...Iris Berendes-Dean Schaefer English 10A, Pd. 3 15 October 2015 Fearing Maturity Incites Internal Struggles Throughout the generations, all adolescents have had to deal with the internal struggles while coming of age. J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, applies literary devices and language patterns to develop the main character, Holden Caulfield, and his internal struggles and conflicts of maturing into adulthood. Salinger effectively uses Holden’s lies, language of depression, and flashbacks to accurately portray how teenagers often fear growing up, and feel the need to hang onto their innocence. Lying is an effective way for teenagers to hide their emotions and pretend to be someone they’re not, essentially testing the waters of maturity without taking the responsibility. Holden flees Pencey Prep School after being kicked out for failing the majority of his classes, and finds himself on a train sitting next to the mother of one of his classmates, on his way to New York City. Taking a liking to the woman, Holden begins to spin a web of lies. He tells her his name is Rudolf Schmidt and casually adds, “I have to have this operation… It isn’t very serious. I have this tiny little brain tumor on the brain… right near the outside”(58). This single lie entertains Holden, as he would rather talk about something that he has never experienced instead of being truthful about himself. He avoids taking on the responsibility of being mature enough to tell the truth about...
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...Death and Loss Changes us all The death of a loved one is a harsh reality for all of us. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the death of Holden’s brother Allie changes how he is. Allie was someone that Holden looked up to. Allie “was two years younger than [Holden] was, but he was about fifty times as intelligent” (38). When Allie died, Holden lost that one connection that he has. And on the night Allie died, Holden lashed out he “broke all the goddam windows with [his] fist… [he] even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon [his family] had that summer”(44). In this instant Holden lashes out in anger and pain, as Holden continues he keeps lashing out angrily, and effectively alienating himself from others. Allie was someone...
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...In The Catcher In the Rye by J D Salinger Holden Caulfield struggles with the idea of growing up. At the beginning, it is revealed that he flunked out of school because he didn’t apply himself. He often refers to adults as phonies and prefers children over adults. He seems to act childish and immature. He leaves school and goes to new york city. There, he learns to be independent through loneliness and real world problems. Although Holden is scared of adulthood, he learns to accept the reality of growing up through his experiences. One of the ways Holden avoids adulthood is with his red hunting hat. His red hunting hat symbolizes protection from the cruelty of adulthood. Holden sneaks home to visit Phoebe but his visit is cut short when his...
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...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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...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 was first...
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... However, there are others who may yearn to be someone who doesn’t have a high paying job or a high ranking position. Holden Caulfield and Chris McCandless seek a unique future; one involving days filled with wonder and tranquility, one away from the 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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...“The Catcher in the Rye” is written by J.D Salinger which focuses on the reality of life through the eyes of a teenager who sees the world as a painful existence. The novel is written from the perspective of Holden who has been expelled from his fourth school. After a fight with his roommate, Holden leaves early to explore New York City alone. Holden battles with the reality of adulthood that has turn a different turn on his life. We get to this stage where we fear to grow up and see what will be coming for us next in the future. Salinger’s novel clearly displays the experience of being isolated from multiple activities which can lead to the theme of alienation, the creation of the character (Holden) and also the symbolism which can be unnoticed. Salinger tries to convey a message with his writing to also displaying human connection is a must. The theme of “The Catcher in the Rye” is alienation which connects to Holden (the protagonist)...
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...Catcher in the Rye Essay Innocence Themes in literary works are recurring, unifying subjects or ideas, motifs that allow us to understand more deeply the characters and their world. In The Catcher in the Rye, the major themes reflect the values and motivations of the characters. Some of these themes are outlined in the following sections. As its title indicates, the dominating theme of The Catcher in the Rye is the protection of innocence, especially of children. For most of the book, Holden sees this as a primary virtue. It is very closely related to his struggle against growing up. Holden's enemy is the adult world and the cruelty and artificiality that it entails. The people he admires all represent or protect innocence. He thinks of Jane Gallagher, for example, not as a maturing young woman but as the girl with whom he used to play checkers. He goes out of his way to tell us that he and Jane had no sexual relationship. Quite sweetly, they usually just held hands. Holden comforted Jane when she was distressed, and it bothers him that Jane may have been subjected to sexual advances from her drunken stepfather or from her date, Holden's roommate, Stradlater. Holden's secret goal is to be "the catcher in the rye." In this metaphor, he envisions a field of rye standing by a dangerous cliff. Children play in the field with joy and abandon. If they should come too close to the edge of the cliff, however, Holden is there to catch them. His attitude seems to shift near the end...
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...In the 1950s, many books were written that conveyed ideas controversial to popular belief. However, of the all the books written, two books stood out more than any others. Catcher in the Rye and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof were read more among anyone ranging from teenager to senior. Even though both began arguments, these two both books were mostly popular because of their rebellious influence. Over time, they have shaped and formed today’s society. From the 1950s to the 2010s, Catcher in the Rye and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof have spurred both controversial and rebellious altercations. Published by J.D. Salinger on July 16th, 1951, the Catcher in the Rye has been popular among people of all ages and races. Meant to be a controversial novel originally...
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...Hello and good morning/evening, what do you believe makes a relationship, is it love, friendship or is it established when you are born between your parents and siblings? How could this everyday phenomenon, which drives our will to live and excel, be so simple? “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger and “The Dark Knight” directed by Christopher Noland are my chosen examples to explore themes such as hatred, mortality and deceit, which consist of various factors affecting relationships like self-isolation, our psychological health and propaganda. “The Cather in the Rye” explores these themes in a Dark, cynical but somewhat compassionate tone, accompanied with moments of humor. “The Dark Knight” is similar and explores the themes in a dark and disturbing tone, with the addition of action. “The Catcher in the Rye” demonstrates the theme of hatred with Holden’s hate towards the adult world around him, however as a consequence this causes personal, social and mental isolation from the world and an inability to create meaningful relationships. This is the main factor for Holden’s isolation from the world, and is symbolized throughout the novel with Holden’s red hunting hat. The majority of the people he encounters are deemed as ‘phonies’ for Holden as they do not follow with his view of the world, this generalization further prevent him from making relationships and reflects upon his immaturity. The last page of the novel and more importantly the quote, “All I know is I sort...
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...How is the theme of rejection explored in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye? The theme of rejection is explored in many ways in both novels “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain and “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger. I have chosen to analyse and compare how rejection is portrayed in Chapter 7 pages 85-86 in “Huck Finn” and Chapter 7 pages 54-55” in “Catcher in the rye” as this is the point where both narrators embark on their own journey. Huck leaves pap and fakes his own death in this extract it shows he is rejecting social pressure to conform to authority prompting him to escape whereas in Holden rejects becoming a part of society and rejects the rules of society, leaving him expelled from school and ready to set off on his journey in this extract. Both authors have portrayed the themes of rejection well throughout however in this extract I am going to scrutinize the copious range of literary and linguistic features used and also the context, genre, narrative perspective that exhibit the characters declination towards society. In both novels the genre presented is bildungsroman; both passages are at the point where they make the decision to initiate their journey. In ‘Catcher in the Rye’ Holden comes to an abrupt conclusion to leave Twain expresses this by using an adverbial phrase “But all of a sudden, I changed my mind.” Twain uses inclusive language by using second person narrative, “You know what I mean – I don’t...
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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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...sabotaging himself and in a way preserving his innocence. Salinger also ties in the theme of innocence, Holden subconsciously tries to preserve his innocence and it’s evident in the way he views things, he sees the prostitute as a person, not as an object, and thinks of Jane as friend rather than a sexual being. It seems as though he prefers non-intimate relationships and resorts to just talking things out like with the prostitute and with Jane he does not make any advances towards her, he prefers to hold hands and talk. It is also evident that Holden was sexuality abused, and when his former teacher Mr. Antolini makes advances towards him, it adds to his negative idea of sexuality. Through Holden Caulfield, Salinger presents sex and sexuality as something that is shameful and private. ENG 2D1h May 21st, 2014 Assessment of Salinger’s Concept of Sexuality in The Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfield, the protagonist Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye represents the Western teen in the 1950’s, and through Caulfield’s ‘misadventures’ the themes of sex and sexuality come into play. Holden’s negative view of sex and sexuality stems from many things, he presents sex as something ‘crumby’ even though as he mentions he would not mind doing it if he opportunity came up but when the time comes he does not go through with it, sabotaging himself and in a way preserving his innocence. Salinger also ties in the theme of innocence, Holden subconsciously tries to preserve his innocence and it’s...
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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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...How does Salinger present Holden’s attitude to ‘childhood’ and ‘growing up’ in your three chosen extracts? [Draft Essay] ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ was written by J.D. Salinger and published in 1951. Throughout the novel a number of different themes and issues are addressed, however in this essay I will focus on ‘childhood’ and ‘growing up’ and how Holden feels about them. The theme I shall be focussing on is addressed several times in the novel but I shall only focus on three times the theme is referred to. A significant point where Holden has an unusually positive outlook related to the theme is in chapter 12. Holden is taking a cab; it was “a vomity kind of” cab that he gets if he goes “anywhere late at night.” It is clear that Holden is being his usual cynical and negative self, indicated by the word choice of the adjective “vomity”. He thought that the cab was so disgusting that it could cause him to vomit. This is a vulgar term typical of Holden’s vocabulary which generally shows his blunt and rude point of view. His mood did not improve when he noticed “a bunch of hoodlumy-guys and their dates, all of them laughing like hyenas at something you could bet wasn’t funny.” Sallinger has adapted a noun, ‘hoodlums’ to be an adjective. It reflects that Holden thinks that the people he is seeing are nothing but petty gangsters or ruffians that are of no importance; this is an example of when Holden judges people and believes he is better than them. Furthermore, the use of the simile...
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