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The symbolic meanings of A Catcher in the Rye
Essays on the theme of the catcher in the rye
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Jerome David Salinger, also known as J. D. Salinger, is a fascinating author best known for his novel, Catcher in the Rye. Although Salinger only published one novel, he wrote several short stories for magazines like The New Yorker and Story. A large number of these stories went on to be compiled into books such as Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey, and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. Despite the fact Salinger has not published any stories in over 45 years, his reputation is still quite popular. Salinger's stories are studied in high schools and colleges, introducing thousands of individuals to his writing and ultimately increasing his fan base. Catcher in the Rye continues to sale 250,000 copies a year world wide. With increasing popularity, Salinger slowly secluded himself from the world, eventually avoiding all requests for interviews and public appearances. With Salinger unwilling to share personal information and no authorized biography to date, gathering material on him is difficult. To better understand Salinger's life, readers look towards his stories in which Salinger tends to write about familiar territory which incorporates personal experience. In an interview in 1974, referring to his life Salinger stated, “It's all in the books, all you have to do is read them.”(Bloom 16)
Biography
Jerome David Salinger was born on January 1, 1919 in Manhattan, New York City. His father, Sol, a Polish Jew, and his mother, Marie, an Irish Catholic, owned a meat and cheese importing business. Salinger attended public schools until the age of thirteen, were he was enrolled in the prestigious McBurney School in Manhattan, but he was dismissed with failing grades after a year. He then attended and grad...
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... Just like Salinger, Buddy retreated to the woods and became a shut-in after becoming famous.
Conclusion
J.D. Salinger recently pasted away at the age of 91. With his passing, several people speculate he left behind a treasure of completed novels and short stories involving their beloved characters. A person with a gift of writing that Salinger processed would not give up writing even though he stop publishing his stories. Salinger used writing as a way of expressing his ideas and feelings. Also he took his life experiences and inserted them into his stories making them entertaining for the readers but at at the same time provided a glimpse into what he experienced. Possibly with the discovery of new stories , Salinger's fans can get a greater understanding of his life because as he stated in a interview, “It's all in the books, all you have to do is read them.”
After many years of ideas coming and going, one that seems to stay the same is the thoughts of tennagers. In the book The Catcher In The Rye written by J.D Salinger many can still relate to Holden’s story even after a 76 year difference. While exploring the city around him Holden takes the time to try to find himself on a deeper level and try to grasp how growing up really makes him feel. Given the fact that everyone is unique in among themselves the need for self satisfaction is always current meaning many run from the true responsibilities that come with age.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991. Print.
The first way J.D. Salinger shows that Holden’s depression is not only affecting him, but also the people around him, is...
J.D Salinger as born in New York City on January 1, 1919, he didn’t wright many novels in which he was renowned for. But one day, he did write one novel that brought him instant fame. In J.D. Salinger’s, Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy on the brink of adulthood, and he is trying to make sense of his existents and where he belongs. He also refuses to lose his innocence even though he knows is inevitable.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991. Print.
All of these are components of J. D. Salinger’s writing style. While the tone of The Catcher in the Rye may suggest a lighthearted, entertainment centered novel, the work is, in actuality, a deep study of human emotion and sympathy, as well as a dark portrait of the wickedness in the world.
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.
American Literature is widely known for possessing themes of disillusionment. Faulkner, Harper Lee, Fitzgerald, and Hemingway dominate this category of literature. However, the most influential piece of American Literature is arguably J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. What makes this piece of art stand so far out from any other work of literature is the attributes that make this novel so relatable. The source of this raw, real emotion that completely captivates the reader is Salinger himself. The Catcher in the Rye ‘s main character Holden Caulfield is undeniably Salinger. This work of fiction nearly resembles an autobiography. J.D. Salinger uses his novel to express his disillusionment through motifs, pathos, and symbols.
Salinger also excels at developing his characters in a very short time (Kazin 296). A short story does not leave very much time for character development. Salinger's unique style and superb use of detail allow for the reader to really get to know each character as well as possible.
Salinger, J. D.. The Catcher in the Rye. [1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 19511945. Print.
Roemer, Danielle M. "The Personal Narrative and Salinger's Catcher in the Rye". Western Folklore 51 (1992): 5-10.
The human mind, only able to withstand so much pressure before losing control, is like a volcano. The harsh truths that accumulate throughout the course of one’s life can lead to devastation, the eruption of the mind’s volcano. American twentieth century author, J.D. Salinger, illustrates the devastating consequences caused by a buildup of emotions and a lack of communication in his short story, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” Salinger “has become, in biographer Ian Hamilton's phrase, ‘famous for not wanting to be famous’ ” (Stevick). In this short story, Salinger details the interactions of the main character, Seymour Glass, with Sybil Carpenter, a young girl. Through these interactions, Salinger provides the reader with a glimpse into Seymour’s unstable, troubled mind. Seymour’s demise shows the importance of true communication and the expression of such emotions. By releasing societal pressures and not allowing oneself to be plagued by materialistic ideals, one can truly achieve a stable state of mind. Through the use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and motif, J.D. Salinger's short story, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” communicates the theme that effective communication is often a monumental struggle.
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 the novel Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk remarks, “The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything.” Jerome David Salinger expanded on this idea through writing the short story, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish". The literary genius was born on January 1, 1919 in New York City. He earned his education from public schools in the West Side of Manhattan and after moving, from McBurney School where he wrote for the school's newspaper and was manager of the fencing team. In 1941, Salinger began submitting stories for The New Yorker magazine, but was soon drafted into the army in 1942. During this time, he met with a great influence to his writing, Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway praised Salinger’s writing and remarked on his talent during their correspondence. After a few years of fighting in the war, J.D. Salinger was assigned to the counter-intelligence division due to his fluency in German and French where he was sent to interrogate the war prisoners. Subsequent to his service in counter-intelligence, Salinger submitted a short story titled “Bananafish” to The New Yorker in 1947. Another highly acclaimed literary work of his is The Catcher in The Rye, which was published in 1951. (Charles McGrath)
All-in all, Salinger?s writing style is one of unique, masterminded inventiveness. Some may argue that Salinger has done nothing unique or inventive, but he has combined so many various and beautifully executed writing styles and devices of literature that no one on earth could argue against the fact that J.D. Salinger has masterminded a classic novel that has already lasted over sixty years as a great and controversial story. The examples of relationships, society, and life itself that Salinger has created in The Catcher in the Rye are so exquisite and so timeless that they have already reserved the novel a place in history as one of the greatest stories of all time. As simple and easily understood as the story is, the morals behind the plot and the subtle symbolism scattered all throughout Holden?s tale have turned the teenager?s journey into an epic excursion.