In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger creates judgemental and superficial characters to critique capitalist ideologies. The biggest proponent of capitalism is the main character; Holden Caulfield. Socioeconomically, Holden is considered to be member of the upper-class because his family makes a large amount of money, and they are socially elite. Holden discriminates against those who posses less money than him, and even requires his roommates to have expensive luggage. Holden gives monetary value to many other objects including shoes, a baseball glove, and women. Holden’s discrimination of those in lower classes, and his belief in “sign exchange value” reveal his capitalist morals. Another novel that criticizes capitalism in a …show more content…
similar way is The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Both authors use characters that promote commercialism to show the damage that occurs due to the capitalist system. The political method in The Catcher in the Rye aligns itself with Marxist values as it critiques class division and challenges the long standing American economic system of capitalism. Holden Caulfield is among the biggest advocates of the capitalist system, this is shown through Holden’s discrimination and classism. Holden views those in lower classes as inferior, and those in classes above him as fake. This connects to the famous marxist motto, “no war but class war.” Capitalism creates class struggle because it divides people into groups based on social and economic measurements. An example of classism, is when Holden comments on the quality of Stradlater's suitcase. Holden states, “They were these very inexpensive-looking suitcases--the ones that aren't genuine leather or anything. It isn't important, I know, but I hate it when somebody has cheap suitcases. It sounds terrible to say it, but I can even get to hate somebody, just looking at them, if they have cheap suitcases with them.” (Salinger 108) This is an example of classism because Holden claims to dislike people solely based on their socioeconomic class. This affects others as they are made to feel inferior to Holden. “The day after I put mine under my bed, he took them out and put them back on the rack. The reason he did it, it took me a while to find out, was because he wanted people to think my bags were his. He really did." (Salinger 109) This shows how the capitalist system can creates class division over the simplest of objects such as luggage. According to Lois Tyson, Classism is “an ideology that equates one’s value as a human being with the social class to which one belongs: the higher one’s social class, the better one is assumed to be because quality is in the blood, that is, inborn.” (Tyson 55) It is evident Holden is guilty of classism because he feels superior to people that do not obtain expensive items like him. The Marxist theory of sign exchange value is also included in the novel.
Tyson describes sign exchange value as the following, “An object becomes a commodity only when it has exchange value or sign-exchange value, and both forms of value are determined by the society in which the object is exchanged. For example, if I read a book for pleasure or for information, or even if I use it to prop up a table leg, the book has use value. If I sell that same book, it has exchange value. If I leave that book out on my coffee table to impress my date, it has sign-exchange value” (Tyson 62) An example of the use of sign exchange value is when Holden leaves out his luggage to impress guests. Holden’s roommate furthers the usage of sign exchange value by taking the luggage and putting it on the rack so others thought it belonged to him. An additional analysis from Dr. F. Pourgiv of Shiraz University states that Holden is unaware of his usage of sign exchange value. “The difference between exchange value and use value is called "surplus value"...The surplus value goes to the privileged upper classes and gives them the economic power to buy and consume more goods, while on the other side of the spectrum, the members of the exploited working class are not even able to buy the commodity they themselves are producing. Holden's confrontation with his society in The Catcher in the Rye. As Marxist and Neo-Marxist critics of the novel from the Ohman's onward have noted, Holden is aware of, and suffers from, the social differentiation and inequality around him.” Instead of blaming Holden for his insulting behavior, Dr. F. Pourgiv blames the capitalist system. Holden’s behavior reveals problems made evident by Marxism and critiques Capitalism
indirectly. The novel, The Great Gatsby also exploits the capitalist system through the use of characters. Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, has extravagant parties every weekend. Thousands of people attend his parties, but when Gatsby dies no one shows up to the funeral. It is apparent that capitalism creates fake relationships because people take advantage of expensive, lavish items. Fitzgerald also includes minor characters that embody the capitalist system. "When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, and he asked me my name and address – inside of a week I got a package from Croirier's with a new evening gown in it.""Did you keep it?" asked Jordan. "Sure I did. I was going to wear it tonight, but it was too big in the bust and had to be altered. It was gas blue with lavender beads. Two hundred and sixty-five dollars." (Fitzgerald 25) Lucille only seems to care about the price of the gown, and not the sentimental value. Lucille does not recognize the lovely gesture made by Gatsby. In capitalist society, people are only worried about wealth and this causes divisions between people and dehumanization. The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby also occur in the same place; New York. New York is a premier city that sets the standard of American capitalism. Although, The Catcher in the Rye takes place in the 1950’s and The Great Gatsby occurs in the 1920’s, the two periods are very similar. Both periods occurred after a World War, and were decades of economic prosperity. All in all, The Catcher in the Rye associates itself with Marxist principles because Salinger produces characters that indirectly criticize the capitalist system. Salinger uses the marxist concepts of classicism and sign exchange value to construct criticism of the American economic system. Another novel, The Great Gatsby also connects to marxism because it includes similar techniques used in The Catcher in the Rye. Both novels display the economic system of capitalism to create uncertainty for the reader. Salinger and Fitzgerald describe how capitalism leads to dehumanization and class struggle. These affairs are created because people feel superior and inferior to others when placed in groups based on social and economic means. Capitalism can lead to catastrophe because it categorizes people which produces conflict between people of different socioeconomic classes.
In the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is an example of a prosaic rich adolescent boy,with a pedestrian set of problems, but a psychoanalysis reveals that Holden has a plethora of atypical internal conflicts. Internal conflicts that other students at Pencey, such as Stradlater and Ackley, would not normally experience.
The Catcher in the Rye revolves around Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the novel, and his disillusionment. Holden’s disillusionment illustrates that he has a problem accepting such. Aforesaid is based upon multiple factors, most which have brought Holden lasting traumas. A remedy is required for Holden to accept his disillusionment and enable an improvement of his situation. For Holden’s remedy, the consultation of psychologists, and additional specialized health professionals would be the core of an apt remedy for Holden’s psychological and physiological state based upon the numerous causes of such and the everlasting trauma of some of the determinants of aforesaid situation. The origins of Holden’s disillusionment revolved mainly around the death of his younger brother Allie three years ago, of which he still experiences the trauma to this day. His disillusionment is caused by both
Holden Caulfield, portrayed in the J.D. Salinger novel Catcher in the Rye as an adolescent struggling to find his own identity, possesses many characteristics that easily link him to the typical teenager living today. The fact that the book was written many years ago clearly exemplifies the timeless nature of this work. Holden's actions are those that any teenager can clearly relate with. The desire for independence, the sexually related encounters, and the questioning of ones religion are issues that almost all teens have had or will have to deal with in their adolescent years. The novel and its main character's experiences can easily be related to and will forever link Holden with every member of society, because everyone in the world was or will be a teen sometime in their life.
J. D. Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye explores the ambiguity of the adult world Holden must eventually learn to accept. Throughout the novel, Holden resists the society grownups represent, coloring his childlike dreams with innocence and naivety. He only wants to protect those he loves, but he cannot do it the way he desires. As he watches Phoebe on the carousel, he begins to understand certain aspects of truth. He writes:
At first glance, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye simply tells the story of Holden Caulfield, who is often characterized as annoying and whiny by the people around him. The anti-hero frequently speaks on impulse, making quick and often inaccurate observations of others. Holden’s immature and overly critical attitude turns off those he encounters, who are displeased with how callow he is. However, what these characters fail to understand is that there is actually a sort of sophistication behind Holden’s reasoning. In fact, throughout the novel, Holden disguises his maturity through outward displays of childishness.
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.
The form of diction used in The Catcher in the Rye is a topic on which many people are strongly opinionated. Because the narrator speaks solely in the vernacular, the novel is ripe with vulgar language. Most of this language is used to characterize Holden, the protagonist and narrator, as a typical American teenager living in the late 1940s or early 1950s, but some of it is utilized to convey Salinger’s theme of innocence versus corruption. When Holden is walking through his sister Phoebe’s school, he sees a scrawl on the wall saying “Fuck you.” He imagines the writing was etched by “some perverty bum that’d sneaked in the school late at night to take a leak or something” (260-61). Again in the museum, Holden encounters another such sign. Both the school and the museum are places he identifies with his childhood, but they have been perverted by the corruption of the world. He is concerned for the children who will inevitably see these signs and be told what they mean by “some dirty kid…all cockeyed, naturally” (260), spoiling the children’s innocence. This is just one more step towards adulthood and corruption. He is disgusted by the people in the world, saying “You can’t ever find a place that’s nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any. You think there is, but once you get there, when you’re not looking, somebody’ll sneak up and write ‘Fuck yo...
Despite Holden's resistance to change, he starts to change. "Catcher in the Rye," reminds us that changing is not easy to process mentally. Going through the true process of change, it requires us to let go of the past and move on which is hard. The novel represents the hardship of changing. It reminds us how great the value of finding something special and precious is as well as a valid reason although it requires us to let go and move on with our lives. All it requires is to simply let
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.
J. D. Salinger's notable and esteemed novel, Catcher in the Rye, reflects the hypercritical views of a troubled teenager, Holden Caulfield, towards everyone around him and society itself. This character has a distinguished vision of a world where morality, principles, intelligence, purity, and naivety should override money, sex, and power, but clearly in the world he inhabits these qualities have been exiled. Holder desperately clings to and regards innocence as one of the most important virtues a person can have. However, he son becomes a misfit since society is corrupted and he yearns for companionship, any kind of connection with another to feel whole and understood again. Ironically, despite his persistent belittling and denouncing of others, he does not apply the same critical and harsh views on himself.
Salinger uses specific motifs and symbols to illustrate Holden’s naive and unrealistic view of the world. A great example of this is when he believes he can be the catcher in the rye. By doing so he imagines he is able to maintain all the innocence within society. Holden
The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, interacts with many people throughout J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, but probably none have as much impact on him as certain members of his immediate family. The ways Holden acts around or reacts to the various members of his family give the reader a direct view of Holden's philosophy surrounding each member.
J.D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye revolves around Holden's encounters with other people. He divides all people into two different categories, the "phonies" and the authentics. Holden refers to a "phony" as someone who discriminates against others, is a hypocrite, or has manifestations of conformity. A person's age, gender, and occupation, play a key role in how Holden interacts with them.
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.
Holden attacks various weaknesses in the 50's society. He criticizes nearly everything that he observes, and refuses to pull punches. Often Holden uses his brilliant talent of observation to discover the true motives behind the people he calls "phony." Through his observations the reader can interpret Salinger's view of the 1950's culture. Holden's perceptions of paranoia, conformity, and the consumer culture convey Salinger's views.