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.
“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.
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.
Holden experiences both alienation and disillusionment when meeting with people like Sally Hayes, Sunny and Ackley. Holden is so desperate to have human connection yet, when he starts to talk to them, he experiences them as ‘phonies’. This makes him more depressed, continuing his downward spiral. Holden is caught in a trap of his own making.
Holden's Seperateness in Catcher in the Rye In ‘The Catcher In The Rye’ Salinger sets about making Holden appear separate from everyone else. He does this through a variety of methods. One of the ways in which Salinger shows this separateness is through Holden’s relationships and encounters with his family and friends. Another method that Salinger uses is that usually whenever Holden attempts to contact someone they are either not there or don’t answer the phone, this give us the feeling that Holden is by himself, alone, separate from everyone else. Also the fact that Holden says ‘my address book only has about three people in it’ gives us again the impression that Holden is disconnected from 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
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.
The alienation experienced by the main characters of The Catcher in the Rye and Speak are alike in the fact that they are alienated by similar types of people, and for the same reasons. Holden and Melinda are both alienated by their peers. They do not fit in to any of the groups amongst the adolescents their age. The feeling of being isolated is shown in Holden’s quote, “Everybody sticks together in these dirty little goddam cliques. The guys that are on the basketball team stick together, the Catholics stick together, [...]” (Salinger, 170) and again in Melinda’s quote, “We fall into clans: Jocks, Country Clubbers, [...] I am clanless” (Anderson, 14). Their statements are so similar that there is no doubt they are being tortured with the same feelings of loneliness from being isolated. The two characters are alienated for the same reasons: they both do not know how to properly function within society. They were not properly educated in socialization; therefore do not fit in amongst the others their age. Holden demonstrates his ...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.