Narrative And Voice In The Catcher In The Rye
Extended essay: Narrative and voice in The Catcher in the Rye
One of the primary elements that shape a reader’s initial impression of a text is its narrative. Such a role is inflated in texts which are character-driven, as is with J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. This essay examines the unorthodox voice of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, specifically, how its stylistic features create incoherence and unreliability.
The Catcher in the Rye is a first-person narrative told from Holden’s point of view. Holden is a 16-year-old boy who, we find out at the start of the book, has flunked out of school yet again. He takes his expulsion in stride, perhaps more so than he should – an observation corroborated by how this is
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From chapter 3, we hear Holden describing himself as such: ‘I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life.’ That in itself may not amount to more than an assertion, but Holden goes on to provide supporting examples: in his conversation with Ernest Morrow’s mother on the train in chapter 8, Holden makes up an entire story about how ‘shy and modest’ Ernest is at school. In chapter 17, when he’s on a date with an old friend, Sally Hayes, he unreasonably lies about his intentions and feelings. ‘I told her (Sally) I loved her and all. It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it.’ (chapter 17) ‘I don't even know why I started all that stuff with her (Sally). I mean about going away somewhere, to Massachusetts and Vermont and all. I probably wouldn't've taken her even if she'd wanted to go with me.’ (chapter 17) One of Holden’s catchphrases is ‘if you want to know the truth’, which suggests that a lot of the time, Holden holds back information or twists it during presentation. With dishonesty being such a recurring theme in his actions, the reader cannot help but ask when at all Holden is being
How Does Holden Caulfield Defiant
949 Words | 4 PagesHis most common acts of defiance are running away and being a liar. Holden ran away from Pencey, and avoided going home just to avoid the punishment his father would dish out upon him. Phoebe says exactly what he would do to him: "Daddy's going to kill you." (173) Holden lied many times, broke many laws, and is a general hypocrite in this sense. He attempts to get sympathy quite a few times throughout the story, going so far as to claim he has a “tiny little tumor on the brain” (58) when asked why he was getting out of school so early by Ernest Morrow’s mother.
Preposterous Lying In 'Catcher In The Rye'
322 Words | 2 PagesPreposterous lying is a trait that Holden shows forth throughout the novel. In chapter 3 he warned the readers that he loves to lie and he does a good job at doing it (22). Holden would tell lies over and over again just to protect himself from any hurt or rejection. Another flip side to why Holden lies is because he tends to get bored with certain conversations he has with his peers so lying helps him to check out of reality for a while and in doing this, he tries to impress people and let them feel sorry for him. This makes him feel extremely superior.
Examples Of External Conflict In Catcher In The Rye
668 Words | 3 PagesHolden cannot handle accepting blame for his shortfalls. This is evident in the way he retells his story. Holden repeatedly tells the reader outrageous claims about his character. However when he ends up coming short on these expectations, he backtracks his previous statements in order to shift the blame away from himself. When he first discusses his fight with Stradlater he says, “All I know was I
Holden Caulfield Lies In Catcher In The Rye
1378 Words | 6 PagesHolden lies as a result of his depression, in order to hide the fact that he’s lonely and bored with his life, to divert any questions which he believes are too personal, and to create his own reality. In this way, Salinger illustrates how, during difficult times, people resort to lying as a coping mechanism. In the beginning of the story, Holden lied to divert questions in order to protect his personal information.
Literary Text Catcher In The Rye
649 Words | 3 PagesHolden Caulfield, the main character, is a teen who has been expelled from his prep school and is trying to find his place in the world. Throughout
How Does Holden Caulfield Change Throughout The Novel
693 Words | 3 PagesAlthough Holden is a very intelligent character he finds the hypocrisy and ugliness in the world around him and quickly associates it with the adult world. Holden is a very introverted character who hesitates throughout the book to share information about his life . J.D Salinger makes sure to portray Holden that way to
Essay On Phony In Catcher In The Rye
714 Words | 3 PagesIn conclusion, Holden is a phony because because he pretends to be someone that he is not, he contradicts himself, and he blames others for things that he is responsible for. Holden, making such a big deal about phonies ended up being one. This shows that no matter what you do, the society will always play a big role in influencing one’s behavior and the way that one
Catcher In The Rye Rhetorical Analysis
828 Words | 4 PagesRhetorical Précis 1: In his essay, “ Love and Death in The Catcher in the Rye” (1991), Peter Shaw claimed that Holden behavior and way of thinking is due to common abnormal behavior in a certain time for teenagers (par. 10). Shaw supported his assertion of the young Holden by comparing the literary culture of the 1950s and how Holden’s fictional character fits within the contemporary Americans novels as a, “ sensitive, psychological cripples but superior character” (par. 3). Shaw’s purpose was to show that Holden’s sensitive and psychological behavior is not abnormal, but such like stated by Mrs. Trilling that,” madness is a normal, even a better then normal way of life” (par 4). Peter Shaw’s tone assumed a highly educated audience who is
Stubbornness In Catcher In The Rye
1493 Words | 6 PagesThe 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.
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.
Catcher In The Rye Analysis
1308 Words | 6 PagesShouldn’t someone who acts tough and often brags know that they will never become a phony? The answer would be yes if Holden wasn’t so insecure. Holden’s childish ways cause him to never mature and figure out who he is as a person. We see many signs of Holden insecurities throughout the book, like the fact that he contradicts himself. An example of this would be when Sally and Holden are in the taxi and he tells her he loves her, he then counties to say, “It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it” (Salinger 139).
Holden Caulfield Reliable Narrator
935 Words | 4 PagesIt 's awful” (19). Again, Holden says that he’s a “terrific” liar although he’s an “awful” liar. Holden doesn’t make the observation here because he’s denying the truth. Holden isn’t reliable because his observations is inaccurate and the readers has to interpret what he
An Alternate Ending to The Catcher in the Rye
1400 Words | 6 PagesPurpose: To show how a small change in choice could affect holden’s life The Catcher in the Rye is about Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy from New York. The novel starts with Holden, writing in his book, hinting that he is in some sort of mental facility .Even though he comes from a wealthy family,because of his loss of interest in studies,and low grades, he gets expelled from all schools he has studied in .Holden leaves his final school, Pency Prep and decides that he will stay in New York City until his parents learn of his expulsion and “cool down” .Most of the novel is dedicated to Holden’s time in the city, Holden lives in a hotel room for a few days during his stay .Holden then starts meeting with people that he used know, some strangers and goes to places with. From his conversations, he
Misfit In The Catcher In The Rye
1418 Words | 6 PagesHe lies intensely throughout the course of the novel, starting from lying to Ackley at the very beginning of the book. From his sarcastic tone in his conversation with other people, readers can denote his own cynical view on the world. Holden views adulthood as phony, hypocritical and fake while childhood in his mind is a world of innocence, honesty, and joy. That is the main reason why he wants to be a “catcher in the rye” to protect and save all the children from falling into the phony adult world. Holden Caulfield’s despise of fakeness causes his resistance of growing into a more mature person, with the lack of ability to interact with other people, make him a
Coming Of Age Theme In Catcher In The Rye
1571 Words | 7 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye tells the story of Holden Caulfield who is a teenager growing up in the 1950’s in New York, has been expelled from school once again for poor achievement. In order to deal with his failure, Holden decides to leave school a few days before the end of the term and escapes to New York before returning to his home for the punishment. Written entirely in first person, the book describes Holden’s experiences and thoughts over the few days he takes for himself. During these few days Holden describes a nervous breakdown he experiences with symptoms of unexplained depression, impulsive spending, and unpredictable behavior. The strongest theme in The Catcher in the Rye is the main character Holden Caulfield 's fascination
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