Chosen novel: The Catcher in the Rye Author: J.D.Salinger Favourite quote: “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody 's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I 'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they 're running and they don 't look where they 're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That 's all I do all day. I 'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it 's crazy, but that 's the only thing I 'd really like to be.” I love this quote because it is a paragraph when Holden is joyful, that doesn’t happen very often. Synopsis: …show more content…
Character analysis: Holden Caulfield: Holden is avery discontentyoung man. He sees everything in a negative light and therefore negative things start to happen to him. There are many reasons to deduce the statement that Holden is an unreliable narrator: he has been expelled multiple times before; he is put into a mentalhospital, he is highly annoyed and confused with everything around him and most of all he is incapable of connecting and forming bonds with other people. He may have become this way after the death of his brother, Allie. He often mentions him and even speaks to him from time to time. Holden is highly judgemental and claims that most people in the world are phonies. He mostly uses the term to describe people who are too normal. He finds most people in around him very stupid and unintellectual. Holden hates his life but never does anything to change it. Holden often mentioned sex. Whilst he is a virgin, it interests him very must. He often speaks of times when it has almost happens but he always shies away. He believes that sex symbolises a mutual respect for each other. He also implies that he may have been sexually harassed in the past as he mentions it when he finds his English teacher
Holden isn’t the happiest kid around he is very judgemental, harsh, and really opinionated. “ He had a terrible personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy.” Which Holden said about Ackley on page three, paragraph one. Holden was never afraid to state his opinion on people or things, he said what first came to mind.
Many authors tend to express their emotions, such as depression, through characters in their novels. J.D Salinger expresses himself in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, through the main character Holden Caulfield. J.D Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye in late 1940, the book took place in New York. There are many examples in the novel The Catcher in the Rye where J.D Salinger shows different types of depression. One of the examples would be when Holden feels guilty.
During the narrative, Holden is irrealistic with what he wants out of life. “I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.” (ch. 22
In J.D. Salinger's bestselling novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield shows a sense of maturity that exceeds far beyond his peers when it comes to sexual relationships with girls. First, Holden becomes furious when he learns that Stradlater exclusively wants his childhood crush Jane for sexual endeavors. Second, Holden forfeits his big chance with Sunny and attempts to unsuccessfully build a healthy relationship with her instead. Third, Holden reflects on his treatment of girls, showing a more refined mindset when compared to other teenagers. Although Holden dislikes the transition from childhood to adulthood, he exhibits qualities of a mature grownup without even knowing it.
Holden represents the theme depression throughout the novel. Depression is a serious condition in which a person feels sad, hopeless, and unimportant. One main reason he experiences depression is because he withdraws himself from society, struggling with the death of his brother, and a lack of motivation in life. Holden's personality is very pessimistic which shows that he tends to look at the negativity instead of the bright side of life. Another reason Holden is depressed is because of his habit of drinking and smoking.
He talks quite a bit about sex, but his virginity is the last existing innocence to him. Holden pays for a prostitute to have sex with, but he cannot go through with it. He is very hesitant about losing his innocence. Holden wants to be “the catcher in the rye” (191) and save all the innocence in the world. He believes that that is what he wants to do in the future as he tells his little sister, Phoebe.
He is unable to sacrifice his purity to gain adult privileges. In fact, Holden is so disillusioned about adulthood that he eventually cuts off all ties in his life that could
Holden 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 is the narrator of Catcher in the Rye. He tells us about his life and describes his relationships with all the important people in his life. He just got kicked out of another school and does not want to go home. He just wanders from place to place. Holden has so many important people in his life.
Although 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
In 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.
The 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 struggles with growing up and facing reality. There are many examples of Holden’s immaturity that are displayed in many forms such as facing responsibilities, his speech, his actions, and etc. Holden’s outlook on adult life is that it is superficial and brimming with phonies, but childhood was all about looking pleasing and innocent. He wants everything to stay the same and for time to stop. As Holden progresses in age, he will discover more about becoming mature in the
”Anyway, I’m sort of glad they’ve got the atomic bomb invented. If there’s ever another war, I’m going to sit right the hell on top of it. I’ll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will”. This is a direct quote from J.D. Salinger 's novel The Catcher in the Rye. On page 141, the author is describing how his main character Holden Caulfield feels very lost and he is saying some pretty suicidal things in this quote.
Catcher in the Rye At the end of the novel, Holden Caulfield notes, “.. D.B. asked me what I thought about all this stuff I just finished telling you about. I didn 't know what the hell to say. If you want to know the truth, I don 't know what I think about it” (234). Three major episodes that Holden mentions throughout the novel shows a little of who he is as a narrator; the ducks at central park, the lunatic, and the fight with Stradlater.