Holden Caulfield narrates his story from Hollywood, California, a city of movie stars and big dreams. The story he retells takes place in cold, dreary, wet New York City, New York. It is not a coincidence that author J.D. Salinger uses these two environments to create a mental contrast with Holden’s emotions. During Holden’s time in New York, he spends many nights and days trying to find himself as a person and struggling to grasp the idea that he is eventually going to grow up. This reality check does not sit will with Holden as he spends most of his times in the big city alone and depressed, trying to reach out to anyone willing to talk to him and help guide him through the unstable path of adolescence. Thus, in the novel The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, Salinger uses setting to show how winter affects narrator Holden Caulfield through feelings of depression and loneliness.
While at Pencey Prep, Holden uses the cold wind of winter to find an emotional connection to his school and his classmates. Holden is on top of a hill overlooking the big football game alone reminiscing about Pencey and its attendees. Holden huffed in the cold, “It was December and all, and it was cold as a witch’s teat… I kept standing next to that crazy cannon, looking down at the game and freezing my ass off. Only, I wasn’t watching
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the game too much. What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel a good-by” (Salinger 6-7). Holden mentions the weather twice before mentioning his long for a goodbye from Pencey. Holden is also alone which is crucial to his emotional state at this point in the story. Holden is standing on top of a hill watching all of his peers down below at a football game. This indicates that Holden feels superior towards his peers because of his maturity and intelligence. He is trying to find a reason why he should feel sad and upset to leave this school. This scene would hold a different tone if the weather was warmer or the season was summer. Winter plays an important role because it emphasizes Holden’s feeling of isolation and solidarity. He is alone on top of a hill in the freezing cold, he is looking for a emotional connection, something to make him feel like he will be noticed when he is gone, remembered when he is gone. He feels alone and feels like no one cares enough about him to be remembered. It becomes clear that Salinger mentions the weather twice on purpose and that he is implying that the cold wind is supposed to be an emotional barrier between Holden finding his worth and purpose. Holden uses a winter invoked illness to enhance his inner conflict of alienation and solitude. Holden has recently purchased a “Little Shirley Beans” record for his younger sister Phoebe. Holden found himself in a bar where he left wet haired becuase he tried to wash up in the bathroom. He left the bar to venture to the lagoon in Central Park, where he falls and shatters the record: he became uneasy. (Sentence 2) He manages to get to the lake and sit on a bench still wet haired and exposed to the harshness of winter. Holden pondered to himself, “Boy, I was shivering like a bastard, and the back of my hair… was sort of full of little hunks of ice. That worried me. I thought probably I’d get pneumonia and die” (Salinger 171). Holden once again mentions the weather as he thinks about this dreaded idea of adulthood. Holden ultimately came to the lake to look and search for the ducks that live at the lake but once he came, he found none. This is an important realization for Holden because the ducks stand as a symbol for growing up and maturing. On the same note, Holden shattered the “Little Shirley Beans” vinyl which symbolizes a loss of innocence in Holden. Both factors combined leave Holden distraught and depressed while cold and alone in Central Park. This scene in the novel would not have the same effect that it has on the reader if this scene took place in spring or summer. It is important to the characterization of Holden. Salinger mentions that Holden is thinking about pneumonia and dying. This is extremely important to Holden’s character because he is not considering saving himself but rather, he is thinking about dying alone, cold, and upset on a bench with no one around. Thus, winter holds an important influence on Holden because he uses the cold frigidness to reason his actions and thoughts. Holden uses the memory of James Castle as a explanation behind his need for alienation between him and his peers. When Holden comes home to visit Phoebe, she asks him to name two things he likes. Holden’s first thought was James Castle, a peer that committed suicide in Holden’s turtleneck sweater. Holden thinks to himself, “He jumped out the window… he was all dead, and his teeth, and his blood, were all over the place and nobody would even go near him. He had on this turtleneck sweater I’d lent him” (Salinger 188). It is crucial that Holden mentions the sweater because it not only implies that this incident took place in a colder season, but also that this depressing memory will always coincide with cold weather. James ultimately killed himself due to a disconnect between him and his peers and the bullying that happened as a result. When James jumped from the window in the building, he was alone before, during, and after his death. Holden mentions the gore of the scene because nobody would go up to James body. Holden is also envious of James because he ended his life while he was still a kid.
He never had to reach Holden’s biggest fear of growing up and maturing. He is jealous of James because he got to forever stay a child. The sweater is important because it gives Holden a personal connection to James. He will always remember James wearing his sweater. It is also very important that James was alone because it gives Holden a reason to alienate himself and isolate himself. He wishes that he was James and he wishes that he could forever stay a child. Holden is using the fact that James was wearing his sweater as a reasoning behind his irrational
envy. In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger places the story during the cold harsh New York City winter to build off of Holden’s unstable thoughts of depression and loneliness. When in a winter setting, Holden always references the cold before stating an emotional thought that he has. Salinger does this on purpose because he wants the reader to understand there is a connection between the cold weather and Holden’s thoughts as seen through Holden’s journey through the city. When in California, Holden has accepted his fate of adulthood but New York Holden has not, leaving him confused, upset, and distraught. Holden uses the cold as a rational reasoning behind is depression and feelings of isolation unlike warm weather Holden in California.
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.
J.D Salinger gives his personal vision of the world successfully through his persona Holden Caulfield in the ‘Catcher in the Rye’. Caulfield struggles with the background of New York to portray Salinger’s theme – you must live the world as it is, not as you would like it to be. There by exposing Salinger’s vision on the world.
Holden is not just abnormal, he has problems that other teenagers, including the students at Pencey, experience going through adolescence. An example of this is Holden's jealousy towards Stradlater when he finds out he is going on a date with Jane Gallagher, “Boy,was I getting nervous” (42). Every teenager has bouts of jealously especially about the opposite sex, and Holden is no different. Holden's rebellious nature, to an extent, is typical for a teenage boy. His rebellious nature of smoking when it is not allowed, “You weren't allowed to smoke in the dorm...I went right on smoking like a madman.” (41-42). Holden is also anxious about change, which again to an extent is normal, “Do you happen to know where they go, the ducks...”(60), and he has the right to be; change,especially during adolescence, is a terrifying but exciting ride into the unknown, and similar to other adolescents Holden is afraid but intrigued about the unknown.
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.
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, portrays Holden Cawfield a New York City teenager in the 1950's as a manic-depressive. Holden's depression starts with the death of his brother, Allie . Holden is expelled from numerous schools due to his poor academics which are brought on by his depression. Manic depression, compulsive lying, and immaturity throughout the novel characterize Holden.
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.
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.
When Mr. Spencer explains that “life is a game that one plays according to rules” Holden reveals that he feels imprisoned on the “other side of life” where there are no “hot-shots”. Here, Mr. Spencer is lecturing Holden on his failed attempts at schooling and illuminates key aspects of Holden’s character. After hearing this advice from Mr. Spencer, Holden immediately goes on the defensive and internalizes his thoughts of not belonging in this world. This event shows Holden’s failed attempts of trying to find his way in this “phony” world that he feels is against him and leaves him feeling alone and victimized. This interaction emphasizes the theme of isolation by showing how lonely Holden views himself; he clearly identifies with those on the “other side” of the
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is home to the protagonist Holden Caulfield. There is no coincidence that he holds a striking resemblance to the author of the novel himself. Salinger seemed to have a similar childhood as Holden describes in The Catcher in the Rye. Both men also seemed to have a certain fascination with younger children, especially younger women. J.D. Salinger based one of his most famous characters, Holden Caulfield, on personal experience.
Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye follows the journey of a young boy, Holden Caulfield, from adolescence to adulthood. There are a number of symbols that Salinger uses to help to portray the various stages that Holden goes through as he matures into adulthood. The snowball incident, his sense of fulfillment when at the museum, and his run in with a pimp, are all representations of how Holden is deeply obsessed with innocence thoughts and how reluctant he is to give them up.
In the beginning of the novel, Holden says to Mr. Spencer he feels trapped on the “other side of life.” This clearly demonstrates how Holden doesn’t feel that he belongs in the world he lives in. Holden has his hunting hat as a source of protection. Holden buys a red hunting hat in New York for a dollar. The hat has a very long peak, and Holden wears it backwards with the peak aiming behind him. “…I swung the old peak way around to the back-very corny, I’ll admit, but I liked it that way” (17), Holden explains. Holden puts his hat on when he’s under a lot of stress. The hunting hat not only symbolizes protection, but it also symbolizes Holden’s uniqueness and individuality. Holden doesn’t wear his hat because it’s fashionable, but only to keep his individuality and to feel safe. In the cab Holden put his hat on and says, “I’d put my red hunting hat when I was in the cab, just for the hell of it, but I took it off before I checked in” (61). This quote illustrates how Holden thinks it’s necessary to wear the hat in order to feel safe. But at the same time, Holde...
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.
Lies, failure, depression, and loneliness are only some of the aspects that Holden Caulfield goes through in the novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger. Salinger reflects Holden’s character through his own childhood experiences. Salinger admitted in a 1953 interview that "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book.… [I]t was a great relief telling people about it” (Wikipedia). Thus, the book is somewhat the life story of J.D. Salinger as a reckless seventeen-year-old who lives in New York City and goes through awful hardships after his expulsion and departure from an elite prep school. Holden, the protagonist in this novel, is created as a depressed, cynical, and isolated character and he expresses this attitude through his dialogue, tone, and diction.
... Even people Holden has close relationships with, he still can’t reveal details that mean a lot to him; for example, his roommate from Pency Prep, Stradlater, has a close relationship with Holden, but Holden has still never told him about his dead brother Allie’s baseball mitt. “All I had to do was change Allie’s name so nobody would know it was my brother’s.”(pg. 34. Although Holden alienates himself, there are times when he wants company; for instance when he sees Luce at the bar, “I didn’t say anything, I was sort of afraid he’d get up and leave on me if I didn’t shut up.”