The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a coming-of-age novel written from the subjective perspective of 16 year-old Holden Caulfield. Salinger uses many thematic subjects to to convey experiences and feelings of a teenager struggling with his transition from adolescence to adulthood. Holden Caulfield’s discontent with life is one that resonates universally to many, notably teenagers. Many of Holden’s struggles stem from his self-inflicted alienation. He often refuses to address his emotions, nor does he attempt to uncover the root of his predicaments. Although his solitude leads him to events such as the meeting between himself and the prostitute as well as the date with Sally Hayes, his need for isolation causes him to end these encounters quickly. He uses …show more content…
his estrangement and withdrawal as a way to protect himself from his fear of the interactions which overwhelm and upset him. His loneliness is also a side-effect of his social indifference. This is somewhat ironic considering that Holden longs for intimate and meaningful relationships, yet doesn't allow himself to have them, such as the many instances where he defers himself from contacting Jane Gallagher.
This evasion to call Jane also connects with his uneasiness concerning growing up. He frequently recalls the summer him and Jane spent in Maine, where he clearly displays his care for her, but his fear of change forbids them to reunite. Holden’s fondness for the Museum of Natural History also exemplifies how he doesn't want to accept adulthood as the immutably of the museum comforts Holden and reminds him of memories he experienced there as a child. He also often criticizes people and their actions on the basis of being “phony”. In the mind of Holden, a “phony” is one who deceives themself into believing they are something they are not. Holden also sees phoniness as the hypocrisy, shallowness. and frivolousness he encounters in the world around him. The surroundings and events that Holden experiences makes him believe that he is the only person who doesn’t adhere to a phony society (aside from his sister Phoebe), but in reality, he is the biggest phony of all, because of his constant lying and refusal to address his emotions. However, Holden later comes to an understanding that everyone must grow up, and he cannot be the idyllic “Catcher in the Rye”
who protects everybody’s innocence, This occurs as Holden watches Phoebe attempt to grab a gold ring which awards the winner with a free ride while riding a carousel. He states, “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them." (Salinger 211). He realizes that the utopian world that he envisions, where children never reach the phoniness of adulthood, is impossible. This signifies the climax of the novel, as Holden has progressed to a state of emotional maturity. The style in which The Catcher in the Rye was composed is essential to the understanding of the key themes addressed in the book: alienation, growing up, and the superficiality of adulthood. The novel follows Holden’s exact thought process, which often involves a series of ostensibly disjointed thoughts and episodes, which frequently include the slang of the times, as well as a selection of repeated phrases. These factors all make Holden’s ideals clear to the reader. His thoughts also usually lead to discussions which provide explanations as to the reasonings behind Holden’s current status. Additionally, Holden is an unreliable narrator. He is a self-described lier, a pessimist, and a cynic. His strong opinions are capable of distorting people’s character, leaving events to be altered by bias. Salinger utilized these writing techniques to express an identifiable character to readers, i.e. teenagers. The progression of the thoughts and experiences of Holden Caulfield signify the confusion and painfulness that is felt but not commonly discussed regarding growing up. Holden longs for a world that doesn’t involve the superficial, shallow, and insincere aspects he sees in it. These ideals that Holden holds and the events that he endures relate on a level which makes this classic one of great acclaim and appreciation.
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.
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.
The Catcher in the Rye by, J.D. Salinger is told through Holden the narrative in the story. The setting of the novel takes place in the 1940's early 1950's. Holden is sixteen years old and he has a lot of problems in his life. He becomes seriously depressed to the point he cannot deal with people and life around him. The 1940's were different from today. However, Holden Caulfield is similar to many other teenagers who go through the same problems.
Holden struggles to make connections with other people, and usually resorts to calling them phonies whenever they upset him. He finds natural human flaws in people and runs away from connection immediately. His date with Sally shows this. Near the end of the date, Holden tells Sally about his plans to run away from life. When Sally gives him practical advice, Holden is quick to escape connection by calling her “a pain”. Sally’s advice would definitely guide Holden in a more realistic direction, but that is not what he wants to hear. Conflict always arises in his mind even if there is little in reality. His struggles with finding connection also make him too apprehensive to call his old friend Jane. Holden likes to think of Jane as a pure and perfect girl that he can
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.
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger that is told from the point of view of Holden Caulfield. Holden is a young man struggling with growing up and facing the adult world. As a misunderstood teenager, Holden learns to deal with the deception of the adult world and the consequences of his choices.
The Catcher in the Rye has been described, analyzed, rebuffed, and critiqued over the years. Each writer expresses a different point of view: It is a story reflecting teen-ager's talk--thoughts-emotions--actions; or angst. I believe it is an adult's reflection of his own unresolved grief and bereavements. That adult is the author, J.D. Salinger. He uses his main character, Holden, as the voice to vent the psychological misery he will not expose -or admit to.
Holden’s sexual struggles are visible through his interactions with Sunny, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce. Holden’s fascination with sex interferes with his elevated morals; as much as he wants to engage in intercourse, he voices his need to establish an emotional connection with his partner first, which prevents him from having casual sex. As much as physical intimacy is important to him, Holden needs to be taken care of and understood emotionally, as well, displaying that he holds sex in high regards and does not view it as something to be done carelessly. Holden just needs to be loved; but, unfortunately, his romantic life is sub-par at best, and until that changes, he’ll always feel confused – and very, very lonely.
“Catcher in the Rye”, written by J.D Salinger, is a coming-of-age novel. Narrated by the main character, Holden Caulfield, he recounts the days following his expulsion from his school. This novel feels like the unedited thoughts and feelings of a teenage boy, as Holden narrates as if he is talking directly to readers like me.
Growing up poses challenges to most people at some point in their lives. 16-year-old Holden Caufield is no exception. He is an apathetic teenager who’s flunked out of many schools. Underneath the cynical exterior, though, Holden is troubled. He has different methods for escaping his problems, but in the end they just cause him more problems.
It takes many experiences in order for an immature child to become a responsible, well-rounded adult. In J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger’s main character Holden Caulfield matures throughout the course of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Holden is a juvenile young man. However, through his experiences, Holden is able to learn, and is finally able to become somewhat mature by the end of the novel. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s story represents a coming of age for all young adults.
Holden Caulfield conveys his melancholy, sarcasm, and seclusion greatly through his dialogue; his vocabulary constantly consists of depression and loneliness. He expresses such agony all throughout the dialogue of the book. An example of this would be when Holden quotes, “When I finally got down off the radiator and went out to the hat-check room, I was crying and all. I don’t know why, but I was. I guess it was because I was feeling so damn depressed and lonesome” (153). In this quote, Holden is expressing his confusion and unhappiness but mostly is just confused to why he is unhappy. He feels a severe amount of misery that devours him, all of which is shown greatly in all of his dialogue. He, at one point in the novel, feels like committing suicide because he cannot handle the pressure. He says that “I stayed in the bathroom for about an hour, taking a bath and all. Then I got back in bed. It took me quite a while to get to sleep- I...
My cousin was a real life hobo. He was a little crazy in the head, and one day, he decided that everyone was a horrible person, so he left the comforts of society in favour of the backcountry of Pennsylvania. His name was Edward and he lived for quite a while in complete isolation from society; however, like every other human who would leave the company of man, he would be unable to take the loneliness for long. He went mad, and he is currently trapped in a mental hospital. I visited him recently and he told me stories of how he would talk to the rocks for lack of intimacy in his life, and he told me how humans, whether they like it or not, are social beasts and need interaction to survive. In other words, survival, be it physical, mental,
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.