More handpicked essays just for you.
The catcher in the rye summary essay
Catcher in the rye analysis introduction to english literary studies
Catcher in the rye analysis introduction to english literary studies
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Since being published, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger has been widelydebated and is very controversial. The novel talks about a sixteen year old boy named HoldenCaufield. Holden is kicked out of his school, Pencey Prep, for failing most of his classes. WhenHolden leaves school, he spends three days in New York City before going home. While in NewYork Holden encounters new people and experiences. Holden is constantly having mental battleswith himself. Some issues that parents have with the book are the profanity, negative behavior,and teenage angst. Although parents want to ban The Catcher in the Rye from school librariesand curriculum they shouldn’t because the novel teaches life lessons, its easily relatable, andcensoring …show more content…
the book only keeps the student from learning bad things that go on in our world for solong.The novel gives the students someone to relate to, someone who is the same age andfeeling the same way. Holden is a rebellious teenager who doesn’t agree too much with hisparents and is trying to figure out how to grow up. Even though our generation is moretechnologically advanced, teenagers still don’t agree with those older than them just like Holden.He also often feels isolated and like he has no one to talk to. “The first thing I did when I got offat Penn Station, I went into this phone booth. I felt like giving somebody a buzz. I left my bagsright outside the booth so that I could watch them, but as soon as I was inside, I couldn't think ofanybody to call up. My brother D.B. was in Hollywood. My kid sister Phoebe goes to bed aroundnine o'clock--so I couldn't call her up. She wouldn't've cared if I'd woke her up, but the trouble was, she wouldn't've been the one that answered the phone” (Salinger 59). Holden is looking forsomeone to talk to but the only person he could talk to was busy. Everyone needs someone theycan talk to and many are still searching for that person.In this world, there are many bad choices and words, censoring the novel will onlyprotect the students for so long. Banning the book from high school curriculum to keep studentsfrom profanity is an attempt to do something pretty much impossible. Profanity is everywhereand all around students almost every day. It’s in music, in movies, on television, and profanity iseven said by students themselves. Students cannot be rescued from profanity. Holden’s cursing isbad, but also almost innocent. ” Holden's profanity does not stem from the same motivation thatprompts other adolescents to swear—the urge to seem "one of the boys." His profanity is somuch ingrained by habit into the fabric of his speech that he is wholly unaware of how rough hislanguage is” (Edward). He tries to express how he feels about the world and feels its bestexpressed with bad words, he doesn’t do it on purpose. At points in the novel, it seems as if hesaid them almost on accident. “That's the whole trouble. You can't ever find a place that's niceand peaceful, because there isn't any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you'renot looking, somebody'll sneak up and write "f*ck you" right under your nose” (Salinger 204).The bad word that he uses emphasizes how feels about what something that seems to be writteneverywhere. Even Holden seems to see profanity everywhere.A common reason that parents try to challenge or ban the book is due to all thenegativity. There is in fact negativity throughout the book, but that doesn’t mean a book shouldbe banned. At the very beginning of the book it seems that everything bothers Holden. Not onlydid he hate everyone, except his younger sister, but he hated himself too. Even though he’snegative about everything he is always being honest.” One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies.
That's all. They were coming in the goddamwindow. For instance, they had this headmaster, Mr. Haas, that was the phoniest bastard I evermet in my life” (Salinger 13-14). Parents don’t see that Holden speaks his mind and is beinghonest about how he feels. The novel should not be banned due to the fact that Holden isspeaking his mind, negatively or not.Teen rebellion isn’t only an issue now, but at the time of the novels publishing as welland parents are using this as a way to try and ban the book. Holden goes through the entire novelfeeling like no one understands him or is at his level. He is trying to deal with growing up andfinding his way. He feels that life isn’t giving him enough, and feels alone and unhappy. Theonly time he seems to feel something is when he is with his younger sister, Phoebe, who hethinks isn’t a phony. Through the novel he calls all adults phonies. “…his sister Phoebe andchildren in general so refreshing is that they are free of this phoniness” (Edward). Parents don’twant their children getting any ideas to be as rebellious as Holden.The world is filled with problems, but the harsh reality of Holden’s life in the book is alsothe harsh reality of the world today. All the “bad” features in the book give students a lessonfrom someone just like them. Salinger’s writing style isn’t intimidating, he writes as if Holden isactually speaking to the reader. “I suspect that adults who object to Holden on the grounds of hisapparent phoniness are betraying their own uneasiness. Holden is not like the adolescents in themagazine ads—the smiling, crew-cut, loafer-shod teen-agers wrapped up in the cocoon ofsuburban togetherness. He makes the adults of my generation uncomfortable because he exposesso much of what is meretricious in our way of life” (Edward). Parents want to see a clean cutyoung individual, but that isn’t what sixteen year old teens are. They’re kids trying to grow upfaster and find their way.
Parents think it’s their job to keep their children from falling off the cliff, they try to save them. Banning this book makes every parent against the book catchers inthe rye.
Despite being a worldwide best seller, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has been on the banned books list since 1961 ( (Baldassarro). The Catcher in the Rye tells the short journey, of anti-hero Holden Caulfield, between the end of the fall semester and Christmas break (Salinger). The story begins when Holden is expelled from his school, Pency Prep, for failing a majority of his classes (Salinger). Holden knows he must return home, so he attempts to prolong the scolding he will receive from his parents, for being expelled, by venturing around Manhattan until it becomes necessary to return to his home (Salinger). Holden tells his story in the most vulgar way possible. Holden accounts being offered a prostitute by an elevator operator when he asks, “Innarested a little tail t’night?” (Salinger 91). Offensive language is also used throughout the book, for example, “You’re a dirty stupid sonuvabitch of a moron” (Salinger 44). Underage drinking is also one of Holden’s favorite passtimes as evident in the quote, “I ordered a scotch and soda, and told him not to mix it- I said it fast as hell, because if you hem and haw, they think you’re under twenty-one and won’t sell you any intoxicating liquor” (Salinger 69). These three quotes express the precise justifications for banning books: sexually explicit content, offensive language, and underage drug use (Association). Although, many consider The Catcher in the Rye to be morally wrong, it should not ...
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.
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.
Did you ever think that books that have sex, obscene language, and immoral subjects can make a good book? The Catcher in the Rye has been on the banned reading list for exactly those reasons. The book was mainly put on disapproval from between 1966 and 1975 in almost every school district in the United States. The book was said to be so bad that in 1960 a teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was fired for assigning the book to an eleventh-grade English class. Despite some opposition to the novel, however, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye should be on a reading list for the freshman students because it gives a crystal clear image on how the world is in violence, sex, and obscenity and the book also teaches the motifs of lying and deception.
The novel The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger depicts a journey of a young man named Holden Caulfield where he encounters many of life’s challenges. As Holden has been bouncing between schools all his life, he just recently got kicked out of his current one: Pencey Prep. He has trouble focusing in school and has experienced many traumatic events in his life, like the death of his little brother Allie. Many believe the novel should be banned, but there is an underlying message Holden is trying to communicate. Throughout Holden's journey many feel that there were ban-worthy moments, but the traits he demonstrates are most powerful: compassion, maturity/coming of age and intelligence.
Catcher In The Rye was written in 1951 and for this time period, the book’s content was extremely ahead of its time. Its frequent foul language and sex-driven themes led it to be banned by several school systems across the country since its release. Some people may question why Salinger has Holden Caulfield cursing so much. Some may see Caulfield’s persistent offensive language as unnecessary and unbecoming for a young person of Holden’s age. As an example, on page 129, Caulfield compares his and Sally’s skating skills to the rest of the people at the ice-skating rink in Radio City.
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.
For many years people have argued about the inclusion of The Cather in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger in the high school english curriculum. This is such due to the inappropriate and adult oriented themes within If considered, many times within the novel the main character will face situations in which that the negative and vulgar themes will blossom into something meaningful that the reader can benefit from as a person and as a student. While the vulgarity and adult themes in The Catcher in the Rye are indeed inappropriate for adolescent students, ultimately its underlying themes of self discovery and possessing moral values provides life and ethical lessons that can be applied in the classroom as well as on a daily basis and therefore, the novel should be included in the high school curriculum for students to learn.
...oes want them to turn into “phonies.” Holden seeks for a peaceful and uncorrupt world but he cannot obtain that due to the actions of others. Despite Holden’s attitude and outlook on life, he is quite passionate. Although he is a firm pessimist, calling every person he comes across a “phony,” there is an alternate side to him. In his interaction with Phoebe and the other children in the book, he tries to protect them from the rest of society, since children are still naïve and pure. It is justifiable why Holden craves to preserve the innocence of others. For most of us, growing up, we begin to understand more. We start to look at life in a different perspective, different from the one we did when we were young, but as a person who has seen and experienced more in life.
The banning of books started way back, back in 1637 to be exact (America’s First Banned Book and the Battle for the Soul of the Country). The banning of New English Canaan by Thomas Morton ignited a spark, but as years gone by, the spark has evolved into a roaring flame(America’s First Banned Book and the Battle for the Soul of the Country). In 1951, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was published ("Catcher in the Rye is published"). Ever since its publication, it has been the target to many people for this simple question: should the book be banned? As a matter of fact, in a mere 10 to 20 years, the book was added to the banned book list(Banned Book: The Catcher in the Rye). This angered many readers in the United States, and some tried
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.
J.D. Salinger presents Holden Caulfield as a confused and distressed adolescent. Holden is a normal teenager who needs to find a sense of belonging. All though Holden’s obsession with “phonies” overpowers him. Dan Wakefield comments, “The things that Holden finds so deeply repulsive are things he calls “phony”- and the “phoniness” in every instance is the absence of love, and , often the substitution of pretense for love.” Holden was expelled from Pencey Prep School not because he is stupid, but because he just is not interested. His attitude toward Pencey is everyone there is a phony. Pencey makes Holden feel lonely and isolated because he had very few friends. Holden’s feeling of alienation is seen when he doesn’t attend the biggest football game of the year. His comments on the game: “It was the last game of the year and you were supposed to commit suicide or something if old Pencey didn’t win” (2, Ch. 1). This also hints to Holden’s obsession with death. Holden can’t find a since of belonging in the school because of all the so-called phonies. Holden speaks of Pencey’s headmaster as being a phony. Holden says that on visitation day the headmaster will pay no attention to the corny-looking parents. Holden portrays his not being interested by saying, “all you do is study so that you can learn enough to be smart enough to buy a goddam Cadillac someday, and you have to keep making believe you give a damn if the football team loses”(131, Ch. 17). Holden does not care for school or money. He just wants everyone to be sincere and honest.
From the protagonists’ point of view, the adult world Holden and Franny are entering and living in is a very superficial place. Holden who is sixteen years of age is going through a time of crisis where he is almost forced to become an adult. This concept is the very thing that makes Holden afraid, causing him to misbehave at school. His latest school, Pencey Prep, expels Holden due to his failing grades. When asked for the reason of his lack of academic enthusiasm, Holden simply states that he is not interested in anything. In every school he has attended, Holden has managed to find different reasons not to care and possibly even hate the institutions.
Some people feel all alone in this world, with no direction to follow but their empty loneliness. The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger, follows a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who despises society and calls everyone a “phony.” Holden can be seen as a delinquent who smokes tobacco, drinks alcohol, and gets expelled from a prestigious boarding school. This coming-of-age book follows the themes of isolation, innocence, and corrupted maturity which is influenced from the author's life and modernism, and is shown through the setting, symbolism, and diction.
Holden doesn’t like the complexity of life and relationships. This is why he distances himself from his family and friends. After Holden is expelled from his school, he tries to stay away from his parents for fear of their reaction, even though learning of his expulsion is inevitable. He visits his sister Phoebe in their home multiple times throughout the novel because due to her young age, his sister and his relationship is simple. "For instance, within Holden, the desire to reject others conflicts with the desire to be accepted by others: he doesn't want to lend Stradlater his coat, but his overt actions belie this covert, warring want: he despises Ackley, but he invites him to see a movie; he hates movies, believing them to foster phoniness in society” (Mitchell). Holden struggles to “catch” others because he believes he is not accepted by others.