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Catcher in the rye culture
The catcher in the Rye essay about Characters
Holden's character in the Catcher in the Rye
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At times authors use characters whose perspective and ideas are often ignored and misunderstood to convey a point to the audience about issues that are unnoticed. In The Catcher in the Rye the author, J.D. Salinger used the perspective of Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old teenager, to show the faults in society he observed which participants of society tend to overlook. Although Holden Caulfield “served the author's purpose… to scrutinize the cruelties and banalities” of society, The Catcher in the Rye is a novel that can help one understands the true meaning of life and happiness.
Holden, from The Catcher in the Rye, is used to question Christmas which is thought of as a holy, peaceful and religious holiday, however, modern society has twisted
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the religious story making it trivial to serve consumerism which we accept without questioning. Holden walks into the Radio City Christmas show which he seen last year with Sally Hayes who said “how beautiful it was, the costumes and all. I said old jesus probably would've puked if he could see it all” (Salinger 152). Sally Hayes is used to represent the rest of the people who view these shows thinking it's part of the Christmas spirit. Holden, however, questions and also said “I can't see anything religious or pretty, for god sake, about a bunch of actors carrying crucifixes all over the stage.” (Salinger 152). Holden didn't see how portraying religious images with actors in order to make money showed the spirit of Christmas he feels like the actors are doing this for materialistic reasons rather than religious. A majority of the show was unrelated to the story of Christ even though it was a Christmas with acts such as the Rockettes which were dressed up in costumes kicking their legs. While the audience was getting swept up in the show Holden was a nonparticipating observer questioning what this had to do with a holy holiday. Holden was also an outside viewer at Ernie's piano bar while the crowd was clapping for the pianist, Holden instead criticized the Christmas songs he played since they were “supposed to be holy” (Salinger 93). Since Holden noticed that the mirror that's usually positioned on the pianist's fingers were instead pointed at Ernie's face which showed that Ernie was more concerned with himself getting attention then the songs he played. Much like actors in the in the Christmas show were not there for religious reasons they were instead using religion for their own purposes which made both the pianist and actors phonies according to Holden. Even though J.D Salinger showed the faults of a well known holiday he also uses Holden to question issues in everyday interactions and relationships which people in society accept as natural and normal with little question.
Early on in the Catcher in the Rye Holden it was made aware that he dislikes sexual things when he finds out that Stradlater is going on a date with Jane Gallagher Holden's childhood friend. In the novel, Holden tells Stradlater that Jane had a troubling childhood but “that didn't interest Stradlater though. Only very sexy stuff interested him”(Salinger 37). This bothered Holden since he believes that if you are going on a date with a girl you should be doing it because you genuinely care about her not just because you're sexually attracted to her, a theme which is shown repeatedly throughout the novel. Such as in Ernie’s bar, there was a boy telling a girl about how someone from his dorm had tried to overdose meanwhile he was touching the girl which Holden saw saying “imagine giving somebody a feel and telling them about a guy committing suicide at the same time”(Salinger 96). The fact that this guy was using the attempted suicide of his schoolmate to get a girl was twisted to Holden and he didn't understand how he could be talking about something like that while having sexual thoughts about this girl. There was also a girl in the bar listening to a boy go on about sports which she clearly had no interest in although this seems normal in society since it
happens often Holden didn't think a relationship should be founded around lies instead it should develop around honest emotions. Even Though he disliked and did not understand sexual things since he was a 16 year old so he lacked experience with women and was curious and did try to grasp some understanding of this by paying for a hooker named Sunny. However, he said that he didn't feel like having sex when she got there that “I felt more depressed than sexy if you want to know the truth. She depressed me”(Salinger 107). She was very young which threw Holden off since he was expecting someone old and unattractive this made him view her as weak and didn't want to have sex with her.
Holden Caulfield, the teenage protagonist of Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, struggles with having to enter the adult world. Holden leaves school early and stays in New York by himself until he is ready to return home. Holden wants to be individual, yet he also wants to fit in and not grow up. The author uses symbolism to represent Holden’s internal struggle.
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.
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.
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 “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.
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 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.
Over the years, members of the literary community have critiqued just about every author they could get their pen on. One of the most popular novels to be critiqued has been J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. In favorable critiques, Holden Caulfield is a good guy stuck in a bad world. He is trying to make the best of his life, though ultimately losing that battle. Whereas he aims at stability and truth, the adult world cannot survive without suspense and lies. It is a testament to his innocence and decent spirit that Holden would place the safety of children as a goal in his lifetime. This serves to only re-iterate the fact that Holden is a sympathetic character, a person of high moral values who is too weak to pick himself up from a difficult situation.
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 is a coming-of-age novel set in New York during the 1940’s. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the story, is a detached seventeen-year old boy harboring feelings of isolation and disillusionment. He emphasizes a general dislike for society, referring to people as “phonies.” His lack of will to socialize prompts him to find nearly everything depressing. He’s alone most of the time and it’s apparent that he is very reclusive. This often leads him to pondering about his own death and other personal issues that plague him without immediate resolution. Holden possesses a strong deficit of affection – platonic and sexual – that hinders and cripples his views toward people, his attitude, and his ability to progressively solve his problems without inflicting pain on himself. The absence of significant figures in his life revert him to a childlike dependency and initiate his morbid fascination with sexuality. In this novel, Salinger uses Sunny, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce to incorporate the hardships of discovering sexual identity and how these events affect adolescents as they try to understand their own sexuality.
In life there comes a time when everyone thinks that they are surrounded by phoniness. This often happens during the teen years when the person is trying to find a sense of direction. Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old teen-ager is trying to find his sense of direction in J.D. Salinger's, "The Catcher In The Rye." Holden has recently been expelled from Pency Prep for failing four out of his five classes. He decides to start his Christmas recess early and head out to New York. While in New York Holden faces new experiences, tough times and a world of "phony." Holden is surrounded by phoniness because that is the word he uses to identify everything in the world that he rejects.
The world today is very deceptive and phony. J.D. Salinger’s well known novels, The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey attack this fake and superficial society which is evident through the lives, ideas, actions, and words expressed by the characters in these literary pieces. The transition from childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood is inevitable. The protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield goes through this stage and finds himself in a crisis. He alienates himself from everyone who is around him and tries his best not to grow up. Holden often dwells upon his childhood and the life he had with his family. Franny in Franny and Zooey has already passed this stage but finds it difficult to live in a world where everyone she is surrounded by is only concerned with outward appearances. In these worlds, both characters, Holden and Franny, reveal their struggle of growing up and trying to live as an adult in a world full of deception and shallow-minded people who only care about appearances.
There is a singular event that unites every single human being on the planet, growing up. Not everyone can say it was pleasant, but no one can deny that it took place. The transition between childhood innocence and adulthood is long and confusing; often forcing one to seek out the answers to questions that likely have no definitive answer. During the process, the adult world seems inviting and free, but only when we are on the brink of entering this cruel, unjust society can the ignorant bliss of childhood be truly recognized. Catcher in the Rye explores the intimidating complexities associated with adulthood and how baffling it seems to the naïve teenage mind. Through the main protagonist, Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger captures the confusion of a teenager when faced with the challenge of adapting to an adult society.
... Holden could be down in the crowd saying his goodbyes to people before he leaves the school, yet once again, Holden is avoiding any kind of emotional distress by not talking to them in the first place. Because of what happened to Holden after his brother died, he is afraid of any sort of emotional connection with anyone. When looking at the big picture of the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the reader can see how Salinger explores many aspects of teenage life, specifically focusing on depression. We can see how Holden's journey through New York City is an extremely lonely one, which at times is Holden's own doing, and at other times Holden actually wants to interact with someone, but they will not acknowledge him.
J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is a remarkable book that gives readers a unique and perhaps gloomy perspective of the 1950's through Holden Caulfield, a cynical and peculiar teenager. Through The Catcher in the Rye Salinger describes important aspects of the 1950's. Salinger emphasizes several key characteristics of the 50's and criticizes them through Holden. In addition, Holden Caulfield is a very interesting character with several traits that put him at odds with society.