Negative Impact of Past Events The events that have occurred in the past often impact the way an individual thinks and carries out their actions either negatively or positively. The flashbacks Holden Caulfield is describing contained in the novel The Catcher in The Rye written by J.D. Salinger, offers a sense of reasoning for the depressed actions he displays throughout the text. Holden is a teenage boy going through a difficult phase in his life and shows his discontent towards growing up into adulthood by being in a constantly negative mood which have been shaped by a few major past events.. Although Holden does not specifically state which events have caused him to be a pessimistic person, there are powerful events in which Holden brings …show more content…
up frequently and make Holden consistently view his life as a terrible experience. These events include his younger brother’s death (Allie), the suicide of James Castle at Elkton Hills, as well as loving Jane during childhood. Ultimately, these intricately placed past events lead to Holden isolating himself from society and to criticize people he sees in his everyday life. Firstly, the most prominent event Holden thinks fondly, is of his little brother Allie and the loss of his innocent soul drives Holden towards negative thoughts of the world he lives in and his excuse to exclude himself from society.
Early on in the novel, readers learn of the way Holden viewed his brother as a “terrifically intelligent” and “the nicest” family member before his tragic loss against leukemia at age 11 (37). Being only two years older than Allie, Holden experienced this death at a relatively young age, explaining his sudden change in thoughts towards life, since deaths of family members often cause an extreme amount of traumatic stress to an individual-especially to those who can not yet internalize what has …show more content…
happened. Due to the fact Allie died at a young age, he had not been corrupted by the adult world and in Holden’s vocabulary, a phony, someone who is not truthful. Likewise, Holden idolizes his brother not only because of their sibling love, but also due to the fact Allie had never gotten to live through the hardships of adulthood. As an immediate result of Allie’s death, Holden breaks all the windows windows in the garage braking his hands in the process and explains, “ It was a very stupid thing to do, i’ll admit, but I hardly didn't even know I was doing it, and you didn't know Allie”(5.38). Here, Holden is implying that readers will only be able to understand his actions if they knew Allie, on the contrary Holden really says this due to the longing feeling he has to have his little brother by his side again. This detail presents the way Holden now thinks impulsively towards difficult situations and resorts to violence. For example, when Stradlater, an insensitive roommate of Holden’s at Pencey, harshly criticizes Holden’s choice to write a composition about Allie’s baseball mitt, Holden is quick to become defensive and decides to tear the paper into shreds ruining Stradlater’s chances of receiving a good grade in his English class (6.40). In addition, the baseball mitt itself holds a strong sense of security for Holden. As stated before, Allie was a very unique child- left handed and red haired- and on his baseball glove Allie spent his time writing poems all over it instead of playing on the field. This glove has been kept by Holden for many years after Allie’s death and seems to carry it wherever he goes. By carrying through with these actions, Holden expresses the baseball mitt’s significance as a symbol of Holden’s love for Allie, as well as Allie’s unique personality. Furthermore, it can be seen that Holden idolizes his little brother who has set the precedent that Holden should surround himself by genuine people and not phonies. As Holden talks to his younger sister Phoebe about his expulsion from Pencey, she asks him about one thing he generally cares about and without hesitation Holden responds with Allie; however, Phoebe does not count this as a true answer because Allie is dead to which Holden responds with,“‘I know he's dead! Don't you think I know that? I can still like him, though, can't I? Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's sake --Especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that are alive and all”(22.163). This validation of Holden’s love towards Allie leads to Holden isolating himself from society since it is full of phonies instead of people like Allie, true to their word and supportive. The adult world in itself runs on society’s expectations, therefore making them phonie and causing Holden even more distress to transition into an adult. All in all, Holden reinstates that the society he lives in now is not worth the effort to be a part of due to phony people that he will inevitably encounter and as a result he isolates himself. Another major cause for Holden’s negative view of society is the suicide of James Castle at Elkton Hills.
Again, Holden encounters another death of a person he knew before adulthood, yet this death differed in many ways. James Castle was a friend of Holden’s who was a very feeble, small, and quiet person- qualities of one who do not deserve to die at a young age, such as Allie. To continue, James was being confronted very violently by larger student because he voiced his opinion about a very conceited student, Phil Stabile, who soon found out about and began to do untold horrors to Castle until Castle tragically decided to jump out the window instead of taking back what he had said earlier, unlike Allie who did not have another choice but to die. The sound of his fall to the ground was heard by Holden who also saw “...his teeth, and blood, were all over the place, and noone would even go near him”(22.62). Holden viewed this noble death as unnecessary due to the fact James Castle still had a long life ahead of him, but society took this possibility away from him and Castle had no other option to remain noble due to his incapability to protect himself. Holden upholds his view of innocence being preserved through this suicide as well as the death of Allie. For this reason, Holden is dismayed by the fact that society, or adulthood, has the ability to shape people in terrible ways. The author builds upon this idea of preserving innocence through the allusion of “Comin Thro’ the
Rye”. As Holden converses with Phoebe he gets off track and begins speaking of which he would like to be, he states, “‘Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all...Nobody's around--nobody big, I mean--except me. And i’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff...I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff...I know it’s crazy, but that's the only thing i’d really like to be” (22.164). In other words, Holden would like to save children from becoming corrupted by thoughts from society by preventing them from becoming adults. The innocent children are running to close to the edge of the cliff- otherwise known as adulthood- and Holden wants to prevent them from going through so much suffering. Likewise, James Castle died tragically and Holden could not save him. Without a doubt, Holden does not enjoy the fact that innocent souls can be lost and therefore further distances himself from others in order to prevent himself from viewing these transitions and to also prevent himself from becoming into the phonies he constantly views. In conclusion, Holden is a very negative person who is heavily influenced by the events that have happened in his early life, most importantly revolving around the idea of death. The death of Allie and the suicide of James Castle fueled Holden’s absurd view on life transitioning into adulthood. For Holden, these negative thoughts prevent him from interacting properly with others in hopes of him being delayed entry into the adult world and becoming one of the people who he heavily criticizes for being phonies. Evidently, Holden is going to experience a complete crash where he must come to terms with reality. Holden wants time to stop in place and here he will be able to live with no fears of growing up. However, Holden must come to the realization that childhood is only a temporary part of one’s life and changes are supposed to occur in order to grow. His early experience to death shaped the way he viewed the world and the people in them towards through a very grim lens.
In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in The Rye Salinger writes about the main character Holden Caulfield and his life. Holden is a teenager who comes from a wealthy family, he loves his family and lives very happy until the death of his brother Allie. After his brother died Holden becomes troubled, being kicked out of school again and again developing a negative view of the world. Holden throughout the book shows anger,denial, and acceptance over the loss of his brother.
There is one universal truth that will exist through out all of time and space that affects all that live to experience it. That truth is known as grief. We all experience grief, and for Holden Caulfield, grief is a major aspect of his life, the force that drives him to do everything he does in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. There are seven stages to this emotion known as grief: denial, depression, anger, bargaining, guilt, reconstruction, and finally, acceptance. There are many parts in the novel that could have influenced Holden’s grief, but the main one that most people who read the novel have figured it out was the death of his little brother Allie. The root to Holden’s grief lies with his brother which cause Holden’s to act and change the way he does in the novel.
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.
Holden shows the trait of compassion through his generosity to others, feeling of sadness for others and by showing true love for his family. Early on in the novel, Holden shows compassion about his brother, Allie, who died of leukemia. Holden says, “You’d have liked him. He was two years younger than I was, but he was about fifty times as intelligent” (Salinger 43). This quote shows that Holden is still affected by the loss of his brother. The reader can assume that Holden wishes that things went differently for his brother since, by what Holden says, Allie had accomplished many things in his short life. Another way Holden shows compassion is through his interest in complete strangers. In chapter 17, Holden describes qualities of different girls he saw waiting (137). Mainly, he describes how their legs are folded and what sort of guys they will end up with. By doing this, he is showing compassion about people he does not even know. Because Holden shows such concern about people he has never
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.
There will always be a moment where we all change, but most of us would prefer to hold on to remaining an adolescent. "Catcher in the Rye" written by J.D. Salinger, is a story about a high-school student, Holden, who looks for a reason to change and move on from his depressing page of life. The novel depicts the adventures of Holden as he processes a change. Through Holden's resistance to change, Salinger expresses that people sometimes crave for the past which impacts us negatively, but we would be better off if we learn to move on and find something special.
In the story The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the narrator, Holden Caulfield, depicts a crucial part of his life mainly through the use of memories and flashbacks. Starting from his time at Pencey Prep, his current school, Caulfield’s always been criticizing everyone, from his fellow peers to strangers he barely knows. However, Caulfield shows that there is more to him than there seems to be at first. Through his usage of flashbacks, Caulfield was able to convey that despite his cynical, harsh, and overall, negative personality, he also is guilty to his own faults, and suffers through pain and depression just like everyone else; he is so quick to criticize others, and yet he really does care for those who matter the most to him.
The Catcher in the Rye Holden Gets Influenced Everyone gets influenced by someone, even heroes do. The Catcher in the Rye, a novel written by J. D. Salinger, talks about Holden Caulfield, a 16 year old boy that is trying to live through his problems. Holden tries to learn from his experiences as well as from the ones of others. He goes through many hard times, but he always takes them as a chance to imagine how it could have ended if he had done something about them or what cold had happened if he was not so “yellow”.
Holden Caulfield suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder throughout the course of the novel. In fact, the root of all his problems come from Allie’s passing; he died from leukemia. Holden used to be extremely close with him and his imminent death changed his entire life and psyche. Holden seems to relive the event of his beloved little brother Allie’s death over and over. “What is clear, however, is that many of the symptoms Holden displays in the course of the novel mirror the classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The death of his younger brother, Allie was a traumatic event in Holden Caulfield’s life and is perhaps at the root of the depression he battles in the novel. The death of a sibling can trigger post-traumati...
Throughout the book, Holden discusses and makes several references to his younger brother Allie. Allie had died of leukemia roughly three years before Holden starts telling the story of his weekend adventure in the Big Apple. Leukemia is a type of cancer and almost all of the people diagnosed with it had passed away back years. According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, doctors started to put the first chemotherapy drugs in use around the mid-1950s. Allie’s death affects Holden in so various ways during the course of the novel. However, if they were in the 21st century, Allie would have had approximately an 80% chance of survival (“Child Leukemia” 15). But if that were true, Holden would have been a much different character. Allie’s death had shaped him to who he was and essentially scarred him; he never stopped mourning.
In the Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the events that occur in character’s lives influence their decisions and actions very heavily. All of the events that happened in Holden’s life made him the way he is and the way he acts. If none of those events happened, then he would be a very different character. The same goes for any other character in the book as well, the events that happen to them causes them to be the way that they are, like a cause and effect reaction. For example, Holden’s problems he has with his family and other problems he has had with others he encountered, caused him to become self alienated, act immature, and be very hypocritical.
Holden has a near obsession with the death of his younger brother Allie, who died at age thirteen due to leukemia. Holden had punched and broke all the windows in the garage out of anger; he says that his hands still hurt from the incident. Throughout the novel, Holden dwells on Allies’ death. From Holden's thoughts, it is obvious that he loves and misses Allie. In order to hold on to his brother and to minimize the pain of his loss, Holden brings Allie's baseball mitt along with him where ever he goes. The mitt has additional meaning and significance for Holden because Allie had written poetry, which Holden reads, from the baseball mitt. Towards the end of the book, Holden proves again that he can’t cope with death. Phoebe, his younger sister, is putting him on the spot by asking him what he likes, but Holden can only think of two nuns and a boy, James W. Castle. James W. Castle was a boy who Holden had lent his sweater to, Castle died unfortunately by being thrown out of a window wearing Holden’s sweater. Another thing that haunts Holden is the fact that during roll call in class, his last name always is called after Castles’ last name. After the brief moment of reminiscing, Holden irritates Phoebe by saying, “I like Allie…”. He has trouble acknowledging the death of his brother.
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.
In J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the first person narration played a critical role in helping the reader to know and understand the main character, Holden Caulfield. Salinger also uses symbolism to help portray the theme that not everything that glitters is gold. Holden, in his narration, relates a flashback of a significant period of his life, three days and nights on his own in New York City. Through his narration, Holden discloses to the reader his innermost thoughts and also helps to introduce the reader to many of the symbols strategically placed throughout the novel. He thus provides the reader with not only information of what occurred, but also how he felt about what happened. In the Catcher in the Rye, Holden views the world as an evil and corrupt place where there is no peace. This perception of the world does not significantly change through the course of the novel. However, with the novel’s progression, Holden gradually comes to the realization that he is powerless to change the state of the world.
Everybody feels depressed at some time or another in their lives. However, it becomes a problem when depression is so much a part of a person's life that he or she can no longer experience happiness. This happens to the young boy, Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Mr. Antolini accurately views the cause of Holden's depression as his lack of personal motivation, his inability to self-reflect and his stubbornness to overlook the obvious which collectively results in him giving up on life before he ever really has a chance to get it started.