...Reading Response to "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger Dear Mr. /Mrs. I have read the book ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ that expresses its content in a total of 214 pages. The book, authored by J. D. Salinger, represents the coming-of-age genre which compares to the traditional period literature such as Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Indeed, the two texts tend to feature naïve and adolescent runaways as the spectators. Also, they both comment on the problems that existed in their timelines. This reading response seeks to explore the question of freedom and independence as portrayed in the book. "The Catcher in the Rye" begins with the protagonist directly addressing the audience and as the he starts to retell the events that cover three days from the past December. His story begins at Pencey Prep and the disillusioned departure from what could be the last in a number of educational institutions that failed to inspire and support him followed by a painful, and sleep deprived journey through the streets of New York. Interestingly, the author tends to create a harsh atmosphere from the start of the text with the main character being portrayed as lazy and a bit clueless about his future (Lomazoff, 1996). The entire story revolves around a flashback of the three day period with some few references to the present. The thing that separates the text from other literary works is the usage of profanity. There exists a significant measure of colloquialism which...
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...The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is a novel that gives one a glimpse into the life of Holden, a troubled 16 year old boy. The novel does not necessarily have a happy ending, but it does, however, provide closure. Some books don't complete their thought fully, and the reader is left with a misperception of the novel. One wonders if he/she missed some crucial point in the novel. J.D. Salinger brings his book to an end and, in my opinion, sums The Catcher in the Rye up quite agreeably. Cliff hangers are my favorite book endings, as they make the reader ponder about what could have been. The Catcher in the Rye ends with Holden expressing to his audience that he isn't going to finish his story. He merely states that he went did go home...
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...The question one must face later in life is why must someone need to lose innocence to mature? Innocence in a deeper complex understanding means absence of knowledge and our understanding of the fast paced life. Ordinarily one must face a fear and or take a leap of faith towards a dream to unmask oneself to the real world. Wrongfully some don't take those risks that life requires and can't accept that adolescence is a part of life. In the book Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, Holden the main character displays the moral message of how adolescence plays a tremendous role in creating fear of the future. Salinger talks about himself as the 3rd person of a 16 year old boy who has many struggles of the everyday life. Holden had been kicked out...
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...The Impact of American Literature American Literature, which may seem like a worn out topic taught in school, actually contains various vital lessons for all. Writers find an emotional outlet in their work, therefore giving readers an insight into the minds of the authors. This was proven at the time that slave narratives were written, when the authors used their work to share the saddening realities they faced. In many instances, readers have used this literature as a guide to assist in experiences similar to what they are going through. JD Salinger’s, “Catcher in The Rye,” is a good example of how American Literature, past and present, can teach readers empathy and understanding. Furthermore, it aids in the display of the evolved culture in our country. American Literature allows both parties to find an emotional outlet from life experiences, it supplies readers with compassion, and it showcases the changes in our society in a distinct way. There is a common belief that people write what they know, meaning that most writing comes...
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...On January 1st, 1919 in New York City, New York, Jerome David Salinger or J.D. as he was called, was born. J.D. Salinger was the second child to Sol and Miriam Salinger. His father, Sol Salinger, was of Jewish decent and ran his own ham and cheese import business. When his father was looking for a wife, it was frowned upon to marry a person of another race. Sol Salinger fell in love with Miriam Salinger, of Scottish decent, despite the norms of society. However, the family did their best to hid Miriam Salinger’s background and J.D. Salinger did not even know of his mother’s decent until he was fourteen (Biography). J.D. Salinger’s childhood was much like the main character’s in the Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield. Despite his immense intelligence, he did not do well in school. Like Caulfield he flunked out. His parents, Sol and Miriam Salinger, later decided to send him off to Valley Forge Military academy in Wayne Pennsylvania. After graduating, Salinger returned home for one more year and attended New York University. His father sent him to Europe after his studies to learn another language and observe business overseas. While in Europe, Salinger grew an interest for Vienna, Italy. He was enchanted by the Italian language but paid little attention to business strategies. Back in the United States of America, Jerome...
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...protagonist from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, consistently struggles throughout the novel. He lost his younger brother, Allie, and his parents sent him away to boarding school. Now, Holden is sick and writes the novel from a type of hospital though it is unclear his full diagnosis. J.D. Salinger’s personality is seen periodically in Holden and the people he meets. Salinger and Caulfield have many similarities seen during Salinger’s life and the novel. J.D. Salinger’s experience coping with World War II is reflected through the PTSD Holden developed due to the lack of attention he received from his parents after the death of his brother Allie. Holden Caulfield shows signs of PTSD throughout the entirety of the...
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...is trying to say by using symbols and imagery. To someone who does not examine the book, The Catcher in the Rye, it may seem to be about a “messed up” teenager who wanders around town and doesn’t care about life. But when a range of ______ are explored, one will find that this book has common themes of innocence, changing, growing up and also death.... [tags: Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, ] 501 words (1.4 pages) $6.95 [preview] Symbolism in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye - Many novels cannot be fully understood and appreciated if only read for face value, and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is no exception. The abundant use of symbolism in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is of such significance that it “proclaims itself in the very title of the novel” (Trowbridge par. 1). If the symbolism in this novel is studied closely, there should be no astonishment in learning that The Catcher in the Rye took approximately ten years to write and was originally twice its present length.... [tags: The Catcher in the Rye] :: 6 Works Cited 2836 words (8.1 pages) $49.95 [preview] Catcher In The Rye - From the Outside, Looking In Despite the debate that may wage on regarding the status to be afforded J. D. Salinger's writings, the author's books have not quietly faded into obscurity. Although published almost a half-century ago, the author's most famous work, Catcher in the Rye, enjoys almost as healthy and devoted a following today as the book did when it...
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...The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger. Originally published for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage angst and alienation. It has been translated into almost all of the world's major languages. Around 250,000 copies are sold each year with total sales of more than 65 million books. The novel's protagonist Holden Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion. The novel was included on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923, and it was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2003, it was listed at number 15 on the BBC's survey The Big Read. The novel also deals with complex issues of identity, belonging, connection, and alienation. Plot summary Holden begins his story at Pencey Prep, an exclusive private school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania, on the Saturday afternoon of the traditional football game with rival school Saxon Hall. Holden misses the game. As manager of the fencing team, he loses their equipment on a New York City subway train that morning, resulting in the cancellation of a match. He goes to the home of his History teacher named Mr. Spencer. Holden has been expelled and is not to return after Christmas break, which begins the following Wednesday. Spencer is a well-meaning but long-winded middle-aged man. To Holden's annoyance, Spencer reads aloud Holden's History paper, in which Holden...
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...4141- 4141--- Cherished and Cursed:Towarda Social History of The Catcher in the Rye STEPHEN J. WHITFIELD THE plot is brief:in 1949 or perhaps 1950, over the course of three days during the Christmas season, a sixteen-yearold takes a picaresque journey to his New YorkCity home from the third private school to expel him. The narratorrecounts his experiences and opinions from a sanitarium in California. A heavy smoker, Holden Caulfield claims to be already six feet, two inches tall and to have wisps of grey hair; and he wonders what happens to the ducks when the ponds freeze in winter. The novel was published on 16 July 1951, sold for $3.00, and was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection. Within two weeks, it had been reprinted five times, the next month three more times-though by the third edition the jacket photographof the author had quietly disappeared. His book stayed on the bestseller list for thirty weeks, though never above fourth place.' Costing 75?, the Bantam paperback edition appeared in 1964. By 1981, when the same edition went for $2.50, sales still held steady, between twenty and thirty thousand copies per month, about a quarter of a million copies annually. In paperback the novel sold over three million copies between 1953 and 1964, climbed even higher by the 1980s, and continues to attract about as many buyers as it did in 1951. The durabilityof The author appreciates the invitationof Professors Marc Lee Raphaeland Robert A. Gross to present an early version...
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...‘THE CATCHER IN THE RYE’ AND ‘IGBY GOES DOWN’ – NON-CONFORMITY Both J.D Salinger’s 1951 Bildungsroman novel The Catcher in the Rye and Burr Steer’s film Igby Goes Down, demonstrate that regardless of context, the youth will choose not to conform to socially held values. We can see that this is the manifestation of the vulnerability and hesitation experienced as adolescents like us grow up. Ultimately both these texts explore the search for identity and individualism as a cause for non-conformity. The Catcher in the Rye was written during a post war era and a time of drastic social change. However, many of its conservative values remained and most importantly, the notion of youth conformity was held in high regard. On the other hand, Igby Goes Down is set in the 1980s -1990’s American era, a time of expanding multi national corporations, materialism and commercialism. Salinger and Steers utilise the characterisation of their young, sardonic and rebellious protagonists, Holden and Igby to epitomise non-conformity. The composers allude to the recurring theme of isolation and alienation in both texts. As a result of their non-conformity, the protagonists experience rejection and depression as they search for their selfhood. Similarly, the national ethos of the American Dream is explored as a mere fallacy, and both composers portray this through their protagonist’s wealthy backgrounds and opulent upbringings and yet money doesn’t bring them happiness. Salinger, through literary...
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...hustle and bustle of society, one away the greed that consumes most people. The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of Holden Caulfield, who is a teenage boy that ventures to New York City after being expelled from private school. On the other hand, Into the Wild recounts the adventures...
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...right time. Regarding the Socratic seminar that was held on January 15, students were given a video entitled, “American Masters: Edward Norton's Analysis of "The Catcher in the Rye" | Salinger | PBS”, and two articles, “Everyone has problems, don't they?”, written by editors...
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...Jacob Stelmach ENG4U Stelmach: 1 October 30th, 2015 Struggles With Change in The Catcher in the Rye: New Literary Criticism Approach Time and time again it has been proven that resisting change is impossible. The famous saying of “the only constant in life is change” is true in society and is shown in The Catcher in the Rye. For instance, in the novel the protagonist (Holden Caulfield) is clinging onto childhood, but despite his fears, change is inevitable . After reading the novel through a new literary criticism lens it is argued that author J.D. Salinger is informing his readers to avoid being overly attached to childhood because growing up is natural. Salinger engraves this message in his audience’s minds through the use of stylistic devices such as hyperbole, symbolism as well as indirect characterization. Salinger’s message of clinging onto childhood and resisting change is enforced on many occasions throughout the novel. Using hyperbole, in the first chapter of the novel, Holden emphasizes how tall he is and how he has gray hair, yet he admits that he still acts young for his age. “It’s really ironical, because I’m six foot two and half and have gray hair...The one side of my head...is full of millions of gray hairs...And yet I still act sometimes like I was only twelve.” (Salinger, 9) Salinger uses this hyperbole to really highlight to his readers that even though Holden might look like he is getting older on the outside, on the inside he...
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...Jerome David Salinger was born in 1919 in New York, New York. He was born to Sol and Miriam Salinger, where he was raised in Manhattan. Despite his apparent intelligence, Salinger flunked out of school and was shipped off to the Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania. After graduating Valley Forge, Salinger spent five months in Vienna learning the language as well as import business. Salinger returned to the United States, and enrolled at the Columbia University where he met Professor Whit Burnett. Burnett saw Salinger’s talent as a writer, and as the editor of Story magazine, Burnett assisted in publishing Salinger’s work in big-name publications such as Story, Collier, and the Saturday Evening Post. Just as Salinger’s careers was taking...
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...COMPARISON ESSAY CATCHER IN THE RYE & HIGH FIDLEITY By Monica Urbina “The Catcher in the Rye” and “High Fidelity” feature protagonists facing uncertainty. Both Holden’s and Rob’s story is told through their own distressed minds, which often misrepresents the experiences. Their insecure and ‘hot-headed’ personalities lead each character to produce an unreliable first person point of view. Holden and Rob outline their unreliability through their identity issues, their chosen isolation from others and their social interactions/perception of a situation. First of all, Holden and Rob both did not have a strong sense of who they are. They struggled with identity issues several times throughout each novel. Their switch in character often deceived the reader, making analysing the situations and characters more complex. In “The Catcher in the Rye”, Holden, in several cases, is on a search for his identity. He mimicked the personality of others, as well as acted out of character to impress those surrounding him. This was evident quite early in the novel when Holden was accompanied by an older woman on a train. When introducing himself, he says ““Rudolf Schmidt,” I told her. I didn’t feel like giving her my whole life history.” (Salinger pg. 54-55). His only justification for his identity change was that he “just felt like it”. Holden often ends his anecdotes with lines such as “I’m not kidding” or “I really do”. “I get bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age. Sometimes...
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