Alienation is highly important in “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger in order to shape J.D Salinger’s characters. Alienation is a theme throughout the novel used to shape characters and their personalities. Some characters alienate themselves as a form of protection such as Holden Caulfield. Whereas others accidentally alienate another character like Holden’s parents do to Holden and some, like Ackley, are oblivious to the fact that they are alienated by others and by doing certain things themselves. Each characters reasons for alienation helps to shape each character and make them have a reason as to why they are in the novel.
Holden Caulfield alienates himself in the Catcher in the Rye in order to protect himself. He alienated himself from people to make sure that he wont have the chance to feel the pain or rejection like he did when his brother Allie died. He also uses his protective instinct of alienation as a way of proving he is better then everybody else therefore above associating and communicating with them. “I don’t even know what I was running from for – I guess I just felt like it” (page 4). Holden was literally running to his teacher’s house but he was metaphorically running away from feelings and human interaction. Alienation is important in shaping Holden as it portrays Holden as being odd and pessimistic but also underlying that deep down he is crying our for help due to his pain he feels after loosing Allie and his destructive behaviour of isolating himself.
Holdens’ self alienation is not only a protective mechanism but it is also a way that Holden reassured himself that adults are phonies and that he wasn’t. “This is a people shooting hat,” I said. “I shoot people in this hat”” (page 17-18). It is see...
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...from outside disturbances and distractions which is a reason to alienate himself. This shapes Holden in a sense to know how to act responsibly and to being thoughtful of others as he is trying to protect children from the adult word, which he sees as “phony”.
In J.D Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye, alienation is used to portray and shape characters in the novel. Each character has a different role in showing the importance of alienation in understanding Holden’s character. Alienation is the act of isolating ones self and that is what shape characters in the novel. Holden’s alienation is a coping and self protection mechanism from being hurt and rejected from Allies death where as Ackley’s self alienation is due to not following accepted norms such as being clean. Alienation in Catcher in the Rye is important in showing different themes through out the novel.
Holden Caulfield, created by J.D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye, uses alienation to shape his personality. Holden isolates himself from everything he possibly could to try to find his purpose in life and how he can protect childhood innocence whilst staying in the midst of childhood himself. Alienation is important in the novel as is the basis of Holden’s whole life and what moulds him to be the person he is as his life is barely influenced by the role of others. Holden has constantly pushed everyone in his life away and by the end of the novel he realises "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." (pg. 192) This shows that he has finally un-isolated himself and is ready to grow up and face his life.
of them, but he doesn’t see he is already a phony. Holden finds hypocrisy in almost everything he sees but does not yet even realize. that he too is part of that corrupt world the minute he stopped being a child and wanted to be an adult. Holden fears becoming an adult in mind and heart, but wants to become one. one in his actions, he said.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is a popular novel that was originally published in the 1950’s. In the book, Salinger explores various themes through the main character Holden and his interactions with others. Some of these themes include, alienation, loss and betrayal. Holden constantly feels betrayed throughout the novel by several people, including his roommate, teacher, and sister.
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.
middle of paper ... ... eling of separation in the ‘Catcher in The Rye’ by how Holden attempts to sever himself from society. The final method J.D. Salinger uses is how Holden himself appears to act differently from everybody else, for example when he is talking with Mr Antolini, and is discussing the Oral expression class which he ‘flunked’, we see that while all the other children are shouting digression and seem to relish in the boys obvious discomfort, Holden himself pities the boy, this shows how Holden is separate from all of the people of his age, as he says ‘that digression business got on my nerves’. Ultimately it is confusion that leads to Holden attempting to isolate himself. It is confusion about his purpose and identity and what he is doing in this life, that gradually lead to his isolation from most of society.
A theme throughout Catcher in the rye is Holden continuously writing about how mad or frustrated he is, and that is largely down to how much he isolates himself from society.
Holden alienates himself by believing he is better than everybody else. Every time Holden meets or talks about someone he is judgemental. Even when he is talking about someone he spends time with, he cannot help but ridicule them, “I never even once saw him [Ackley] brush his teeth....he had a lot of pimples. Not just on his forehead or his chin, like most guys, but all over his whole face. And not only that, he had a terrible personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy. I wasn't too crazy about him, to tell you the truth.”(Salinger,14 ). Ackley is probably the closest thing to a friend Holden has. Yet he criticizes him is a very nitpicky way, convincing himself he does not like
“Isolation is the sum total of wretchedness to man.” (Thomas Carlyle). In the story Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, this coming of age book tells of the teen troubles experienced by the main character Holden Caulfield. After Holden gets expelled from his school Pencey Prep, Holden leaves school a couple days early to explore New York City. In his travels he experiences isolation from friends at school, feeling disconnected from his family, as he tries understand these periods angst he finds some peace.
Holden cannot accept the loss of innocence as a step into the growing up process. The ones that he loves most, are those who are younger to him, they are innocent, and untouched by society’s truths. Holden says, “…I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around-nobody big. I mean – except me.
It is apparent from reading The Catcher in the Rye that one of the novel’s main themes is alienation. The theme of alienation is most clearly visible as a form of self-protection through the actions of the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield. Caulfield’s self-imposed isolation as a form of protection can be seen in his physical seclusion from the outside world, in his constant acts of lying, and in his condemnation of society as being “phony.”
To begin with, Holden’s love for the innocence and purity of childhood makes him very hesitant to transition into an adult life. Generally, he finds children to be straightforward, easygoing, and simply pure in every way. This is because they always say what they mean, and never try to set a false façade for...
He believes all adults possess an aura of "phoniness." His disgust with everyone around him reveals his fear of growing up. Holden exhibits insecurity, and to make himself feel better, he exercises the power to condemn people for the way they behave. He believes hypocrisy is evident in every adult he sees...
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 feeling lonely and isolated because they are unsure of themselves. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character in the book The Catcher In the Rye, is young man on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. One contributor to this breakdown, is the loneliness that Holden experiences. His loneliness is apparent through many ways including: his lack of friends, his longing for his dead brother, and the way he attempts to gain acceptance from others.
The theme of alienation is demonstrated by Holden. He alienates himself from the world because he fears change and false people, he wants love and security. Holden alienates himself from all the changes that occur around him. Holden isolated himself when he didn't go down to the seats for the final football game at Pency. He isolates himself because he gets kicked out of all the schools he goes to. All those changes scare Holden off, he becomes afraid to feel secure. Holden also alienates himself because he trusts no one, he thinks everybody is phony. When Holden was in a bar and he lied and said he had to go, just to not talk to his brothers old girl friend; Holden thought she was annoying and left the bar even though he didn't feel like it. Holden is also alienated by his inability to love. Holden seems not to care about his old girlfriend Sally, he told her he loved her but he didn’t mean it.
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.