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What Is Holden's Alienation In Catcher In The Rye

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The Catcher in the Rye, written by JD Salinger, is narrated by a young man named Holden Caulfield. Undergone with mental treatment in a sanatorium at age 16, the story initiate a plot twist at Pency Prep, Pennsylvania. Failing four subjects, except English depicts how unconcerned and reluctant he is for a new change. After his exit from Pency Prep, he encounters a society beyond innocence, making it an interesting aspect to analyze and scrutinize the book into depth. Throughout the early chapters, the prevalence of a significant theme was ‘Individual alienation’. Not only has Holden’s alienation harmed and manipulated his perception of the world from phoniness, but caused the protagonist to restrict maturity. Throughout the novel, Holden seems to be excluded from the world around him. From the conversations held between him and Mr. Spencer in Chapter 2, he …show more content…

For instance, the abrupt and unknown death of his brother, Allie, petrifies and confuses him. Holden alway had trouble dealing with this kind of complexity. Another example occurred in Chapter 22 when "And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch e verybody 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’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all" (173). Holden reveals his fantasy of an idealistic childhood with Phoebe, and his role as the protector of innocence. The symbol of the cliff is an allegory of his innocence and boundary he refutes, although most children have to endure this inevitable process of maturity. His catcher in the rye fantasy reflects his innocence and belief in pure and uncorrupted youth. His desires to protect that spirit represents his extreme disconnection

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