The Catcher in the Rye Thematic Essay Imagine living a lonesome life, full of fear and little hope of better days to come. Imagine the toll this would take on a person’s life and how they develop as a person. For Holden Caulfield, the main character of J.D Salinger’s classic The Catcher in the Rye this, is his reality. Holden is a sixteen year old troubled boy suffering through major mental issues and living a rather a depressing life for a teenager. Throughout the novel he goes through many hardships that only worsen his depression making him feel hatred towards his seemingly hellish world. Thanks to the events that occur, the theme of isolation prohibiting maturity is clearly expressed through the indirect characterization of Holden, it can be seen …show more content…
The effects of Holden constantly isolating himself can be seen especially through his improper speech and how he speaks to others. For example in chapter two Holden says “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies (pg 14).” In this Holden is exhibiting his poor vocabulary and shows how he does not put thought into the things he says. When he uses the word phonies to describe the boys at Elkton Hills in reality he means he thinks they are boys whom he is not friends with and does not like. In many other cases Holden appears to immediately result to the word phony when describing something or someone he does not like. Later on into the novel Holden is talking to Ernie Morrow’s mother, a boy who goes to Pencey. He sees her on a train when he is going to New York City and
The loss of his older brother and the absent parents have really affected Holden’s behavior. He lives a life without any care but with exception of younger children. Holden has a fascination with younger children and their innocence possibly because he wasn’t able to enjoy his adolescent years and nor did his brother. Holden mentions “‘Every time I'd get to the end of a block I'd make believe I was talking to my brother Allie. I'd say to him, "Allie, don't let me disappear.
Holden view his sister as genuine and honest, not a “phony” like almost everyone else. When he arrives back in New York, one of his first thoughts is that he would like to call and speak with her. In the end of the novel, when Holden is getting ready to start his new life he decides he cannot leave without saying goodbye. Phoebe is the only character in the book who he actually cares about and sees no flaws in. He holds onto Phoebe so much because unlike everyone else surrounded by him, she still has her
adulthood. Holden constantly acts childish when leaving schools, wasting money, starting arguments, and flunking his classes. When he is sent off to different schools, he is also being forced into adulthood. He is all alone far away from his family, and it is up to him to make decisions for himself. “It was too late to call for a cab…..
Was 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.
The cause of depression can vary from many aspects such as a devastating loss or a terrible incident. Depression is neither inevitable nor a character flaw, however the emotional pain, a persistent feeling of anger and sadness, is demonstrated through the protagonist in J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield, the young teenager in the novel, struggles with several tragic experiences that contributes to his depression. Holden Caulfield’s depressive state of mind causes him to isolate himself from society and serves as a primary reason for his difficulty dealing with others. Initially, Holden is prohibited from attending Pencey Prep due to his poor academic grades.
His central theme is the struggle of growing up in a world full of “phonies”. Instead of admitting that adulthood scares him, Holden creates a fantasy that adulthood is a world of hypocrisy and dishonesty, while childhood is the reverse. “Holden’s Irony in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye” by Lisa Privitera the writer clarifies, in her review of the Catcher in the Rye, she indicates that Holden has allowed himself to live in the absurdity of the world. He wants to search for a solution about his place in the world, but he does not do anything to proceed his quest.
Holden’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.
Stricken Catcher in the rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger about boy named Holden Caulfield. Holden over the course of days He goes from completely unethical person to downright unbearable. He starts out at Pencey the school that he was currently frequenting until they gave him the axe. He then left Pencey”sleep tight, ya morons!” with about three days left of down time (he left Pencey early.).
In all of the books we read, there is one common factor that is in all of them: all books contain themes. In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, travels to New York to escape his parent 's disappointment until Wednesday. On his trip to New York, he encounters many issues and that foster many of the themes in the book. The themes in the book connect to Holden to give the reader a better representation of him as a character. In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, the three major themes are innocence, failure, and loneliness.
Catcher 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.
Holden attempts to assert himself above everybody else in society and essentially portrays that he is better than everyone. Isolation is a major characteristic in Gothic writing because it forces the audience to solely focus on the protagonists and his everyday struggles with fitting into society. Holden isolates himself from everyone by the judgment he places on people in society. This isolation correlates to him immaturity and the reason he doesn't connect with anyone. When Holden comes out of the theater and sees the phonies in the mist, he states, “At the end of the first act we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette.
The Catcher in the Rye In the novel The Catcher in the Rye J.D Salinger writes about a teenager struggling to find his place within the existence of the reality of others. Salinger creates shocking events that lay out the foundation of the the main character Holden Caulfield’s life in the novel. Salinger uses Holden’s characteristics throughout the novel such as Holden’s stubbornness to establish a much bigger theme in the book along with many other symbols.
Devin Sushil The Catcher in the Rye is a coming of age story with the overall purpose of providing a coming of age story that allows the audience, typically teenagers, to relate with the universal themes of growing up and fearing adulthood. Evidentially the authors tone, conveyed through Holden, is cynical, sarcastic and critical. Over the three day period that the events in New York occur, the narration by Holden allows him to be characterized by his innermost thoughts and feelings. The word choice of the author portrays Holden’s struggle in growing up.
Jessica Casimiro October 30, 2015 English 3/PayLea Short Story Essay Patrick Rothfuss once claimed, “The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.” The novel Catcher in the Rye focuses on Holden Caulfield, an angst-ridden teen conflicted between remaining in a state of prolonged innocence or transitioning into the world of adulthood, thus facing the corruption and phoniness that it correlates with. Through Holden’s dynamic character, J.D Salinger depicts how innocence is slowly lost when exposed to adulthood. Reluctant to the idea of growing up, Holden strives to protect the innocence of himself and the ones’ around him. Holden reminisces about the Natural Museum of History, a place he enjoyed going
The essential element of creating a timeless novel is ensuring that it continues to remain relevant as time progresses. The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, establishes the mentality of a teenager, Holden Caulfield, living in 1950’s. Although there are many variations in society presently, many of Holden’s thoughts and affairs are similar to those seen in the 21st century. Holden deals with relentless insecurities and a struggle with his identity. Also, Holden is immensely curious and frightened by the idea of sex.