Catcher In The Rye Innocence Theme
Fifty-five percent of teenagers say they have been emotionally abused by a parent, and eleven percent have suffered physical abuse. The novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is about a seventeen-year-old boy, Holden, who has dealt with a lot of trauma from the death of his younger brother. He has been getting kicked out of every school he has been in because of bad behavior and bad grades. Holden never has felt like he fits in, and tries to figure out himself by traveling to New York City. J.D. Salinger uses many literary elements to show the preservation of innocence and youth, including the setting and Holden's life experiences. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger illustrates the preservation of innocence and youth. J.D. Salinger …show more content…
“I saw something that drove me crazy. Somebody'd written 'Fuck you' on the wall... I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell it meant” (Salinger 201). Holden was very angry that all the young kids would see this on the walls. He knew they wouldn't understand what it meant, which would cause them to ask what it meant to others. This quote shows that Holden has a strong belief in the preservation of youth, and this showed him how there is so much exposure to young children. At the school he is at, his very young kids don't understand those kinds of words yet, and it reveals to them at such a young age. Holden himself knows he has been affected by that kind of language, and he doesn't want the same thing for others. He wants the kids just like his sister, to turn out better than him, and he is upset when he sees that they are already exposed, just like he was. The next setting I want to talk about is the schools Holden has been in, and how they have affected him. Holden has always had school forced on him, even when he was going through tough times, and never wants to return. "The only thing that scared me was
Is Holden Caulfield Reliable
1050 Words | 5 PagesFor instance in the story Holden says “It looked pretty as hell, and we all started throwing snowballs and horsing around all over the place. It was very childish, but everybody was really enjoying themselves. ”(Salinger PDF 23). Throughout the story, Holden does very childish things. He made people act negatively, rudely, and immaturely.
Examples Of Dialectical Journal For The Catcher In The Rye
1261 Words | 6 PagesHe has throughout the story been kicked out of three schools. The book starts with Holden being at Pencey Prep, which he is expelled from. In chapter one, Holden describes his story why he had to leave Pencey Prep. “They kicked me out. I wasn’t supposed to come back after christmas vacation, on account of I was flunking four subjects and not applying and all”(6).
How Does Holden Change Throughout The Catcher In The Rye
858 Words | 4 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, focuses on a young man–Holden Caulfield–who fears growing up. Throughout the book, Holden struggles to accept that he is entering the “phony” world of adulthood. He has rebelled in various ways to prove that he has control over his life; however, the one thing Holden yearns to control is the inevitable change of growing older. J.D. Salinger uses symbolism and point of view to convey the theme of this book: fear of change and growing up. The fear of entering the adult world can lead somebody to protect themselves to avoid failure of fitting in.
Holden's Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye
776 Words | 4 PagesAnother instance occurs in which the violence exclusively appears in silence. At the school he had attended when he was young, offensive graffiti litters the halls. This upsets Holden to the highest degree. He tells himself that he “kept wanting to kill whoever'd written it” (Salinger 201), yet he takes no direct action in uncovering the culprit or causing him harm. Holden has developed a keen sense of when innocence is slipping away, so that he may have a chance to prevent it.
How Does Holden Grow Up In Catcher In The Rye
548 Words | 3 PagesGrowing up is difficult and sometimes frightening to imagine as a child. It is not surprising, then, that throughout the Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, Holden is unwilling to mature into a man and accept his responsibilities. Yet, he feels the need to save children in order to preserve their innocence. As Holden is introduced to different characters and places, he labels them into categories, distinguishing what he thinks is genuine and from what has changed. Holden’s view on adulthood is one of discomfort because of the way people are merged into acting, making them phonies that are abhorred by him.
Examples Of Obsession In The Great Gatsby
718 Words | 3 PagesIn more depth, this quotes shows his need to save children like his sister phoebe or his dead brother Allie from losing their childhood innocence and becoming adults which he believes are all phonies. In reality, Holden is one person so he can not be the catcher in the rye; despite that he keeps trying to be till he reaches a loin where he is truly lost in touch with reality and blinded. He does however realize that in the back of his mind, which is what leads him on such a destructive path of competing with himself constantly on meeting the idea he believes he is. He does this by drinking, smoking, becoming involved in fights and even attempting to have meaninglessness sexual encounters. However in the end he comes to the realization that he can not be the catcher in the rye despite what he’s done, and what triggers this realization for him is when he sees the word “Fuck you” on the walls of phoebe’s school.
Holden Caulfield Symbolism
724 Words | 3 PagesHolden stated, “While I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy. Somebody’d written “F*** you” on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell it mean, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them-all cockeyed, naturally- what it meant, and how they’d think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple days”(Salinger 221). Holden is mad because just when he thought that he was doing a great job at preserving a childhood innocence this one thing just had to jump out and ruin his entire operation.
What Does Holden's Hat Symbolize
545 Words | 3 PagesIn The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield recounts his experience in New York City after his expulsion from his third school. Holden, the central character of the novel, describes all characters he meets descriptively, yet he never provides an explanation of his motives. Luckily, Holden’s personality is reflected through the various symbols throughout the novel. J.D Salinger uses symbolism to create an intimate connection to Holden’s unique emotions in an ever changing society. To begin, we first gain insight of Holden’s character through his odd taste in choice.
Holden Caulfield Loss Of Innocence
1092 Words | 5 PagesHolden uses alcohol and violence to escape his problems, which does not work in his favor. Holden gets expelled from boarding school, and after
Should The Catcher In The Rye Be Banned
1248 Words | 5 PagesAdditionally, Holden also shows that he has some sort of standards when it comes to foul language, whilst at his old school. Whilst dropping off a note to Phoebe, Holden sees the words, “Fuck you” on the wall. “You may think there
Holden's Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye
707 Words | 3 PagesHolden Caulfield’s early loss of innocence causes him to fiercely guard the innocence of others, resulting in pain for him when he realizes that his attempts are futile. Holden’s negative experiences with the adults in his life lead to his valuing the idea of innocence. Despite his bad role models, Holden clings to the concept that integrity is the most important quality in a person. While reflecting on one of his old boarding schools, he expresses his dislike for its “phony” headmaster, Mr. Haas. He complains, “[O]ld Haas went around shaking hands with everybody's parents when they drove up to school.
Catcher In The Rye Holden's Journey Analysis
656 Words | 3 PagesThe novel “The Catcher in the Rye” was about the journey of a adolescent boy finding his way to adulthood. In the book Holden Caulfield was unsuccessful in finding his way to adulthood. Holden’s attitude in the novel throughout his journey was very immature. He also can't accept the fact that innocence can’t be forever protected. Lastly, Holden calls everyone a phony when in reality he is the real phony.
Holden's Childhood Trauma
983 Words | 4 PagesIn The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger illustrates how children mature through their exposure to trauma. Salinger uses character interactions to show the effects of a child's mindset when experiencing childhood trauma. Holden experiments with many different illegal activities including drugs and alcohol, which connects back to his childhood home experience. Holden grew up in a very intense childhood home situation.
Catcher In The Rye Internal Conflict
1032 Words | 5 PagesIf the book is read solely on its surface level, it just seems like a book about an annoying teenager who just complains about everything, but the messages it carries are actually profound. For example, near the end of the story Holden is upset by some profane graffiti on the wall at a museum that says “F*** you” (Salinger 224). He is upset by it because he is worried some little kids will see it and wonder what it means, and then be curious enough to find out adn have their innocence stolen. He finds the graffiti multiple times in the museum. The profane graffiti, if looked at beyond the surface level, symbolises the fact that Holden can not do anything to stop little kids from losing their innocence.
Catcher In The Rye Adolescence Analysis
859 Words | 4 PagesIn the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger depicts the immature mentality of typical teenagers through Holden’s childish curiosity. Teens experience
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