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The catcher in the rye symbolism essay
The meaning behind the book catcher in the rye
The catcher in the rye symbolism essay
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Holden is a seventeen year old dealing with life in a tuberculosis rest home and he is writing about everything that has happened to him. Holden is scared to grow up, he does not like adults like how he likes children because he thinks that some adults are phonies,”I was in the rye and their was nobody else but a whole bunch of kids and him and he had to catch the kids from going off the cliff… I was the catcher in the rye.” The catcher in the rye has a lot of symbolism like Holden’s red hunting hat which represents that he is attracted to unusual stuff. “Is The catcher in the rye relevant to teenagers today?”, I say yes because the Catcher in the Rye discusses how Holden does not want to grow up at all to stay a kid so he won’t end up a phony …show more content…
For instance, when Holden was at Pencey Prep and everyone was at the football game, he was on a hill watching the game from afar. His reason for being on “Thomsen Hill” (page 3) was due to the fact that he had just gotten back from New york with the fencing team and he is their manager, which is a very big deal. This evidence relates to the thesis because there are teens today that like to be isolated from other people since they are not sociable.
Furthermore, another theme in this book is innocence. For example, when Holden tells phoebe about his dream of him being in the rye with a whole bunch of kids and him having to catch all the kids that try to go over the cliff… he tells her he wants to be the catcher in the rye(and that is found on page 115)This evidence relates to the thesis because their are some teenagers that want to help little kids and be nice to them .Also that it wants to show that he wants kids to stay kids.
The last and final theme is the world being very phony and cruel.In addition When he was telling phoebe about all the phonies at pency prep. And every time Holden see a phony it makes him aggravated, and irritated. The quote is “ you'll never saw so many mean guys in your life.” This evidence address the thesis by with the teenagers that think they are better than other
3) This quote reflects the overall theme because it is one of many quotes in the book that show Holden's fear of growing up. For example, he always describes adults as "phony" and children as innocent.
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.
If there were one word to tell what the theme of the book was it would be innocence. How we are all innocent at some point, how to try to keep our innocence, and how no one can keep their innocence forever. We all fall from our innocence. Adam and Eve fell from grace and innocence and set the tone for all of our lives. Throughout the whole book Holden is trying to make people keep their innocence and he wants to hold onto it himself. What he needs to learn and does learn through the course of the book is that no one can keep his or her innocence. We all fall at some point, but what we have control over is how hard we fall.
Themes in literary works are central, recurring ideas or messages that allow us to understand more deeply about the characters. It is a perception about life or human nature that is often shared with the reader. In The Catcher in the Rye, there are several themes that can be found in the words and actions of the narrator, Holden Caulfield. The dominating theme in this novel is the preservation of innocence, especially of children. We can see this throughout the novel, as Holden strives to preserve innocence in himself and others.
Ever since its publication in 1951, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has served as a firestorm for controversy and debate. Salinger's portrayal of Holden, which includes incidents of depression, nervous breakdown, impulsive spending, sexual exploration, crudeness, and other erratic behavior, have all ascribed to the controversial nature of the novel. Holden embarks on a journey and through every turn in the road, he deals with conflicts within himself searching for the truth in a society full of falsity. Holden is by far the most complex character in the book. His role is surrounded by 2 main themes that serve as his inner conflicts: a critic towards society and an adolescent stuck between the world of childhood and adulthood. Both these themes are related to him through the two children in his life he respects most his brother Allie and his little sister Phoebe. They play the biggest role in Holden's self-realization.
Holden expresses everything as being phony and relentlessly searches for authenticity. He is a symbol of an early hero of adolescent anguish, but filled with life. There are messages such as: teen depression, the coming of age/adulthood, loneliness, life as what you make it, self-endurance and the pains of growing up through adolescence. These points are given across the book from Salinger’s literary devices such as perspective and plot, and rhetorical devices like imagery. The effect these devices give involves attracting the audience’s attention and appealing to the idea of “man versus world,” a common idea used to portray a heroic character.... ...
Throughout this book Holden’s main quest is to try and preserve the innocence in both him, and in everyone around him. He knows that adults have already taken the path leading to “phoniness”, but he tries to save children from this fate that toward the end of the book he sadly realizes is almost completely inevitable. In order to keep the “phoniness” from infecting the children’s life, and his, he thinks he needs to preserve the innocence of himself and of the children. The biggest example of his need to preserve the innocence in himself and in all the children he meets in the book is his vision of being the catcher in the rye.
Holden’s ostracization was also shown through mood in the novel. Many young people often find themselves struggling to find their own identity and place in society. This search for self worth often leaves these young people
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.
Often times in literature objects hold significance that helps the reader deepen their understanding of the underlying themes that tie the piece together. In The Catcher in the Rye Salinger uses symbolism such as Holden’s hunting hat, the ducks in central park, and Allie’s baseball mitt all through the novel in order to display important themes like isolation, loss of innocence, and struggling through childhood. Salinger shows the reader about teens journey from childhood and adulthood and their difficulty communicating their feelings and needs.
J. D. Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye explores the ambiguity of the adult world Holden must eventually learn to accept. Throughout the novel, Holden resists the society grownups represent, coloring his childlike dreams with innocence and naivety. He only wants to protect those he loves, but he cannot do it the way he desires. As he watches Phoebe on the carousel, he begins to understand certain aspects of truth. He writes:
...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 event in the novel is of significance because it displays just how much Holden is stuck in between a child's world and the world of an
Like many novels written The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is laced with powerful symbols. Symbolism is important in a novel because it is used to provide deeper meaning to the writing. The plot and action in a story can be thought of on one level, but the symbolism is used to bring the overall novel to a new level and to enhance the story. Salinger uses certain symbols such as the red hunting hat, the museum, the carousel, and the catcher in the rye to support his story. Each symbol supports a main theme in the novel. The main themes in The Catcher in the Rye are isolation, innocence and mortality. Each symbol is used to support more than one theme in the novel. Each symbol brings deeper meaning to the novel. If not for the symbols The Catcher in the Rye would just be the ramblings of a teenager in New York City.
In conclusion, The Catcher in the Rye is a picture of a typical teenage experience because Holden is confused and without any real identity. He has strong views, like most teenagers, on phoniness, view of life and growing up. Holden is a typical American teenager, maybe a little less fortunate than some others, having to fend for himself, really. Nonetheless, nearly all teenagers go through a time in their lives that is emotionally like that of Holden Caulfield.