“Everybody tries to be exactly the same. I think being an outsider is a good thing.” - Ethan Embry. Some people in life will act different from everybody else, some people will break the conventions of society. In the books To Kill A Mockingbird and The Catcher In The Rye there lies a coexisting theme where people do not act like everyone else. The Characters in To Kill A Mockingbird and The Catcher In The Rye do many things against societal norms, thus making them outsiders. One reason why Holden Caulfield from The Catcher In The Rye and Mixed Children from To Kill A Mockingbird are outsiders is due to the fact they are not accepted by their communities. “They kicked me out…on account of I was flunking four subjects and not applying …show more content…
and all” (The Catcher In The Rye, 6). In all the four schools Holden has gone to he is kicked due to his poor grades. None of the schools he goes to take time to accept him and learn why Holden is not doing well in his classes, they all just kick him out. Due to Holden not staying in the schools he goes to he is an outsider. “They don’t belong anywhere. Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just in betweens, don’t belong anywhere” (To Kill a Mockingbird, 215). The mixed children in Maycomb can not be accepted by any of the groups of Maycomb. As the quote above says African Americans won’t accept them because they’re white and whites won’t accept them because they’re black, this makes the mixed children outsiders to most of Maycomb. Holden and the mixed Children are similar in the aspect that no one will accept them and no one will take time to understand them. This similarity is also what makes both of them outsiders. The theme of being an outsider can be seen again in both books with Holden not being understood by many of his peers and the people of Maycomb don’t understand the reason Atticus would defend an African-American.
“And not only that, he had a terrible personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy. I wasn’t too crazy about him to tell you the truth” (The Catcher In The Rye, 23). Holden dislikes most of his peers due to the fact he finds them all phony. Due to Holden disliking most of his peers, they all start to dislike him and not understand why is like he is. This makes Holden an outsider to the rest of his peers. “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for” (To Kill a Mockingbird, 135). In Maycomb, many white people do not understand why Atticus would defend an African-American. The white people see African-Americans as less than them so they don’t like Atticus defending one of them. They start to say he is as bad as the African-American and hate him, making him an outsider to most the town. Holden peers do not understand why he dislikes them and the people of Maycomb don't understand Atticus defending an African-American making them both outsiders to the rest of …show more content…
society. Another instance of the theme of being an outsider appearing in both To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher In The Rye is when Holden’s parents do not take the time to understand him and the women of Maycomb do not understand Scout.
“I figured my parents probably wouldn't get old Thurmer's letter saying I'd been given the ax till maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. I didn't want to go home or anything till they got it and thoroughly digested it and all. I didn't want to be around when they first got it. My mother gets very hysterical” (The Catcher In The Rye, 58) Since Holden is constantly being kicked out of school his parent have started to get mad at him. However, they have not taken the time to understand him and why he is getting kicked out, Holden doesn’t even want to go home because of this. Holden’s parents not understanding him makes him an outsider even in his family. “‘What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways…’” (To Kill a Mockingbird, 135). In the city of Maycomb all the women dress and act a certain way, they act ladylike. However, Scout does not follow the tradition of being ladylike, she acts and dresses how she wants. Due to the way Scout is many women in Maycomb do not understand her and make her an outsider. With Scout not being understood by the women in Maycomb and Holden not being understood by his parents, it makes both of them
outsiders in a similar way. To conclude, in the books To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher In The Rye there are several characters like Holden or Atticus that do things against society to make themselves outsiders. Holden won’t be accepted by the schools he goes to. Mixed children will not be accepted by the different groups in Maycomb. Holden does not understand his peer and they don’t understand him. The people of Maycomb do not understand why Atticus defends an African-American. Holden’s parents can’t understand why he keeps getting kicked out of school. Scout is not understood because she does not act like a lady. This is how To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher In The Rye share a similar theme. The character of Holden and several from To Kill a Mockingbird are outsiders. Them being outsiders is bad, it is actually beneficial to them because they can be different from everybody else. Not everyone will fit the social norms society sets, some people will be outsiders.
Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye, the movie Pleasantville, and even in real life, a theme constant is the theme of protection of innocence. The Catcher in the Rye portrays the idea of protection of innocence through the main character of Holden Caulfield. Holden is a highly troubled boy, and is constantly getting kicked out of schools. However, there is one idea he is fiercely serious about. He explains this idea to his sister when she presses him about his life choices. “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids...and nobody’s around-nobody big, I mean, except me....What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff...I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all”(Salinger 173). This quote spoken by Holden is him
Throughout the history of literature, a great deal of authors has tried to reveal a clear understanding of the American Dream. Whether it is possible to achieve lies all in the character the author portrays. The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye stand as prime examples of this. F. Scott Fitzgerald and J.D. Salinger, the authors of these titles, respectively, fashion flawed characters, Jay Gatsby and Holden Caulfield, with one vital desire: the longing to gain what they can’t have; acceptance and the feeling of belonging. Each retaining characteristics that shows their differences and similarities in opinion of the world around them.
Holden is not just abnormal, he has problems that other teenagers, including the students at Pencey, experience going through adolescence. An example of this is Holden's jealousy towards Stradlater when he finds out he is going on a date with Jane Gallagher, “Boy,was I getting nervous” (42). Every teenager has bouts of jealously especially about the opposite sex, and Holden is no different. Holden's rebellious nature, to an extent, is typical for a teenage boy. His rebellious nature of smoking when it is not allowed, “You weren't allowed to smoke in the dorm...I went right on smoking like a madman.” (41-42). Holden is also anxious about change, which again to an extent is normal, “Do you happen to know where they go, the ducks...”(60), and he has the right to be; change,especially during adolescence, is a terrifying but exciting ride into the unknown, and similar to other adolescents Holden is afraid but intrigued about the unknown.
They say not to judge a book by its cover, as what is on the inside is more important than what is on the exterior. As a human race, one of the first things done is jumping to conclusions about people without knowing them thoroughly. The novels, The Catcher in the Rye and Prep by J.D. Salinger and Curtis Sittenfeld respectively, both portray this theme. Although the books do this in a different manner and convey different messages through this basic lesson, they both provide validity to the statement with realistic events occurring to teenagers. Sharing similarities in plot, the Washington Post makes a comment connecting the two protagonists saying, "Holden Caulfield would love this heroine." Holden and Lee, the male and female protagonists of the novels, both display the judgments people make through their narrations of the stories. Despite the similarities in the plot, characters and personality traits of the two, after getting to know Lee Holden would not want to pursue a friendship with Lee, by feeling negatively about her, contradicting the comment by the Washington Post due to her judgmental personality which mends easily to its surroundings.
Beyond buzzing courtrooms of segregated townspeople and skies raining ashes reeking of kerosene, Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird), and Ray Bradbury’s Guy Montag (Fahrenheit 451) are both sui generis characters in their own stories because of their shared similarities deeper than eyes, ears, and noses. From their burning passions for knowledge and literature to their patient, unbiased hearts, the two men shake their communities to new realizations. Their idiosyncrasies made the relentless lawyer and runaway fireman standout in a society where laws are governed by people blinded in the bliss of oblivion.
The story To Kill A Mockingbird has a wide variety of characters and situations that make it an all-time favorite. The ever-growing popularity of this story has caused a movie version, based on the book, to be showcased. There are noticeable differences between the two that could change the entire feel of the story. The omitted scenes from the book, that are never shown in the movie, include: Jem and Scout going to church with Calpurnia, the school scene in which the Ewells, Cunninghams, and Scout’s teacher and classmates are introduced and talked about, and how Aunt Alexandra, the great influencer of the children in the book, never appears in the movie along with other Finch family members.
In a perfect world, everyone would be happy with the way they are and everyone would accept the differences of others. Unfortunately, the world we live in is not perfect and not everyone accepts who they are . Is there a reason why people cannot be content with their lives or with the differences of other people? The answer is yes, and the reason for the discontent is society. With society telling the masses what is, and is not acceptable, it is no wonder that people seem “lost”, and are desperately searching out their place in the sun. This search for identity seems to be the case in JD Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Through settings in the novel and symbolism, Salinger illustrates that while the main character, Holden Caulfield, needs the support of the environment around him, the environment also needs Holden as a person. Holden Caulfield is out of place in any environment in which he is placed. At Pencey, his school, Holden gets excluded from the activities of his classmates. At the very beginning of the novel, Holden becomes expelled because his grades are not up to Pencey’s standards and also because he does not feel like he belongs there. Holden separates himself from his classmates for the most part by not becoming involved in the school. Although Holden is the equipment manager of the fencing team, he distances himself from his companions by losing the equipment, showing that he does not fit in, and he really does not want to. As he reflects back on his final day at Pencey he says: “ They kicked me out. ...I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself at all. They gave me frequent warnings to start applying myself...but I didn’t do it” (Salinger 4). The school is throwing Holden out because he is not what they want to represent to potential students. They want to show examples of fine, upstanding young men, instead of giving off the image of the failing, confused young man. Salinger uses Pencey as a mock society of some sorts. Holden does not fit in at Pencey, and he most definitely does not fit in as seen in the later settings of the novel. A second example of Holden’s isolation from his classmates can also be seen when he stands alone on the top of the hill during the “big game”.
Now with over 15 million copies in print translated into forty languages, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is highly regarded as a masterpiece of American literature. It stands strong beside bestsellers such as “The Joy Luck Club,” “The Catcher in the Rye,” and “Huckleberry Finn.” But what, one may ask, are the similarities between these chartbusters?
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (p.90) Miss. Maudie, one of the main protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird, warns the young girl Scout that mockingbirds should not to be killed or hunted down because they represent those who are kind and innocent. So, on a broader spectrum, the term “to kill a mockingbird” symbolizes cruel and improper behavior towards people with good hearts and intentions. In the town of Maycomb, unethical behaviors, such as prejudice and gossip, are most commonly used against the “mockingbirds”. Three of those “mockingbirds” that are featured in this novel are Arthur “Boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch. Due to the depiction of the mockingbird symbol in the novel, the reader understands the consequences that immoral attitudes have towards those who are innocent and kindhearted.
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.
In the beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is an immature teenager. Holden gets kicked out of his school, Pencey Prep, for failing four out of five of his classes. He says, “They kicked me out. I wasn’t supposed to come back after Christmas vacation … I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself and all” (Salinger 4). Holden does not yet realize the severity of his actions. He does not comprehend that when he does not apply himself, he does not do well. This could partly be due to the fact that when he gets kicked out of one school, he knows that his family will just pay for him to be allowed into another boarding school. Part of the irony in Holden’s story is that physically, he looks mature, but mentally, he is still very much a child: “I act quite young for my age, sometimes. I was sixteen then, and I’m seventeen now … I’m six foot two and a half and I have gray hair ” (9). There is no middle ground, adolescence, for Holden. He can only be an adult, physically, or a child, mentally. Holden’s history teacher, Mr. Spencer, tries to appeal to him by using a metaphor: “Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules” (8). Holden then reflects on this to hims...
Holden had a tough time fitting in at his schools because he thought of almost everyone as phonies. "`It's full of phonies, and all you do is study so that you can learn enough to be smart enough to be able to buy a goddam Cadillac some day, and you have to keep making believe you give a damn if the football team loses, and all you do is talk about girls and liquor and sex all day, and everybody sticks together in these dirty little goddam cliques' (pg. 131)." He seems to have a history of expulsion and failure at various schools because of his lack of ability to cope with others. Ordinary problems of his had turned into major conflicts with other students. "I hate fist fights. I don't mind getting hit so much - although I'm not crazy about it, naturally - but what scares me most in a fist fight is the guy's face. I can't stand looking at the other guy's face, is my trouble. It wouldn't be so bad if you could both be blindfolded or something. It's a funny kind of yellowness, when you come to think of it, but it's yellowness, all right. I'm not kidding myself. (pg. 90)" Holden got into a fight with his roommate at school because he was going out with his ex-girlfriend. He's afraid that the guy is taking her from him, even though he's not with her anymore. These are problems that are normal, but Holden has trouble dealing with them.
When kids reach their puberty they go through many changes establishing their personalities and adapting to their environments. During puberty, it could be confusing, filled with contradicting feelings, for kids. The movie Pleasantville written and directed by Gary Ross and the book Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger address those very issues. The movie and the book have many of similarities and differences. Some of the similarities are: both protagonists are idealistic teenage boys who do not fit into their environment, they both fantasize about the girls they like but didn't have the courage to act on their feelings; throughout the storylines, they both try to protect the innocents. However, they differed in their attitude toward
Despite being written centuries apart, JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and Sophocles's Antigone both of one thing largely in common: a protagonist searching for themself in a long, confusing way. In Antigone, the main character, Antigone, is found disagreeing with her sister, Ismene, as to whether they should break the law and bury their brother, or disregard what the gods say and let her die unburied. Antigone says that despite what Creon believes, her brother deserves to be buried, and that the Gods’ word is higher than Creon’s word. Ismene, on the other hand, believes that they although he deserves to be honored, it’s not worth sacrificing their innocence. Antigone buries him, and is taken to Creon, where he sentences her to death, despite what Haemon, Creon’s son who was supposed to marry Antigone, says to try to change his mind. Creon then
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.