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Catcher In The Rye Diction Analysis

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In his 1951 novel, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger used different diction subsets. Important diction subsets to pay attention to are slang, cursing, and connotation. Without the use of slang, cursing, and connotation, the novel would not have been well recognized. The theme of the book is to be protected from adulthood and to keep the innocence while growing up, but the profound language of the novel does something in the theme that could not be done without it. The diction of the book can offend young adults, religion, and some adults feel that it is inappropriate for children to read because of violence and sexuality. The profound actions described in the novel that were presented by slang, cursing, and connotation lead to the banning…show more content…
Holden says that he had a lousy childhood, and this shows that he is still dealing with and holding on to his past. He is trying to hold onto his childhood innocence, and does not want to enter adulthood. This is Holden’s way of saying that he feels as if he was neglected by his parents as a child. Another example of connotation in the novel is when Holden tries to explain to Phoebe that he wants to be the catcher in the rye. Holden remembers his time at Elkton Hills when a boy, James Castle, committed suicide, “instead of taking back what he said, he jumped out the window” (221). This is very important because this was Holdens chance to be the hero of the novel, and he failed. Not only does the novel show suicide in it, but it is said to be blamed for John Lennon’s and Ronald Reagan’s murder. Mark David Chapman was supposedly, “obsessed with it.” He was a Christian and, “took offense to Lennon’s atheism. He saw John Lennon as a phony, because he saw God as real.” He thought that by killing Lennon, he would, “save children from emulating Lennon’s godless ways.” John Hinckley, the assassin of Ronald Reagan was also a fan of the novel because, “ when police entered Hinkley’s residence, Catcher in the Rye was sitting on his coffee table.” The use of connotation in the novel shows that it was banned in certain places because of how hidden messages and…show more content…
The use of slang throughout the novel shows that the main character, Holden Caulfield, is a phony person himself because of the way he perceives other people. The use of profanity in the novel is important because it characterizes the story, and it does something to the theme that could not be done without it. The use of connotation was important because it showed hidden messages and explicit meanings can go too far when overthought. How can one story be such a controversy when the actions in it are
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