J. D. Salinger Essays

  • J. D. Salinger Influence

    600 Words  | 3 Pages

    J.D. Salinger was a man of influence and popularity, and with his most famous and controversial novel The Catcher in the Rye, he was one of few authors who’s influence that showed through his work caught the eye of many readers after World War II. His life story is one to tell to any person, and through his hardships and controversy, he sustained his legacy through his works of literature and gave a name to himself. As a young boy born to a Jewish importer and a Scotch-Irish mother, he grew up in

  • J. D. Salinger Influences

    1161 Words  | 5 Pages

    Many authors look for inspiration when writing and many times have various reasons for which they write something. J.D. Salinger has represented a style of writing such as this in many of his writings, but no one more prevalent than that of his novel The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger’s book quickly made him became one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century with his great post-WWII era style of writing. Salinger’s early life and the time period in which he lived influenced many ideas

  • Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

    2137 Words  | 9 Pages

    In The Catcher in the Rye J.D.Salinger depicts a vivid picture of a teenager standing at a crossroads of childhood and adulthood.The story is an overlapping of ideas when truth get mixed with lie,alienation absorbes a solitary teenager,insomnia veils reality with reminiscences and in the middle of it all stands Holden Caulfield,the main character of the book.He shares his perspective of things during few days while he roams the city of New York and looks for a person who would be able to get into

  • Innocence In Catcher In The Rye, By J. D. Salinger

    543 Words  | 3 Pages

    Just when does one leave the safe clings of innocence and venture into a brave new world? Salinger argues that the desire to preserve people's’ innocence is first encountered when the individual crosses with the experience of corruption. Since Salinger uses Holden to project his own personal insight about life “[He] was half in love with her by the time [they] sat down. That’s the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they’re not much to look at, or even if they’re sort

  • Analysis Of Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

    1139 Words  | 5 Pages

    “The Catcher in the Rye” was published on July 16th, 1951 by author J.D. Salinger. We quite literally sit down next to Holden Caulfield, an emotionally troubled sixteen year old boy kicked out of four successive boarding schools. Holden tells his story as a patient, to us his psychoanalyst in a psychiatric ward in California, not too far away from his older brother D.B. Holden begins the story after getting kicked out of his fourth school Pencey Prep and escapes to New York City where he spends four

  • Character Analysis Of Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

    539 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holden Caulfield, sixteen years old, goes through a crisis identity. Caulfield won 't accept the fact that his childhood will eventually slip away into adulthood.”Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules”-Mr.Spencer (Salinger 8). He fears that the world is against him, like he is the victim. We’ve learned that Holden puts up a wall, to protect himself from the real world. He fears growing up will be uncomfortable, and would avoid any adult situations. Before he goes on

  • Real Holden In 'Catcher In The Rye' By J. D. Salinger

    668 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Real Holden What is the real Holden? In the short novel “Catcher in the Rye” By J.D Salinger is about Holden is in the mental hospital telling the story about himself at Pencey Prep, New york and with Phoebe. As the story goes on, it shows Holden’s characteristic in three different ways. He is a typical teenager, he behaves different from a normal teenager and he is lonely. As most teenager’s characteristic, include Holden, would be the desire of independent. In the beginning chapters

  • Symbolism In J. D. Salinger

    669 Words  | 3 Pages

    In literature, symbolism can take many forms including: a figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning. Throughout J. D. Salinger’s novel he conveys symbols to the reader through images and places that the characters go. Holden the main character is going through difficult times as he grows up. This novel represents the difficulty or danger of growing up through the three symbols which are Allie’s Baseball Glove, The Museum of Natural History, and Holden’s Red Hunting

  • The Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

    1884 Words  | 8 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye or Each takes his - so we get no second is a novel by JD Salinger and was first released in the USA in 1951. The book was really meant for adults, but has become a regular part of High School and College Curriculum in the English-speaking world. It has also been translated into most major languages of the world. Around 250,000 copies are sold each year, with total sales of over 65 million copies. The novel was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels

  • Comparing The Catcher And The Rye, By J. D. Salinger

    525 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel The Catcher and the Rye by , J.D. Salinger follows the trials of a mentally ill teen on the run from his school in an attempt to reconcile his life. Holden wants to protect all those who are innocent, but due to his disgust for the phoniness of the world, this leads him to disengage from society. Isolation causes Holden tremendous distress leading to severe depression. The author uses ducks to symbolise innocence in the novel; along with Holden’s obligation to save all things pure due to

  • Phoniness In The Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

    1002 Words  | 5 Pages

    thinks that everybody is fake. One example is Ackley. He begins to tell everybody about his summer and how he almost hooked up with a girl. Holden knew Ackley was lying about his summer, so, he called Ackley a phony. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield 's perspective on people give the reader a different and unique point of view. What is phoniness? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary a phony is a person who is not honest or sincere who says things that are meant to deceive

  • A Perfect Day For Bananafish By J. D. Salinger

    1413 Words  | 6 Pages

    unravel. Having gone to war an “innocent” and returned in deep despair because of his participation in combat. J.D. Salinger was born New Year’s Day, 1919 in New York City. Son of Solomon Salinger, a wealthy businessman, and Miriam Salinger. The Salinger’s were living “The American Dream”, coming from nothing to living on Park Avenue in New York City. Coming from a wealthy family, Salinger was sent to some of the most elite private

  • Examples Of Religion In Catcher In The Rye

    600 Words  | 3 Pages

    In CATCHER IN THE RYE by J. D. Salinger, Holden reflects on his thoughts about religion, exposing his distaste especially for the disciples. Holden thinks about Allie's death in this instance, too, as he reflects on Christianity. This quotation is styled in the form of Holden's opinion, which is spoken in vernacular diction. The Disciples of the Bible seem to be trustworthy, ideal citizens. However, Holden believes that they cannot be trusted, even though they are from the Bible and have been with

  • How Does Holden Lose Innocence

    1145 Words  | 5 Pages

    In The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger through the character Holden show the readers that at one point, everyone has to go through the journey of innocence. Holden is a seventeen year old teenager who loses his innocence along with the death of his endearing brother and draws a conclusion that losing innocence is harmful. His own journey of innocence consists of him losing innocence, then trying to protect others from losing innocence, and finally realizing that losing innocence is not damaging

  • Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger: An Analysis

    1217 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words in books can kill. The influence of literature is overlooked when it comes to violence. Movies and video games are usually blamed for this type of aggressiveness, but rarely does one point their finger towards a compilation of words on paper. It is forgotten that books hold an incredible power over the mind. Whether it is the power of imagination, the key to new thoughts and ideas, or the development of new emotions, reading can change a person. While

  • Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye, By J. D. Salinger

    990 Words  | 4 Pages

    They’re present in ads, on tv, even on the doors to the toilet. However, they don’t only represent the qualitative aspects, they can also effectively be used as devices to represent internal states of mind. In the novel “Catcher in the Rye”, J.D. Salinger, through the use of symbols and metaphors, is able to effectively demonstrate what mentally drives Holden, without having to be to blunt about it. One of the most famous, talked about, and prevalent symbols throughout the novel is Holden’s red

  • How Is Holden Caulfield A Selfish Character

    720 Words  | 3 Pages

    Coming Through the Rye A person’s actions are greatly influenced by their personality traits. This is because someone who is selfish might make a different decision than someone who is selfless. The main character in The Catcher in The Rye, by J. D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield has a hard time making the best of the situation and growing up. Throughout the novel, Holden makes decisions that greatly affect him based on his reckless, morose, and isolated personality. Throughout the novel, Holden makes

  • Examples Of Depression In Catcher In The Rye

    1567 Words  | 7 Pages

    Depression. Alienation. Loneliness. Depression sets off a chain reaction of alienation and loneliness that causes people to make bad decisions. In the book, Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger explores the topic of mental health. The main character, Holden Caulfield, tells a story about the decisions he made at a certain point of his life. Throughout the book, Holden shows many signs of depression, alienation and loneliness. He acts out differently and always feels hatred for the world. The

  • Examples Of Identity In Catcher In The Rye

    768 Words  | 4 Pages

    acceptance and a sense of belonging. This outcry for recognition is sometimes endorsed and other times denied. In The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield journeys through New York seeking approval from those who surround him. J. D. Salinger displays Holden’s desire for acceptance in the novel when he visits Mr. Spencer to seek closure and a proper goodbye, when he decides to have a conversation with the prostitute instead of get in bed with her, and when he offers his help and donations

  • Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

    1011 Words  | 5 Pages

    best not taken for granted. Once lost, it can never be returned. Many wish to preserve innocence in the people around them, but may fail to realize that the loss of innocence is only a part of growing up. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield tries to preserve the innocence around him. However, he is not able to get away from the "phoniness" nor is he able to keep everyone innocent. In the article "On First Looking into Chapman's Holden: Speculations on a Murder"