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Essay on the catcher in the rye theme
Character analysis holden catcher in the rye
Analysis of the catcher in the rye
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The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger is still relevant to today’s high school students. The main character Holden is a problematic boy and he struggles with the changes of his life as he grows older. Holden has been in many different boarding schools, but he has not been able to stay at one. Since Holden is a troubled child and struggles with life, The Catcher in the Rye is relatable to high school students who may be experiencing similar issues. The novel is still relevant today because of the experiences that Holden has to overcome are similar to high school students today. Holden has flunked or got kicked out of several schools, the most recent school being Pencey. He disliked being around all of the boys, which
The other boy whose name is Ackley shares an “as needed friend” basis with Holden. Therefore, the only reason Holden goes to Ackley for advice is because he is feeling lonesome and depressed. After speaking with Ackley, Holden states,”But all of a sudden, I changed my mind. All of a sudden, I decided what I’d really do, I’d get the hell out of Pencey- right that same night and all. I just didn't want to hang around anymore. It made me sad and lonesome. So what I decided to do, I decided I’d take a room in New York…”(Salinger, 57-58). Even though Holden hates Ackley, Holden approaches him as a comforter and for someone to feel his void of loneliness. Like many teenagers, Holden has different levels of friendship with people, which explains his need to confide with Ackley. Most teenagers would rather feel physical pain than emotional pain, which is why Holden eggs on fights. The novel is relatable because most teenagers like Holden struggle with growing up. Holden constantly expresses that he feels alone and depressed, he believes that no one is able to understand and guide him. Many teens can feel alone and depressed because of the changes of their life or even relationship with different
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is a popular novel that was originally published in the 1950’s. In the book, Salinger explores various themes through the main character Holden and his interactions with others. Some of these themes include, alienation, loss and betrayal. Holden constantly feels betrayed throughout the novel by several people, including his roommate, teacher, and sister.
He is a bothersome and continues to annoy Holden by entering their dorm without any permission. Holden believes that Ackley has no life since he does not go anywhere. I think that Ackley enjoys the company of Holden and appears to like Holden quite often. Holden does treat Ackley awfully because he doesn’t listen and gives sly remarks towards Ackley. Holden acts as if he is more superior than Ackley, who is a senior, since he doesn’t want to start a conversation and doesn’t care about Ackley. In fact Holden describes Ackley as a peculiar roommate and as a result, it affects the way Holden acts around
Due to J.D Salinger’s personal and relatable narrative treatment, Catcher in the Rye continues to engage audiences, even 64 years after it was first published. The way the book deals with alienation and disillusionment in regards to Holden’s past trauma - through the closeness of first person narration and conversational writing among other techniques - creates a personal connection to Holden’s character and helps adolescents relate his troubles to their own.
He's so used to the idea of being alone that it becomes what he wants. Holden is so petrified of losing the people he is closest to, so he decides to not be close with anyone. He is afraid of the same repercussions from Allie. He would rather keep to himself than risk contentment, rationality, and stability. He for so many days after his removal from Pencey would by himself go to bars alone and try to drink away his pain. “I guess it was because I was feeling so damn depressed and lonesome” (Salinger 198). It’s during this time that Holden is falling down a dark, bottomless pit of depression and loneliness. It eventually almost became the death of him when he had isolated himself so much. He became sick, depressed, and full of anxiety. His decision to distance himself weakened him beyond his belief. “I still had that headache. It was even worse. And I think I was more depressed than I ever was in my whole life” (Salinger 252). His depression was starting to get the best of him and all he needed was to be comforted by someone other than
Holden choices to seclude himself rather than face potential disappointment in relationships. The death of Allie deeply affected Holden and his view of the world. The pain of Allie’s death forced Holden to cut off emotional ties with others for self-preservation. In the opening chapters of the novel, Holden detached himself from his peers at the football game stating, “I was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill”(1.3). Holden isolated himself from others instead of bonding with his friends and peers. Holden saw and heard his classmates, but they were unable to see him. This disconnect protected Holden from forming a bond that would ultimately have to be broken when Holden left Pencey Prep.
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.
First, he goes to Mr. Spencer, his history teacher, who provides advice for his life and his future and even says “I’m trying to help you, if I can” (Salinger, 18). Because Mr. Spencer gives realistic advice to Holden to prepare him for his future even though it is not obligated, Mr. Spencer can be considered a mentor for Holden. Before Holden packs and leaves, he says “I was sort of crying” and “then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, ‘Sleep tight, ya morons!’” (Salinger, 59). Although he becomes emotional when he realizes the company he is going to miss by leaving Pencey, he still acts immaturely as a result of an adolescent pitfall called invulnerability, when adolescents makes decisions without proper regard for their consequences (Adolescent Pitfalls). Holden finally leaves to take a train and reveals his love for riding trains at night (Salinger, 60). He is setting out on an adult journey by leaving Pencey, but he is still grasping to child interests by usually becoming excited to ride trains. Concluding sentence
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.
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.
At Pencey Prep Holden feels isolated and like he doesn’t belong. For example Holden feels isolated when he described his feelings during the football game as this “Anyway it was the Saturday of the football game… I was standing way the hell up on
The lack of nurture that Holden receives from his environment and the conflict he engages in with it are yet another factor that brings Holden down. Person versus Environment contributes greatly to his descent. Holden is shipped between schools, being kicked out of one only to be expelled from the next. To Holden, the environment that he is surrounded by at Pencey represents the phony, cruel world of those who run it. He is unable to connect with anyone in this school, The disgust and disinterest he has with the institution is shown in the quote, “Pencey was full of crooks.” (pg. 6). As well, he is seen incessantly attempting to defy social norms. Holden battles his environment, flunking out of school and showcasing the opposition he has towards
Throughout the book Holden definitely grows and changes as a character and for the better. He is not a static character, but a dynamic one. He moves from wanting to protect innocence, not even trying to apply himself in school and wanting to make crazy drastic changes to his life, to understanding he can’t protect innocence, thinking he will apply himself in school the next year, and not trying to make crazy changes to his life. Holden Caulfield is definitely a dynamic character as he grows and changes throughout The Catcher in the Rye.
What do you get when you cross a angsty adolescent with constant alienation from both strangers and peers? The punchline is the life of literature’s angstiest alienated adolescent, Holden Caulfield. The novel “Catcher in the Rye” Caulfield is afraid of being emotionally hurt thus he disconnects himself from people he should care about to spend time with those that he doesn’t. The voice of his narration also reveals his secluded, and pessimistic world view. The people once closest to him — D.B., Jane and Allie can no longer support him, as he spirals into adulthood.
At the beginning of his story, Holden is a student at Pencey Prep School. Having been expelled for failing four out of his five classes, Holden leaves school and spends 72 hours in New York City before returning home. There, Holden encounters new ideas, people, and experiences. Holden's psychological battle within himself serves as the tool that uncovers the coming-of-age novel's underlying themes of teen angst, depression, and the disingenuous nature of society. The novel tackles issues of blatant profanity, teenage sex, and other erratic behavior.
With this comes his resentment towards everyone around him. Holden Caulfield, with a few exceptions, has never seen someone for who and what they truly are, but instead looks at everyone as a phony. He states, “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies. That 's all.” (17). Holden especially has a true resentment towards his parents that is caused by Allies death. In 1946, Holden 's little brother Allie died and his world crumbled, putting him into an angry and depressed state of mind. Caulfields parents made the situation much worse, by practically getting rid of Holden and sending him to a boarding school. This proves that they did not want to deal with him, and ultimately wanted him out to mask some of their problems. This becomes a very strong reason that proves Holden 's hatred for his parents. There are a variety of examples to prove the uneasy transition that Holden goes through, but his resentment towards others truly shows the loss of innocence by showing that he is no longer a happy kid. He instead jumps to the conclusion that everyone, and everything is