Albert Einstein once wrote, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” Albert Einstein is justifying that although people may believe that their fate is the cause of their actions, they are simply deluded. In reality, the universe is the actual creator of fate. Holden Caulfield is consistently concealing the truth with delusions that seem so legitimate that he does not even question them. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger depicts Holden as a troubled teen who cannot seem to stay in one school long enough before being kicked out. Readers soon understand that Holden has inner complications that he is struggling to overcome; he is mourning his brother Allie’s death, he wants his parents to care for him, he despises those …show more content…
Readers observe that Salinger uses the profanity on the walls, the gunshot wound, and the Museum of Natural History to develop the theme that people should see reality as it is instead of creating illusions to protect themselves from their problems.
Holden’s attempt to erase the profanity off of the walls helps to enhance the theme by signifying that eliminating the loss of innocence is an illusion when in reality, he cannot stop others from maturing. When Holden sits down on the staircase and sees the profanity, he wonders, “I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it” (260). After realizing how all the young children at the school would see what was written on the walls, he decides that he should erase it. He hopes that by erasing the words that he will be protecting all the kids from losing their innocence. Holden’s theory that he will be able to assure the children’s unharmed innocence is purely a deception. In reality, he cannot stop the children from growing up. Once he decides to erase the profanity, he goes down another
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While thinking about the museum, Holden says, “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move” (157). Holden does not like it when people change. The museum is his way of masking the reality that people do in fact change and grow up with his illusion that he is the only one. Holden likes the idea that whenever he goes back to visit the museum, “The only thing that would be different would be you” (158). Holden enjoys stepping into the museum and finding that everything around him is the same as it was the last time he visited. Holden thinks that if he is the only one that changes, then he does not have to worry about others disappointing him or leaving him. Thus, why he pretends to have everything around him stay, even though in reality it does not. When Holden finally arrives at the museum he decides not to go in, and he says, “When I got to the museum, all of a sudden I wouldn't have gone inside for a million bucks. It just didn't appeal to me - and here I’d walked through the whole goddam park and looked forward to it” (159). Holden decides not to enter the museum because if he does and the museum is different than it was the last time he visited, then he will be crushed to find that his beloved childhood memories are gone. If he goes in, he will also realize how much he has changed, in an inferior way, and he is too scared
The book in it’s entirety deals with multiple subjects ranging from depression to dealing with being an adult but an important subject that goes unnoticed is the subject of grief. Holden throughout the book deals with multiple stages of grief. The stages of grief he deals with are anger, denial, and finally acceptance bringing the book to a
As he walked around and looked at displays, he noticed nothing ever changed from the times he visited. The unchanged displays provides constant stability and security for Holden because he fears the unknown. Holden wish that his life could be frozen in time. He doesn’t want to grow up to face the corruptions, the vulgarities, and the unknown in life. “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move… Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.”
...e simplistic, idealistic and perfect vision of life that Holden wishes he could live. “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.”
When Holden enters the museum he notices all the glasses cases and he comes to a moment of realization. The structures inside the glass case represent what he wants from his life. He doesn't want time progress he would just like to be frozen in time living in his best moments. If he could, he wouldn't be so depressed and his life would be flawless. He might be wanting to put a moment when he was younger and he was happy with his family and want to keep it in there. This was when his brother was still alive and he hadn't learned the term phony. He wouldn't want that to progress, but he notices that as time goes by his dream will never be accomplished.
All through the book, Holden, as well as his "friends", uses vulgar language. Because of this, Longstreth feels the book is "not fit for children." Although vulgar language is used in the real world, it was very rarely encountered in literature. Other critics agreed with Longstreth, Peterson said the book was "obscene," while Smith warned readers "be advised to let the book alone" if they are bothered by this language. It is Jones' feeling that this language could only be mouthed by a "disturbed adolescent," and that Holden is "immoral and perverted" (Longstreth).
This demonstrates that Holden has this mindset and believes that he isn't ageing because he occasionally believes that he is thirteen most of the time. He's trying to resist adulthood because that’s when all his issues began. In addition, when Holden took Phoebe to a museum he really enjoyed his time there because of how everything was put. Holden sated “the best thing though in the museum was that everything always stayed right where it is. Nobody´d move. You could go hundred thousand times, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would be on their way south, the deers would still be drinking out of that water hole … Nobody's be different” (Salinger 121). This conveys that Holden is fond of the museum because it doesn't change unlike other places he is surrounded which relates to the death of his brother Allie, who died of leukemia. He believes that when his brother died, his whole world shifted as a result, his parent isolated themselves from him and connects to the reason Holden is unable to acknowledge that his urge is to never change like a
In the beginning of the book, Holden often craves for his familiar past. During Holden’s visit to the museum he observes the sameness of everything. Holden mentions that “the best
Throughout the book Holden admits he doesn't like change. Holden fear of growing up , becoming an adult and thinking of of it disgust him. For example the museum, Holden like it because the exterior of it did not change and says the only thing that would change would be you.In the text Luce says “Same old Caulfield.When are you going to grow up already?”(144). Holden wants things to stay how they are and how his life is. Holden considers adults phonies and he doesn’t want to be consider phony as well. When he describes the museum he says the best part about it is that it never changes, only you do.Holden bonds with his sister taking her to the zoo, museum and the carousel.He wants to Phoebe to experience what he did and to get the memories alive. “What I have to do, I would have to catch everyone if they start to go over the cliff- what I have to do, I mean if they are running and they don't look where they are going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That is all I have to do. I would just be the catcher in the rye”(173). This quote show how by holden is catching them from falling down the cliff which symbolizes stopping them from adulthood. “Thousand of little kids and nobody’s around- nobody big , I mean except me”(173). This quotes implies how young innocent kids won't be exerted by adults
Holden Caulfield can be analyzed through his thoughts, actions and circumstances which surround his everyday life. Holden acts like a careless teenager. Holden has been to several prep-schools, all of which he got kicked out of for failing classes. After being kicked out of the latest, Pency Prep, he went off to New York on his own. Holden seems to have a motivation problem which apparently affects his reasoning. The basis of his reasoning comes from his thoughts. Holden thinks the world is full of a bunch of phonies. All his toughs about people he meets are negative. The only good thoughts he has are about his sister Phoebe and his dead brother Alley. Holden, perhaps, wishes that everyone, including himself, should be like his brother and sister. That is to be intelligent, real and loving. Holden’s problem is with his heart. It was broken when his brother died. Now Holden goes around the world as his fake self, wearing his mask. Holden is looking for love, peace and understanding. He is scared to love because he is afraid he might lose it like he did with his brother. That is the reason for Holden's love of the museum, he feels safe because it never changes it always stays the same. Holden is troubled with the pain of death, it effects every aspect of his life causing him to not care about the future, himself or anyone, except Phoebe and Alley.
Holden’s preference of a simplistic lifestyle is evident throughout the novel, but stands out especially when he visits the Museum of Natural History. He explains that. Holden loves this museum because it is still, silent, and always the same, which is a version of life he likes and understands. He fears dealing with conflict, uncertainty, and change, which he thinks comes with being an adult. It
The Museum of Natural History is used to signify Holden’s fear of change. Holden enjoys looking at the mummies and the exhibits at the museum because they never change and are frozen in time. Holden realizes that he changes every time he goes back and sees the exhibits, but the exhibits do not change. He wishes that his childhood world would last forever like his exhibits.
A scene where she shows her influence over Holden is where Holden states, “I kept thinking about old Phoebe going to that museum on Saturdays the way I used to see, I thought how she’d see the same stuff I used to see, and how she’d be different every time she saw it… Certain thing is they should stay the way they are… I know that’s impossible, but it’s too bad anyway.” Holden shows his fear of change. He also demonstrates that he does not want to change, and does not want to grow up, but to stay as a kid.
Holden tries to preserve his own innocence, and the innocence of others by not letting go of childhood memories and through his desire to suspend time. Holden views the adult world as corrupt and full of phonies. He admires childhood because of how it is free of corruption, and untouched by the adult world. IN order to preserve his own innocence Holden often attaches himself to childhood memories. The Museum of NAtural History is one of Holden’s favourite places . He mentions that his grade one teacher Miss. Aigletinger used to take his class there every saturday. While writing about the museum he says, “The best thing, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was” (121). This shows how Holden wants to preserve his innocence because he expresses how he likes how everything stayed the
Holden's walk to the natural history museum holds strong emotions in him. He begins to reminisce about his past visits when he was young. He ponders on what changes have happened and whether his younger sister, Phoebe, is still the same person she used to be. Holden does not want to go inside the museum; he refuses to discover his new self. This shows that Holden is petrified to embrace his own character and would rather live in denial. He consistently reflects and judges other people, but he is unable to see his own life and express his feelings freely. The museum is a symbol of Holden's childhood growing up, experiences, and his lost of innocence. People change as time goes on whereas the museum remains the same. Holden fears that he cannot preserve his youth the way the museum preserve its values, and he sees it as a place to restore his memories.
Holden doesn’t like the complexity of life and relationships. This is why he distances himself from his family and friends. After Holden is expelled from his school, he tries to stay away from his parents for fear of their reaction, even though learning of his expulsion is inevitable. He visits his sister Phoebe in their home multiple times throughout the novel because due to her young age, his sister and his relationship is simple. "For instance, within Holden, the desire to reject others conflicts with the desire to be accepted by others: he doesn't want to lend Stradlater his coat, but his overt actions belie this covert, warring want: he despises Ackley, but he invites him to see a movie; he hates movies, believing them to foster phoniness in society” (Mitchell). Holden struggles to “catch” others because he believes he is not accepted by others.