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Analyse the character of holden caulfield
Analyse the character of holden caulfield
Character analysis holden caulfield
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“The Catcher in the Rye”, written by J.D Salinger is unarguably an old classic that will never get old. The novel is different to other young adult novels as Salinger develops the themes of the novel primarily through symbolism. The protagonist of the story, Holden Caulfield, embodies many distinctive personality traits which develop throughout the novel. Salinger also establishes many thematic ideas such as the protection of innocence and fear of adulthood. Symbols play a crucial role in the novel and are not dealt with sparingly which makes the story truly unique. Salinger uses the motifs phoniness and sex, as well as the direct symbol of the red hunting cap to convey the theme of protection of innocence as well as the struggle of growing …show more content…
up which is embodied in Holden’s character. Holden’s excessive use of describing people as phony shows his social anxiety. Whenever Holden encounters people or situations which strike him as superficial, shallow or hypocritical, he identifies them as being phony. He also labels people he cares about as phonies, for instance, Sally. An example of this is when Holden says, “ but I knew old Sally, the queen of phonies, would start drooling all over the place…” (p.126) Holden likes Sally which shows that he overuses the word and is using it to create distance between himself and other people. This proves that he is scared of unrequited affection. Holden is insecure and afraid of people and situations in the phony and corrupt world. He wants to stay frozen in the innocence of childhood. Although many characters who Holden labels as “phony”, are indeed phonies, he overuses the term. Holden is hypocritical as he tells many lies and goes out with girls he doesn’t like. Nevertheless, he occasionally catches himself before falling into the trap of being a phony himself. “I figured that anybody that hates the movie as much as I do, I’d be a phony if I let them stick me in a movie short.” (p.84) It is clear that Holden struggles to grow up in a world he deems to be full of phonies. Holden’s relationship with sexuality unravels throughout the novel and he detaches himself from any sexual situation that may arise.
Holden is curious of what sex has to offer, however, this contradicts that he doesn’t want things to change and is scared of losing his innocence. At a point in the novel Holden says, “In my mind, I’m probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw. Sometimes I can think of very crumby stuff I wouldn’t mind doing if the opportunity came up.“ (p. 67) However when he is put to the test, this curiosity proves to be misleading. During his stay in New York he calls a prostitute to his hotel room but when he is given the opportunity to sexually interact, he prefers human affection over casual sex. He even makes up excuses, for example, when he says, “the thing is, I had an operation very recently.” (p. 105) By rejecting this opportunity of sexual interaction he tries to preserve his innocence and make him appear more innocent compared to other characters in the novel. Holden is also scared of intimacy since he is wary of who he trusts. This stresses the feeling of alienation which Holden experiences throughout the novel because of his fears and isolation from …show more content…
intimacy. The red hunting cap is one of the most significant symbols in the novel due to its association with individuality, and for Holden, an emblem of protection.
Holden wears the hat during important moments, for example, when he takes his sister for a ride on the carousel. Holden says, “My hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way; but I got soaked anyway.” (p. 228) Salinger is directly referring to the fact that the hat protects him from the rain. Coincidently, it protects him from the corrupt world in which he is scared to lose his innocence. Although he is proud of his hat, this contradicts with the fact that he is self-conscious about it and only wears it when will not see anyone he knows. The hat is also related to his brother, Allie and his sister because both have red hair. This suggests that he associates the hat with purity, innocence and the fear of adulthood. This is confirmed when Holden says, “She reached in my coat pocket and took out my red hunting hat and put it on my head.” (p.228) Near the end of the novel, Holden is at the park with his sister and he realizes that he will eventually have to grow up. Despite that, he is happy to know that life is a circle where one goes around and around in a journey to and from innocence that lasts throughout life, just like a carousel, and can finally be
happy. Salinger’s novel, “The Catcher in the Rye” uses a vast amount of symbolism to portray the themes of the protection of innocence and the fear of adulthood. These symbols include the motifs of phonies and sex and the direct symbol of Holden’s red hunting hat. Phoniness proved to show that Holden is more insecure than he lets on and has a strong hatred for superficial people. Holden also fears and isolates himself from intimacy although appearing curious towards sex. Lastly, the materialistic red hunting hat is inseparable from Holden since it gives him confidence whenever he wears it and also expresses his uniqueness and individuality.
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. While in New York with the fencing team, Holden loses all of their equipment, then buys a red hunting hat.
Holden’s red Hunting hat was very crucial to him as he bought it in New York on the Saturday morning that he visited. The hat is the center of attention for Holden as many people such as Ackley ask about the hat. Holden only puts the hat on at crucial moments in his life such as writing the composition for Stradlater, leaving Pencey Prep, and acting confident in front of the mirror. “It was this red hunting hat, with one of those very, very long peaks. I saw it in the window of the sports store when I got it out of the subway...it only cost me a buck” (17). In the novel, Holden also wears the hat when he leaves Pencey Prep as he says “Sleep tight, ya morons”. In the novel, it can be noted that Holden doesn’t like to wear the hat outside as
Holden’s hat allows him to show and hide his emotions. Holden uses his hunting hat to speak freely and emotionally about his brother in an essay for Stradlater. After Holden gets back from being out with Brossard and Ackley he sits down to write a composition about Allie. Before he does this, he “put on [his] pajamas and bathrobe and [his] old hunting hat,” (37). Holden puts on his hunting hat so that he can write about his brother who died three years before this story takes place. Holden would not normally wear his hat to bed, so we can assume that he doesn’t wear it as a part of his pajamas. Putting it on before he writes an essay about his brother suggests that he put it on for that reason. At another time Holden uses h...
The novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” revolves around the protagonist Holden Caulfield as the story is told from his perspective. J.D. Salinger constructed Holden Caulfield as a cynical person who cannot accept to grow up. Throughout “The Catcher in the Rye,” J.D. Salinger uses symbolism to reveal and reinforce critical aspects of the protagonist Holden Caulfield. Three important aspects Holden acquired through Salinger’s use of symbolism are: his stubborn, uncompromising mentality; his softer, more caring respectful side; Holden’s cowardly way of acting and thinking.
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.
In the beginning of the novel, Holden believes that the world is out to get him, so he alienates himself for protection. A way to do so, he brings forth his hunting hat, “‘This is a people shooting hat,’ I said. ‘I shoot people in this hat.’” (Salinger, 22) Holden’s hunting hat is the strongest symbol in the novel. It gives Holden protection from people who could be potentially harmful to him. Whenever he is afraid or anxious he regresses and puts on his hunting hat for comfort. This anxiety is triggered by memories from his past. The world has stepped on him and beat him down, so now he uses his hunting hat to symbolize his independence and alienation from the world. He consciously knows that the hat will not physically protect him, but, “the nihilist does not believe in the necessity of being logical.” (“On the Pathos of Truth”) So, since he doesn’t need to be logical, he uses the hunting hat regardless if it is actually going to work or not. Holden feels disconnected to the world in the beginning of the novel. Holden states that he feels trapped on “the other side of life.” (Salinger, 8) When Holden says this, he is in a distressed point in his life because he has recently just been expelled from his fourth school. The expulsion could be a reason why he feels so disconnected, but since this didn’t happen during his last expulsions, he
At the beginning of the book, Holden is shown as a careless boy with animosity towards most people: “I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, “Sleep tight, ya morons!” (52). After Phoebe returns Holden’s hat to him, he watches her on a carousel. To him, seeing her on the carousel is an image of childhood innocence, which he has been looking for throughout the book. His red hunting hat serves as a shield to adulthood as shown in the quote, “My hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way, but I got soaked anyways. I didn't care though. I felt so damn happy all of a sudden” (212/213). His hat acts as a symbol of protection from his depression and fear of growing
J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye tells an unforgettable story of teenage angst by highlighting the life of Holden Caulfield, a young boy who commences a journey of self-discovery after being expelled from his private boarding school. Throughout the novel, Holden struggles with issues such as self-identity, loss, and a wavering sense of belonging. Holden’s red hunting hat is consistently used throughout the story as a symbol of his independence and his attachment to his childhood.
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.
“I was crying and all, I don’t know why, but I guess it was because I was feeling so damn depressed and lonesome” (53), Holden says. As humans, we have a hard time belonging in society. This is the same case for Holden Caulfield, the main character from the Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the rye, a novel by J.D Salinger, is about Holden, a lost boy in desperate need of help. Throughout the novel, Holden seems to be excluded by the world around him. He continually attempts to try and belong in a world in which he is isolating from. In this novel, Salinger uses symbols such as the red hunting hat, the ducks and Allie’s glove to support the theme, belonging and isolation.
Innocence lies within everyone in at least one point in their lives, but as reality consumes them, that purity begins to vanish slowly as they learn new experiences. In the coming of age novel set in the nineteen-forties, J.D Salinger writes about a sixteen-year-old boy named Holden Caulfield who stands between a road that separates childhood from adulthood and is confused about which path to take. On a three-day trip in New York away from his family and fellow peers at school, Holden encounters many situations in which lead him to think twice about who he wants to become and how he wants to guide others who are in the same situation he is in. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger utilizes symbolism, vivid imagery, and slangy diction to expose Holden’s struggle to preserve the innocence of the people that he loves while alienating himself from the adult world he calls “phony.”
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is a coming-of-age novel set in New York during the 1940’s. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the story, is a detached seventeen-year old boy harboring feelings of isolation and disillusionment. He emphasizes a general dislike for society, referring to people as “phonies.” His lack of will to socialize prompts him to find nearly everything depressing. He’s alone most of the time and it’s apparent that he is very reclusive. This often leads him to pondering about his own death and other personal issues that plague him without immediate resolution. Holden possesses a strong deficit of affection – platonic and sexual – that hinders and cripples his views toward people, his attitude, and his ability to progressively solve his problems without inflicting pain on himself. The absence of significant figures in his life revert him to a childlike dependency and initiate his morbid fascination with sexuality. In this novel, Salinger uses Sunny, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce to incorporate the hardships of discovering sexual identity and how these events affect adolescents as they try to understand their own sexuality.
“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.
In J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caufield believes that innocence is corrupted by society. He exposes his self-inflicted emotional struggles as he is reminiscing the past. For Holden, teenage adolescence is a complicated time for him, his teenage mentality in allows him to transition from the teenage era to the reality of an adult in the real world. As he is struggling to find his own meaning of life, he cares less about others and worries about how he can be a hero not only to himself but also to the innocent youth. As Holden is grasping the idea of growing up, he sets his priorities of where he belongs and how to establish it. As he talks about how ‘phony’ the outside world is, he has specific recollections that signify importance to his life and he uses these time and time again because these memories are ones that he wont ever let go of. The death of his younger brother Allie has had a major impact on him emotionally and mentally. The freedom of the ducks in Central Park symbolize his ‘get away’ from reality into his own world. His ideology of letting kids grow up and breaking the chain loose to discover for themselves portrays the carrousel and the gold ring. These are three major moments that will be explored to understand the life of Holden Caufield and his significant personal encounters as he transitions from adolescence into manhood.