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Analysis of holden caufield character
Analysis of holden caufield character
Analysis of holden caufield character
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Nobody is perfect. This makes it easy to judge people around us. In the book Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, is extremely harsh when judging others. Judging people is a natural thing to do, however, you should not judge people so critically. Before judging others people should look at themselves. Holden is often pushing people away because of the unrealistic expectations he has. He doesn’t look at the problems he has, but instead looks at everyone else's problems. Holden judges people by their appearance and every little action they do. I do not admire Holden and his beliefs. Holden critically judges people by their appearance. Without even getting to know a person well he would stay away from them or be attracted to them. For example, Holden states, " The two ugly ones' names were Marty and Laverne…"(82-83). This is just one instance he addresses them as the “ugly …show more content…
ones’”. Marty and Laverne have a more attractive friend named Bernice who Holden would try to get close to despite her terrible personality. Once holden even said, “even though they’re sort of stupid, you fall half in love…” (82). Even when Holden knew about her personality he was still attracted to her. Later, while he was at another club looking at a couple, he states, “Real ugly girls have it tough...I feel sorry for them. sometimes I couldn’t even look at them…”(95). Holden was saying that she pities her because of her looks. This shows how important looks are to Holden rather than personality. Furthermore, He also judges a guy that was sitting to the right of him, Holden describes him by saying, “...this very Joe Yale-looking guy, in a grey flannel suit and one of those flitty looking Tattersall vest” (95). When Holden isn’t judging others by appearance he is judging them by every action they do.
In addition, he also meanly commented on Marty’s dancing stating that, “Old Marty was like dragging the Statue of Liberty around the floor.” Old Marty was not a bad person and could’ve been hurt by the comments Holden was thinking. Another time Holden judges actions done is when Holden was at the club and sees some people he knew. They invited Holden to sit with them but holden declines. Holden then states, "...I'd told her I had to meet somebody, I didn't have any goddam choice except leave...I certainly wasn't going to sit down at a table with lillian simmons and that Navy guy...I left...People are always ruining things for you." (98). Lillian and the Navy guy did not do anything wrong. Invited him to their table is even really kind of them. Yes, they may have been interested in his brother but, it’s only natural since it's been so long since they had seen each other. However, Holden was so upset about what they did and even though it wasn’t anything really
offensive. Some people may argue that Holdens is to be admired because he is standing strong with his beliefs, however I don't agree. Holden simply has unrealistic expectations for people which is causing him the very problems he is complaining about. Holden constant complains about being lonely but he is the one pushing all the people around him away. For example, as I said earlier, Lilian and the Navy guy wanted to talk with him and that could have led them to become closer and become friends but instead he decided to leave because he thought that they were boring and were“ruining things” for him. In addition throughout chapters 10, 11, and 12 he criticizes around 13 people/groups of people. In conclusion, Holden is not a person to be admired. His beliefs are very wrong and he needs to improve himself before judging others. He should look at the source of of his problems that he complains about rather than blame others for them. Holden is too critical and has a problem with judging people without getting to know them well.
Holden struggles with himself mightily and cannot fulfill his responsibilities. One of Holden’s struggles is that he has a bad attitude towards everyone. For example, at the school he goes to, he hates his roommates and his teachers. In addition to not liking anyone, Holden
Since Holden was isolated from his family, in order to not get hurt again he tries to find hypocrisy in people to stop himself from trusting others. Holden feels isolated after being sent to a boarding school that “was full of phonies” by his parents (Salinger 90). Salinger’s message to the audience with this quote is that when
To begin with, you must first take in to consideration Holden’s feelings towards his little brother Allie. Holden consider Allie “the smartest person in their family”. “..it wasn’t just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest …. God, he was a nice kid, though” (5.7).This means that Holden looked
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
Early on in the story Holden shows the readers that he is able to analyze people and make an educated judgement of them. Holden blames his departure from Elkton Hills on the people he was surrounded by. He says,“One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies” (Salinger 17). This quote connects to the story because it seems Holden has trouble staying in one particular place if just a few things are not perfect. By understanding others, Holden is quick to decide that where he was at that particular time is not the place for him. This thinking does force him to go to another school, but at the same time, he decided that Elkton Hills is not the place for him. Being able to make a decision and stick to it without having second thoughts is something all high school students should be able to do. In the novel, Holden has come across people he knows like to manipulate others. With this mindset he does not completely avoid them, rather, he learns to deal with them. In chapter 19, there is an interaction where Holden knows his audience and adjusts his actions accordingly. Holden describes his friend, Luce, as an intellectual guy that voices his opinion. He says, “That’s the trouble with these intellectual guys. They never want to discuss anything serious unless they feel like it” (160). With this, it shows Holden knows his friend and knows how to talk without
Vin Diesel once said, “It's insecurity that is always chasing you and standing in the way of your dreams.” In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden struggles with insecurity and accepting his personality and intellect. We get glimpses of these very traits Holden is insecure about through his observations of certain people he looks up to, namely his brother Allie and his old friend Mr. Antolini. It can’t be a coincidence that the people he admires happen to have certain ideal traits on which Holden expresses self-doubt. Salinger uses the description of characters that Holden holds in high regard to represent key traits that Holden is insecure about within himself.
Throughout the whole novel Holden has always been in denial of everything. As stated by Freud, denial is the “Refusal to recognize a threatening impulse or desire” (Sigmund Freud). When he visited his ten year old sister Phoebe, she was trying to communicate with Holden but she was nervous that it would displease him. She stated “Because you don't. You don’t like schools. You don't like a million things. You don't…Why the hell do you have to say that?” I said. Boy was depressing me” (Salinger 169). Even though Holden is very fond of Phoebe he didn't bother to listen to what she had to say, this demonstrates that Holden is very in denial because he got very upset when Phoebe said that he dislikes everything. Which furthers shows how he is unable to recognize that what Phoebe is
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.
Holden often talked about how phony people in his life were, however, he was also a phony, which made him a hypocrite. Holden would often mention things he hated that someone did, but sooner or later Holden was guilty of doing the exact same thing. In chapter one Holden is hypocritical towards his older brother, D.B. He says “Now he’s out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute.”(Salinger
J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye provides a provocative inquiry into the crude life of a depressed adolescent, Holden Caulfield. Without intensive analysis and study, Holden appears to be a clearly heterosexual, vulgar yet virtuous, typical youth who chastises phoniness and decries adult evils. However, this is a fallacy. The finest manner to judge and analyze Holden is by his statements and actions, which can be irrefutably presented. Holden Caulfield condemns adult corruption and phoniness but consistently misrepresents himself and is a phony as well as a hypocrite.
A human society is often described as a group of people involved in persistent personal relationships, or as a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or social territory. People tend to believe that doing what everyone else does, is the only correct path for life. If someone dares to break the pattern, does what he wants, or wears different clothes from what everybody else wear, he would frequently be seen as a strange or weird person. This is not it, every little thing someone does that differs from what it is “normal”, is seen as bad or bizarre. Holden Caulfield, of “Catcher in the Rye” is a character who stands out from common people. Holden doesn’t believe that he needs to follow what everyone else does. Contrary to that, Holden does what he wants and acts how he likes. By acting like this, Holden is not considered as a normal teenager, but as a unique one. Caulfield has often trouble fitting in society. Holden won’t fit into society because he doesn’t want to be a part of it. Hints displaying Holden not wanting to be part of society are his constant failing at school, his powerful revulsion for “phony” qualities, and his distancing himself from people.
Many of the times that Holden criticizes people, it is something he does himself. (Pg 13) “. one of the reasons I left Elkton was that I was surrounded by phonies.” Holden himself is many times what he refers to as a “phony”. He knows that he lies and pretends to like people that he would rather not be with.
He goes on and on about having certain feeling for people, but in reality he can’t stand them at all. “Then, just to show you how crazy I am, when we were coming out of this big clinch, I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie, of course...We both hated each other’s guts by that time.”(pg. 125-126). He continued on with Sally Haze about how they should just run away together. This whole time knowing that he can’t stand her. He has so much time on his hands that he wastes by doing things he ends up hating in the end. Holden is very indecisive throughout the story. He mentions phoning or going to see Jane Gallagher multiple times in the story, but he never does. “She was a funny girl, old Jane. I wouldn't exactly describe her as strictly beautiful. She knocked me out, though.” (pg. 77). By the way he speaks about Jane, it’s a surprise she wasn’t the first person he tried to
Everyone finds it difficult to fit in with society’s expectations at some point, although in the novel The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, finds it more difficult than most. Salinger's novel is about a boy coming of age, grieving over his dead younger brother, and learning how to accept the corrupt world around him. Through the characterization of Holden Caulfield, JD salinger develops the theme that the world we live in is corrupt and full of conformists.
The term “phony” reoccurs over the course of the novel; Salinger informs the reader, “you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever… sickened by human behavior.”(189) Initially, Holden is portrayed as an extremely judgmental individual; however, the reader cannot help but ignore the underlying truth to what Holden observes around him. Overall, Holden is disgusted by the superficial and hypocritical world that is evolving around him. Holden Caulfield encounters numerous “phony” people. Many of his acquaintances have traits that make them easily capable of being labeled as pretentious, much like Ward Stradlater and Carl Luce. Yet, there are other individuals that the common reader would not consider “phony”, for instance the actors of the play. He describes the actor as doing more showing-off than real acting, and makes them appear conceited. Additionally, when he is conversing with other viewers, he also believes they are superficial in the way they are discussing the play. By Holden’s quick perceptions of people, Salinger presents Holden as a hypocritical, disapproving villain. Alternatively, Holden describes people for what they really are and wishes that the world could be a much simpl...