Character Analysis Of Holden Caulfield
Character analysis Holden Caulfield
Holden Cualfields is the main character in the novel The Catcher in the Rye. When the novel begins Holden is sixteen years old, six feet two and a half inches tall with poor health due to his overuse of cigarettes. From him being angry, anxious and depressed one minute to being thoughtful and kind the next, you could draw the conclusion that Holden is a complex human being.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Holden is that he is a pessimistic, negative and far from naive teenage boy. The outlook he has on life is pretty depressing and it is not often he is positive about things that happen. One thing that he does a lot is observing other people and his conclusion of people's personalities is that they most of the time are ”phony”, that being; boring, superficial or insecure. And if there
…show more content…
Even though he has been through some not fun happenings in his life, I do not think that those happenings are the only things that have caused his negative and pessimistic state of mind. Holden might of had a mental disorder which the ending maybe indicate too, because he is at a mental institution. His mental disorder is probably the reason why his is so troubled, doesn’t manage to stay in schools and is unable to have any sort of relationship with anyone.
Holden is not able to cope with death very well and the thought of this dead brother lying six feet under in a cemetery, scares Holden. Even though a big amount of people are scared of death, which is understandable, Holden's ways of dealing with – avoiding it - is not ideal. At the Museum of Natural History there is a display in glass where there are people doing the same thing year after year. Holden uses this example to describe how he would want life to be - where beautiful moments would last
Analyzing The Conscious Mind Of Holden Caulfield
808 Words | 4 PagesDaisy Medina Mrs. Kehrmeyer Ap Language 3 April 2018 The Unconscious and Conscious Mind of Holden Caulfield By the age of twenty-five about eight percent of the population has lost a sibling, according to The United States National Library of Medicine.
Holden Caulfield Characterization
1701 Words | 7 Pages“I like to be somewhere at least where you can see a few girls around once in a while, even if they’re only scratching their arms or blowing their noses or even just giggling or something” (3). The narrator, Holden Caulfield, describes an aspect of his character through this confession. Obviously, he is interested in girls and desires them at all times. During the 1950s when this novel was published, having such desires would not have been approved of by the parents of the time due to the increasing social pressures of society. A majority of these adults would have considered Caulfield a terrible role model and would not have wanted the youth to read about him wanting to look at girls.
Holden Caulfield Criticism
1114 Words | 5 PagesKeeping these things in mind, Holden Caulfield is presented much like the author. Caulfield has a very immature attitude that fall under the category of Ego-Defensive. The Ego-Defensive category has four subcategories within itself called; denial, repression, projective, and rationalization, that are labeled as defense mechanisms through psychological lenses. According to McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of Modern Medicine, denial is the “primitive–ego defense–mechanism by which a person unconsciously negates the existence of a disease or other stress-producing reality in his environment, by disavowing thoughts, feelings, wishes, needs, or external reality factors that are consciously intolerable.” Holden presents his state of denial in the way he tries to maintain his relationship with his deceased brother, Allie.
The Catcher In The Rye: Was Holden Successful In His Journey
593 Words | 3 PagesWas Holden successful in his Journey This is an essay on whether or not Holden Caulfield is successful on his journey throughout the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by Jerome David Salinger. This book shows how hard it can be for teenagers that are going from an adolescent to adulthood. Holden, who is sixteen years old, has been kicked out of several schools. Pencey Prep. was the latest.
Holden Caulfield Misfit Analysis
1417 Words | 6 PagesHe said “ I do not get hardly anything out of anything. I am in a bad shape. I am in a lousy shape.” These reveal his lack of ability to handle adult relationships and human interaction which makes him a
Characteristics Of Holden Caulfield In Catcher In The Rye
818 Words | 4 PagesIn the book, The Catcher in The Rye, Holden Caulfield narrates his journey from his expulsion from high school to New York. In the beginning of the book, Holden Caulfield is very apathetic to his academics and fails out of school; however, by the end of the book, Caulfield begins to realize this through his conversations with his teachers Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antolini. A major change Holden experiences are when Phoebe asks to run away with him. He denies her request aggressively and makes her cry which goes against his beliefs of keeping the innocence of children intact and refraining from stopping their fun. Caulfield also changes in his philosophy of being “the catcher in the rye” when at the carousel, he says that he feels children should be left to grab the gold rings at the carousel.
Catcher In The Rye Childhood Vs Adulthood Analysis
815 Words | 4 PagesPutting this memory before Holden crosses the street is very important as he is constantly reminded of his childhood while crossing. This shows up twice as he calls out to his deceased brother, a big part of his childhood, and experiences fear
Catcher In The Rye Grief Analysis
656 Words | 3 PagesIn The Catcher in the Rye, it is observed that the novel is about grief. There are 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and finally acceptance. The Catcher in the Rye shows how Holden goes through the grieving process. By the end of the novel it shows how Holden has reached closure or a way to let go.
Catcher In The Rye Holden's Struggles Essay
830 Words | 4 PagesHolden’s Struggle To Find Himself: Throughout the novel, The Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden struggles to find himself and who he truly is in order to be happy. His struggles relate to many things that he does or say in particular. Holden lacks with a social status with women and his family, whether it’s a relationship or being antisocial. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield experiences the complexities and struggles involved with both physical and emotional relationships.
How Does Holden Caulfield Change Throughout The Novel
693 Words | 3 PagesCatcher in the Rye In the book Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the narrator and protagonist Holden Caulfield a sixteen year old junior undergoes a series of changes. Holden learns multiple life changing lessons; one of them is you must grow up. In the beginning of the novel, Holden starts out as “that kid”; the one with the parents who expect him to get into an ivy league school, and end up with a kid with no intentions of doing so. At the beginning of the book it is very apparent that Holden lacks motivation; he also has hit rock bottom.
Lack Of Responsibility In Catcher In The Rye
744 Words | 3 PagesIn The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a peculiar character portrayed as a skeptic living in “a world of phonies” in circa 1950. These personality traits can be seen through his doubts of society as well as his way of thinking and acting toward others. He also demonstrates a lack of responsibility adding to his role as a slacker. Holden flunks out of school repeatedly and has no desire to confront his parents. He mopes around the city for days, delaying the inevitable punishments he’s sure to get.
Examples Of Motifs In Catcher In The Rye
1453 Words | 6 PagesMotifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help develop and inform the text 's major themes. One of the recurring themes in the novel The Catcher in the Rye is the pervasive theme of death. It could be argued that the novel is not only full of references to death in the literal sense, physical disappearance, but also in the metaphorical, taking the form of spiritual disappearance, something which Holden often focuses on, along with the actual theme of mortality. It is possible that this occurs because of his reluctance to interact with the living world. As his means of escaping from the reality he despises, his mundane thoughts and the “phoniness” that he is surrounded by.
Catcher In The Rye Analysis
1308 Words | 6 PagesHolden Caulfield lives his life as an outsider to his society, because of this any we (as a reader) find normal is a phony to him. Basically, every breathing thing in The Catcher in the Rye is a phony expect a select few, like Jane Gallagher. What is a phony to Holden and why is he obsessed with them? A phony is anyone who Holden feels is that living their authentic life, like D.B. (his older brother). Or simply anyone who fits into society norms, for example, Sally Hayes.
Catcher In The Rye Holden's Character Traits
767 Words | 4 PagesThroughout the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is a deep character that shows(possesses) many personality traits. His character is what connects many readers to him and helps in understanding him. Some character traits Holden possesses are that he is generous, kindhearted, usually honest, very intelligent, makes quick judgements, speaks his mind, is anxious about change, and likes kids. Considering his many character traits, it is easy for the reader to understand and relate to Holden. There are many character traits that I share with him.
Catcher In The Rye: A Psychological Analysis Of Holden Caulfield
824 Words | 4 PagesThroughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has abnormal tendencies. Although he could just be a typical teenager, dealing with difficult situations, after analyzing his behavior it is believed that he is suffering from a mental ailment of some sort. Events from Holden’s past are still currently haunting him and it is evident that he is struggling. He needs the guidance of those around him in order to help himself through these tough time.
More about Character Analysis Of Holden Caulfield
Analyzing The Conscious Mind Of Holden Caulfield
808 Words | 4 PagesHolden Caulfield Characterization
1701 Words | 7 PagesHolden Caulfield Criticism
1114 Words | 5 PagesThe Catcher In The Rye: Was Holden Successful In His Journey
593 Words | 3 PagesHolden Caulfield Misfit Analysis
1417 Words | 6 PagesCharacteristics Of Holden Caulfield In Catcher In The Rye
818 Words | 4 PagesCatcher In The Rye Childhood Vs Adulthood Analysis
815 Words | 4 PagesCatcher In The Rye Grief Analysis
656 Words | 3 PagesCatcher In The Rye Holden's Struggles Essay
830 Words | 4 PagesHow Does Holden Caulfield Change Throughout The Novel
693 Words | 3 PagesLack Of Responsibility In Catcher In The Rye
744 Words | 3 PagesExamples Of Motifs In Catcher In The Rye
1453 Words | 6 PagesCatcher In The Rye Analysis
1308 Words | 6 PagesCatcher In The Rye Holden's Character Traits
767 Words | 4 PagesCatcher In The Rye: A Psychological Analysis Of Holden Caulfield
824 Words | 4 Pages