in first person, telling us what she heard and saw at the time. Although she is by no means a wise or celestial narrator, it is very obvious to notice that she has matured considerable over the years. I believe Scout showed a certain lack of fortitude about becoming a young woman when she said, “I felt the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary closing in on me, and for the second time in my life I thought of running away.
Immediately.”
Scout does not at all like the idea of becoming a young lady and by using a hyperbolic metaphor of the walls closing in on her and the dress acting as a ‘as exaggeration and figure of speech which emphasizes the persona’s feeling of desperation It is commonly perceived that as a society it is mandatory for everyone to grow up and become an adult. But this is not the case for Scout, as she wants to cling onto her childhood much like Holden.
To kill a mockingbird and the catcher in the rye have two main things in common and that is that both protagonists have unceasing troubles of letting go of things and growing older. An example of this is when Holden says,
“The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’s move
more” The allegory within this quote is saying that, maybe, Holden would like everything to stay the same and he hates change, although, it could also be said that it helps him in a way, that there is a place where he can go back to anytime he wanted where the past was captured and is changeless. Holden may want to grasp onto the past but the truth is he doesn’t feel too good about himself. He is constantly saying how things are phony and he is deliberately picking on negative things about anything and anyone, but all he is doing is projecting his feelings. He sees himself as a phony, and due to these ups and downs throughout the novel the tone varies between hatred, bitterness and distrust all communicated through a colloquial style.
Scout, the protagonist, is a young girl coming of age in a society trying to shove her into a dress and the role of a gilded daughter. For example, when Scout recalls a conversation with her Aunt Alexandra, a figurehead for society and one of the major female figures in her life, she begins to shine her own light on how to brighten her father’s life in a way that is true to herself. On page 108, Scout comes to terms with the fact that she is defying stereotypes, “I could not possibly be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra’s vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father’s lonely life. I suggested that one could be a ray of sunshine in pants just as well, but Aunty said that one had to behave like a sunbeam, that I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year. She hurt my feelings and set my teeth permanently on edge,
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 way that Salinger writes gives the audience a very personal and insightful look into what Holden is feeling. It’s told in the first person, in a confessional style, and utilises digression. This creates a sense of closeness with the protagonist. It’s like Holden is talking directly to the reader.
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.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s, and concerns itself primarily with the interrelated themes of prejudice and empathy. These themes are explored as the story follows Scout Finch as she learns lessons in empathy, ultimately rejecting prejudice. While all characters in Lee’s novel learn from their experiences, not all are able to grow in the same manner as Scout. The idea of a positive role model, typified by the character of Atticus Finch, and the ramifications of its absence, is a concept that Lee places much emphasis on. The isolated setting is also pivotal in the development of characters. Lee uses the contrast between characters that learn lessons in empathy and compassion, and characters that cling to the ideals of a small town, to explore factors that nurture or diminish prejudice.
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.
It is amazing that two completely different characters could not only be faced with an identical dilemma, but also both react in such comparable ways. The resemblance of the characters’ struggles because of alienation in the popular novels The Catcher in the Rye and Speak is astonishing. Alienation can be caused by many factors and result in many consequences. But it is interesting how the situations individuals face can be quite similar. Within Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, and Anderson’s novel, Speak, both protagonists are alienated by those around them. As a result, they must endure the negative effects of this isolation and, ultimately it leads both these individuals to alienate themselves.
A story of tragedy, despair, and sex, Holden guides us through a series of nights in the Novel, The Catcher in the Rye. This book of teenage angst is narrated through the eyes of Holden Caulfield. Holden, a confused and depressed teenager, who tells his story in such a way that makes him look as if he were always in the right even when he is actually in the wrong. For this specific reason, it is commonly believed that Holden cannot be a reliable source for narration throughout “The Catcher and the Rye” and many believe to think that he is biased in some cases towards people who have his approval and himself. This essay will support these theses and go more in depth with the analysis of error within the corruption of narration throughout Salinger’s,
Protected by a cocoon of naiveté, Holden Caulfield, the principal character in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, therapeutically relates his lonely 24 hour stay in downtown New York city, experiencing the "phony" adult world while dealing with the death of his innocent younger brother. Through this well-developed teenage character, JD Salinger, uses simple language and dialogue to outline many of the complex underlying problems haunting adolescents. With a unique beginning and ending, and an original look at our new society, The Catcher in the Rye is understood and appreciated on multiple levels of comprehension. The book provides new insights and a fresh view of the world in which adolescents live.
...ething I just don’t understand. I swear to God I don’t” (63). What teenager does understand sex? Not one, which means everyone is going to be able to relate to Holden. The story being in first person narration also creates an intimate bond between reader and character, as the reader directly hears Holden’s thoughts as if Holden himself is talking to them. It creates the intimacy and feeling of understanding many teens crave while transitioning through a rough period in their life.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch represents a young southern tomboy who strives to find her identity. The adults in her town of Maycomb...
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 is a pessimistic, remote, and miserable character and he expresses this attitude through dialogue, tone, and diction. Throughout the book he has remained to be a liar, a failure, a loner, and lastly, a suicidal guy who feels like he has no purpose in life. Perhaps Salinger expressed his perceptions and emotions of his teen years in this book and it was a form of conveying his deep inner feelings of his childhood. Readers can see this clearly shown in The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger.
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.
Who is seen as a troubled and secluded teen. Using psychoanalytic literary theory one can see Salinger's use of flashbacks in the whole novel. Holden is revealed to be in a rest home at