Essay On Catcher In The Rye
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An Essay On The Catcher In The Rye
I have broken down in tears in despair and have been unable to contain my own laughter countless
times. I will undoubtedly do so another countless number of times the rest of my life. Of course, the
reasons for my despondency and gaiety have evolved with time from not getting a cookie to not
being able to go Trick or Treating and from hearing a funny joke to getting to spend time with
friends after a stressful week of finals. And I am the product of the accumulation of all those
moments. All that pain. All that happiness. In a world centered around the present and the prospects
of the future, it is difficult to remember that there exists something arguably more important: the
past, and more importantly, childhood – the days of what seems like a life–time ago. But our
childhood is actually probably closer to us than anything else. With a little provocation, the dam
constructed of our current burdens is breached and all the childhood memories flood us with
nostalgia. And that is precisely what childhood is: a constant reminder of the past and its everlasting
impact on us. Time is unmerciful and makes aging a painful but ultimately inevitable process. But
no matter how old we
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For instance, after a troubling day, he recalls a museum that he often visited when he was younger
and decides to visit it in hopes of finding consolation there like he once did. To Holden, the museum
is the symbol of his childhood and his fantasy of a world that he could forever live in which would
preserve the simplicity of those days. However, Holden realizes the unfortunate brevity of youth and
decides to become a guardian angel for the unsuspecting victims of aging, helping them retain their
innocence so when in time of need, they can be better solaced by their
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Essay On Catcher In The Rye
After sitting in the rain for an hour, I decided to take old Phoebe home. We decided to walk. Phoebe
started talking about the guy she liked, and it reminded me of Jane, the hell I know why. Honestly, I
didn't listen to her at all, all I know about this guy is that his name his Bob and that he likes playing
football. And then I heard Phoebe's voice, "Holden you are coming home right?" I didn't know what
to goddam say. I knew I couldn't, but I said "Yes", I didn't want to make her sad. When we got home
my mom opened the door and she was so goddam happy to see me but even with all the happiness in
her eyes you could see that something was wrong. I bet it had something to do with Allie. Then she
started asking me questions about Pencey. I
...show more content...
Out of nowhere, she told me she liked me. I didn't know what to goddam do, I knew I liked her back
but I didn't want to admit it. She waited for me to answer her, I don't know what the hell I was
thinking,I got up and left. On my way out, I told her "Meet me at the lake in Central Park tomorrow
at 11." I didn't wait for her to respond. I went back home and this time my dad was home, he didn't
even bother to hug me. He just asked me questions that I didn't have the answers to. I didn't listen to
him, I was too busy thinking about Jane. But then he punched me. My nose was hurt from before but
now the pain was even greater. I couldn't believe he did that. My dad never hit me before. I laid
down on the floor bleeding for what seemed like an hour and then I got up and went to the garage. I
was a moron to do that. The moment I walked in, so many memories of Allie flooded my mind. I
started crying, I tried to stop but I couldn't. I looked at the small mirror next to the door and I saw
Allie. I freaked out and fell right on my head. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital and Phoebe
was lying down next to me. She looked so calm and pretty,I wish you could have seen her. But then
she woke up, she gave me a hug. Usually I would have pushed her away because I don't like hugs or
people feeling sorry for me but I let it go. This time I needed that hug. The doctor came into the
room. He wanted to know how I felt and what had happened. I told him, I heard the
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Rye Essay Prompts
ENG 3U1 – The Catcher in the Rye Essay Outline Assignment
Task: Pick one of the essay prompts below. Your answer to the prompt will be the thesis of your
essay. Thoughtfully and carefully craft an essay outline to develop and defend your thesis. Be
concise and to the point, this is only an outline!
You may consult your agenda, previous notes and our class for essay writing tips. Be sure to use
text–based evidence to support your thesis.
Essay Prompts
Throughout the novel
, Holden is a tormented adolescent. He feels alienated and isolated at Pencey
Prep, he is belittled and dismissed by women he wants to impress, he is beaten up twice, he dreams
of escape from the world he lives in and he even considers suicide. Yet, despite these
hardships,
...show more content...
He escapes his life by living another. All of these are showing how he is not healthy at all and needs
help. Holden tries not to think about these issues in his life, so he choses to make jokes about them
Proof: The humour was used to point out all the flaws in nature.
Analysis: The one thing that Holden hated most was phonies. He constantly ranted about how he
hated these so called people. Salinger used Holden as a way of speaking his mind. about his subject
without going out publicly about it himself. He was able to speak his mind behind the disguise of a
character. In Chapter 22 Holden says that adults are inevitably phonies and the worst part is that they
can't see their own phoniness.
Proof: The larger meaning of the story is that childhood can never remain, meaning you can't stay a
child forever.
Analysis: Holden's humour shows the childish–like qualities that he possess within him. He
switches moods very often. When with the women or out on the town, he has a very grown up
personality then he would have a child–like quality while doing something else. Overall, although
Holden acts older then his age, but wants to preserve his youth, he will never get his way, it's just
impossible.
Supporting Argument 3
How would the story be different if humour wasn't used? Humour is an important aspect in this
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Examples Of Imagery In Catcher In The Rye
In J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger illustrates many symbolic images in order
to emphasize theme. One major theme expressed several times throughout the novel is the
preservation of innocence. The book follows the adventures of a sixteen year old teen over the
course of a couple of days. The main character, Holden Caulfield, appears to be obsessed with
keeping the innocence in kids alive. Holden is disgusted by the cruelty in the adult world and makes
it his life goal to protect innocent children from becoming corrupt.
Holden Caulfield wishes that everything stays the same, specifically children and their level of
innocence. While looking for his little sister Phoebe in Central Park, Holden asks a little girl if
she
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This is when he is watching his little sister ride the carousel in the pouring rain. "I felt so damn
happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. I was damn near bawling,
I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth. I don't know why. It was just that she looked so
damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all. God, I wish you
could've been there" (Salinger, 213). This quote shows Holden's happiness while watching his sister
ride a childrens ride with all of the other little kids. This gives him hope that she will stay innocent.
Phoebe riding the carousel gives Holden happiness because she appears to be so pure and innocent,
without a care in the world, solely focused on catching the gold ring. This image symbolizes Holden
achieving his life dream of preserving children's innocence.
In Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden's character acts as the savior of children.
Throughout his adventure, he notices several aspects from the big, scary, adult world which he feels
the need to shelter children from. Holden attempts to protect kids from becoming corrupt by this
harmful place. Though he fails to reach this dream a couple times, at the end of the novel he appears
to achieve happiness and peace with this idea. The idea of being the protector of
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Catcher In The Rye Essay Outline
The Catcher in the Rye is written by J.D. Salinger and published July 16, 1951. This story in short is
about a boy named Holden Caulfield in the 1950s who is undergoing treatment in a mental hospital.
It begins with Holden at a private school named Pencey Prep School in Agerstown, Pennsylvania.
This was Holden fourth school as he'd been failed from the previous three, also he was soon to be
expelled from Pencey to. Holden visits his old history to say goodbye and that he would not be
returning after the break. Back in his dorm, Holden's roommate Stradlater had been on a date with
Jane Gallagher who Holden has some affection for. when questioning Stradlater about if he
performed coitus with Jane, Stradlater teases Holden in a fit Holden attacks
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The call was an attempt to get her to have intercourse with him but Holden hung up without making
a date. Holden went to the lobby as he walked he remembered Jane Gallagher and began to
reminisce about their past together. Holden left the hotel he was staying, but not before the elevator
operator Maurice offered a prostitute for five dollars Holden agreed. Part way Holden begins to feel
"peculiar" and asks the prostitute to leave, she does , but returns with Maurice who demanded he
pays a ther five Holden refused and was punched in the stomach feeling tired he falls asleep. Holden
wakes up and takes a cab to Central Park to find his little sister Phoebe. After some more useless
interaction with past acquaintances, Holden sneaks into his own apartment where Phoebe is
sleeping. He is forced to admit his expulsion to his sister who gets quite angry. Later Holden speaks
to his former English Teacher who speaks to him about his expulsion and his future after their chat
Holden falls asleep at the Grand Central Station. Waking up sometime later Holden writes a letter to
his sister Phoebe saying he would be leaving home for good and should meet him at the
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"The limits of my language means the limits of my world."– Ludwig Wittgenstein. The narrator,
Holden, tells the story in the vernacular language of a teen in the 50s: slangy and colloquial. J.D.
Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is about a teenager's major struggle against death and growing up
in the 1950s. The book takes place in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. Holden Caulfield
, Phoebe, Allie,
D.B., and Mr. Antolini are the main characters. There are plenty of symbolic things in The Catcher
in the Rye. A major one is 'the catcher in the rye'; Holden wants to save himself and other children
from having to grow up into an adult world he thinks is bogus. Another is Holden's red hunting hat.
It is a symbol of his alienation and attachment to childhood.
...show more content...
Foreshadowing, imagery, symbolism, and irony are all used in the novel. "I'll just tell you about this
madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run–down and had
to come out here and take it easy." – Holden (1). Here, Holden is foreshadowing to him ending up in
the hospital for going mad. The rest of the story is the events that led up to this. Imagery is a
visually descriptive or figurative language. In this next quote Caulfield visually describes how he
would beat the man if he caught him. "I kept picturing myself catching him at it, and how I'd smash
his head on the stone steps till he was good and goddam dead and bloody." – Holden (201). There is
plenty of irony this novel by Salinger. For instance, "I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie of
course, but I meant it when I said it." – Holden (125). This irony because he always talks about
people being "phony", but yet he was being phony himself. The biggest literay device is symbolism.
There is a lot involved in The Catcher in the Rye. There is the red hunting that Holden wears and the
title of the book itself. Those are just two; There are plenty more. "I took my red hunting hat [...] and
put it on–I didn't give a damn how I looked" – Holden (88). The red hunting hat is a symbol of his
alienation. It protects him, and makes him feel unique, but also singles him out as weird or strange.
It also stands for an
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Catcher in the Rye Essay
In the novel Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist proves to be quite a self
contradicting character. His mind is often pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires.
One compelling force would be Holden's wish for a companion against his actions and approach
towards people and society. Another would be his yearn to preserve innocence compared to his
desire to fit in with adults. Both of these contradicting forces within the main character
, Holden,
illuminate the meaning of the novel as a whole.
One main conflicting force in the novel would be Holden's desire for companionship against his
attitude and behavior towards everyone he meets. Most of the novel describes his search for
friendship as he moves
...show more content...
Throughout the whole novel, Holden tries to protect the people he knows from the real world and
encourage them to hold onto their innocence. He tries to escape the fact that as children grow up and
mature they lose a sense of innocence and he is unable to bear the reality of growing up. The
characters he speaks most affectionately about in the novel are children, specifically Phoebe and
Allie, possibly because they are still young and have yet to enter the adult world. He sees children as
pure, gentle, and innocent, in contrast to adults whom he views as "phony." Holden is terrified that
he will have to face complicated issues varying from sex, to intimacy, to facing death, as he matures
into an adult. Although he is constantly trying to remain in his childhood, he strives to fit in as part
of what he sees as the adult world by creating plans to run away to a cabin or work out West on a
ranch on his own, which would require a mature and independent mindset. He also attempts to fit in
by ordering drinks at the bar, smoking cigarettes, and attempting to start conversations about sex
with Luce. His mind proves to be pulling in quite compelling directions because although he is
yearning to fit in as an adult, he is stuck on trying to preserve the innocence of children and society.
In general, Holden has a difficult time dealing
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Argument For The Catcher In The Rye
Holden Caulfield, a boy who struggles with his mental health, starts his story by saying, "I'm not
going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. I'll just tell you about this madman
stuff that happened to me around last Christmas" (Salinger 3). Published in 1951, The Catcher in the
Rye by J.D. Salinger depicts a three–day journey of Holden as he tries to find out more about
himself. Through his struggle, Holden experiences many obstacles and events, such as depression
and profanity
, that take place in most teenager's lives, making the book a primary target for banning
due to offensive language, suicidal tendencies, sexual content, violence, and outright negativity
(Information). Though The Catcher in the Rye contains controversial topics, such as depression,
vulgar language, and sexual discrimination, the novel is still relevant and relatable to teens today;
therefore, the story should remain an option for students to read.
The Catcher in the Rye features a multitude of examples in which Holden is overwhelmingly
suicidal and represents undesirable viewpoints. At one point in the novel, Holden admits, "what I
really felt like though, was committing suicide
" (Salinger 116). His pessimistic attitude and outlook
on life can have a negative effect on the reader. "[The book] has been banned on the lighter premises
of using profanities and being sexually explicit/suggestive, while it has also been banned for darker
interpretations of the book, such as being part of a Communist plot, anti–religious, and promotive of
homosexuality and perversion" (Bohan). The supports for banning are prevalent throughout the
book, with no doubt that they are factual reasons. Nevertheless, the literary value and representation
of adolescents in any time period overwhelm the reasons for banning the book.
Though Holden focuses on his depression, he represents a large part of the United States'
population. On several occasions, he describes his desolation. Mentally lost and lonely in New York
City, Holden finds himself with a headache and the inability to sleep, saying, "I think I was more
depressed than I ever was in my whole life" (Salinger 214). Relatively, the highest rate of depression
occurs from ages 12–17 (Pratt)
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Catcher In The Rye Narrative Essay
The Cather in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is the story of a troubled young man named Holden
Caulfield. Holden meanders through New York for two days contemplating his place in the world
and what his future will look like. The duration of Holden's stay in the city is filled with depression
and loneliness, but also small glimpses of hope and happiness. Through the use of repetition and the
use of anecdote, Salinger spins a cautionary tale which all adolescents should heed.
Through the entirety of the novel
, Salinger intentionally has Holden use phrases such as, "and all",
"or anything", and "or something" multiple times to create an authentic representation of the
'average American teen' in the fifties. Salinger writes in this manner in order to attract the attention
of the real 'average teens' in the era the novel was written. However, the repetition which is used to
spin a cautionary tale is found within the voice of Holden when he is speaking about something he is
passionate about. From
...show more content...
The anecdote Salinger includes about the death of Holden's younger brother Allie is a commentary
on the loss of innocence in the world. Holden is deeply troubled by Allie's death at a young age.
Allie's death is one of the factors which have contributed to Holden's skewed view of the world.
Because of Allie's death, Holden's childhood and youth is spent in sadness and anger at the world
and at himself. Holden associates 'phonies' with older, duller, and denser people. Further, the
anecdote about Holden witnessing an acquaintance commit suicide shows that Salinger wants the
reader to understand the severity of depression among the youth. Holden witnessing the suicide is
key to his decision to push forward and not take his own life. Salinger is leading the reader to see
that suicide is no joking matter and that nothing is worth taking your own
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Essay On Catcher In The Rye
Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18, experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during
their life. It is hard for mentally healthy people to know what it feels like getting flashbacks of the
things you don't want to remember It is hard for mentally healthy people to know what it feels like
to let go of the past but the past continues to hold on to you. It is hard for mentally healthy people to
know what it feels like to be inside a body that wants you to live, but with a mind that wants you to
die. People with mental illnesses go through these experiences and everyday they're stuck with their
illness and for some of these people, it never goes away. The main character of Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger, is a realistic
...show more content...
For instance, being in a severe automobile accident, participating in military combat, witnessing a
homicide or suicide, experiencing sexual or physical assault, and relentless societal oppression are
included among the long list of precipitants. (pg. 106–128). J.D Salinger, unlike his society,
understood that trauma came from a multitude of different experiences and in The Catcher in the
Rye Salinger explores this through Holden. The way that Salinger explore PTSD through Holden is
by giving Holden symptoms of PTSD through realistic means of getting PTSD. Holden Caulfield
gets PTSD when his brother dies of Leukemia, the reader knows he has PTSD because he tries to
relive his past with Allie trying to fix his mistakes, by hallucinating Allie (pg.53). The reader also
knows that Holden is very worried and gets nervous sweats when Mr.Antolini innocently strokes
Holden's head and describes the entire experience very intense during his stay with Mr.Antolini,
when there's no indication the stroke on the head is in any way sexual. Holden experiences even
more symptoms of PTSD such as irritable behavior and angry outbursts, Reckless or self–
destructive behavior, Problems with concentration. Sleep disturbance (e.g., difficulty falling or
staying asleep or restless sleep). feelings of detachment or estrangement from others and avoidance
of or efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about or closely associated with the
traumatic event(s)
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Catcher in the Rye Theme Essay
"Catcher in the Rye" written by J.D. Salinger, is a novel in which the author creates much irony in
the way he presents the loss of innocence or the fall from innocence in his main character, Holden
Caulfield. While Holden clearly believes in protecting the innocence of children in society, he
himself cannot seem to hang onto his own innocence
. Throughout the novel Holden shows his love
and protection for childhood innocence, the irony that he in fact himself may be losing his own
childhood innocence mainly due to the responsibilities which he has taken on, and also shows that
he may be more innocent than the reader first thinks as his simplified view of a complex world is
much like an innocent child would see. In this novel
...show more content...
In the book Holden seemed to be angry with life and almost everyone in his, and although we dont
know for sure I believe he wasnt as pessimistic before his brother died. Holden did not understand
why innocent people like Allie had to die and let conceited people like Stradlater live. No one was
there to catch Allie and he feels that no one is there to catch him either.
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Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Innocence of Holden
The Innocence of Holden in The Catcher in the Rye
In J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, spends several
days wandering around New York. During this time, he learns many things about himself. He seems
to have some sort of mental problem, but this problem fortunately begins to be less serious by the
end of the story. But more interesting that the things he knows about himself are the things he does
not know about himself. Holden is constantly holding children on a pedestal and dismissing adults
as "phonies." Holden, though he does not know it, subconsciously protects the innocence of
childhood within his mind.
In the book, Holden constantly reminisces about Jane
...show more content...
Holden also reminisces about his younger brother, Allie, who has passed away. He views his brother,
at times, as a god. When he is walking down Fifth Avenue, he is afraid that he will fall off the curb
every time he reaches the end of a block and will die, so he prays to Allie:
Then I started doing something else. Every time I'd get to the end of a block I'd make believe I was
talking to my brother Allie. I'd say to him, "Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me
disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Please, Allie." And then when I'd reach the other side of the
street without disappearing, I'd thank him. (198)
This quote shows how Holden feels about Allie. Holden views his brother as an image of perfection,
since he is dead and Holden cannot see any of Allie's flaws. Allie died at the age of ten, and Holden
thus sees him as dying while he was still an innocent child
. Since Holden has no contact with
children other than his sister Phoebe, who herself has an urgent desire to become an adult, Holden
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idolizes Allie. He protects his brother as an image of innocence that he will forever be able to
remember.
Finally, Holden remembers the times in his childhood that he spent at the Museum of Natural
History. He thinks of the many trips that he took there with his class in elementary school. He
remembers how the museum was always the same every time he
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Essay On Catcher In The Rye
"Holden's on the line." My grandmother harshly whispered in my ear, emphasizing the name
"Holden" as though his name was poison as she shook me awake. Slowly, I turned to face her and
sat up, brushing a stray strand of hair away from my eyes. She held the phone straight out towards
me like a runner handing off the baton to the next runner. I grasped the phone and tilted my head
towards the door, hoping she would take the hint and give me some privacy with Holden.
Unfortunately, either my hint didn't register or she simply refused to leave. Instead, she stood frozen
in place at my bedside, with her eyes suspiciously studying me. Once again, I let out a sigh and
cleared my throat a bit, hoping to cover my drowsiness.
"'Sally? That you?'"
...show more content...
Was he being obnoxious? Yes, but I still worried about him...I still love him...I think? Even after he
ripped my heart to shreds, the part of me who existed before the date, the one who thought he was
simply marvelous, continued to protest against hanging up. The date had been going so well, I meant
it when I told him I loved him, I really did. If it hadn't been, I wouldn't have suggested ice skating. I
know I'm not a magnificent skater, I've never claimed to be one, but I still wanted to spend time with
him. At the time, being with him felt grand. He bought me tickets to see the Lunts and knew that I
would love their show. We kissed in the back of a cab, we dreamed–oh no. He became disillusioned
with a fantasy of running away. I tried to be rational. He became infuriated with me. I left him,
hoping that it would force him to come around to see my point of view. It always works in the
movies, the girl threatens to leave the guy and starts to walk away. He chases after her and realizes
how much he loves her. He let me go. I cared about him. He didn't care about me. In hindsight, I
guess what happened is for the greater good. We're just too different. I care, he doesn't. I didn't want
to kiss him. He wanted to kiss me. So I let him because that's what I'm supposed to do, right? We're
supposed to compromise...sacrifice for each other. I spent ages on my lipstick, but did he care?
Clearly not. That drove me mad. No one wants
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Catcher In The Rye Essays: Holden's State Of Mind
Holden's state of mind changes when he interacts with different people. When Holden chats with the
nuns sitting with him on the train he does not declare how that might have been or if it made him
depressed. He just responed how he enjoyed talking to them too and that he meant it. In other
situations Holden, for example, on his first night in New York City goes to the bar where the three
girls were at. During his whole timew ith them he goes through his of what he dislikes about them.
His actions during that situation in the book do not repersent his state of mind. Holden shows great
respect towards the girls by paying for their drinks and not telling them how rude or unthankful they
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Holden Caulfield, the protagonist and main character of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger,
seems to have many dislikes and much fewer likes about life, as a whole. In many situations
throughout the book, Holden seems to have negative thoughts about every little thing. From his
school, Pencey Prep, to movies or actors; even to the word "grand," Holden seemingly holds a
distaste in just about anything that crosses paths with him. However, further into the novel, it
becomes apparent that one of the causes Holden holds dearest to his heart is to keep the innocence
of children for as long as possible. Holden wants to be the "catcher in the rye" because one of the
things he loves is young kids and the catcher saves them. Holden didn't seem to care about much in
the world, but near the end kids seemed to be what he adored most. He cared about them and knew
what to do to take care of them. "The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you
have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say
anything to them." (Salinger, 211) From this quote Holden is explaining to us how to interact with
kids. He is saying let them fail at something so they can learn the lesson rather than telling
them
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He realizes this when he hears a song "Catcher thro' the rye" and mistakes the lyrics to be "Catcher
in the rye" which he thinks of as a man who stands at the edge of a cliff at the end of a rye field and
catches the children who are running around in the rye field with no clear vision. He determines that
this is what he wants to do with his life in a figurative way, which means that he wishes to keep the
last bit of innocence in children that is left in them. This shows his passion for kids and explains
why he seems to only like children and everything else is negative in his
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The Catcher in the Rye Essay
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger. It is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a cynical
teenager who recently got expelled from his fourth school. Though Holden is the narrator and main
character of the story, the focus of Salinger's tale is not on Caulfield, but of the world in which we
live. The Catcher in the Rye is an insatiable account of the realities we face daily seen through the
eyes of a bright young man whose visions of the world are painfully truthful, if not a bit jaded.
Salinger's book is a must–read because its relatable symbolism draws on the reader's emotions and
can easily keep the attention of anyone. Salinger's full use of symbolism goes unnoticed until his
novel is read a second or third time. Most of it
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This character is going to tell it like it is, and he does. The most powerful emotional standpoint in
the story is when Holden goes to his sister's elementary school to deliver her a note. While he is
there, he discovers two words scribbled on the wall. "Fuck you." Most people would look at that and
think nothing of it. Some would bow their heads in shame at the person who thought it was funny.
Others might laugh. Not Holden. He did not think about the normal persons response to the note. He
thought about the child's response. About how a little kid is going to see that seemingly meaningless
phrase and wonder what it means; about how some dirty kid would explain what it meant; and about
the person who wrote it and how they are destroying the childhood of everyone who reads the
'harmless' graffiti. This section takes the reader to the door of Holden's mind. It is at this point that
one truly understands his emotions. As previously mentioned, it is obvious of Holden's intentions
from the first chapter. The reader learns that they are not going to be following the life story of some
random kid; they are going to read about the introversive thoughts and assumptions everyone makes
at some point of their lives. Throughout the tale, it is obvious that Caulfield is depressed and as the
story progresses, he seems to lose himself in the real world. As he moves
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Essay On The Catcher In The Rye
" [I keep picturing] What I have to do, I have to catch everybody... I'd just be the catcher in the
rye..." (page 115), a quote exhibiting the title of the book and a significant symbol. The Catcher in
the Rye by J.D. Salinger expresses his feelings from a tuberculosis rest home through a story of
events that happened to him just before the previous Christmas. This book, although created and
published in 1951, still relates to teenagers today. One theme that is clearly seen throughout the
book is authenticity versus the artificial. Holden has an issue with the adult world which is exactly
polar to the attitude he holds toward children, "I was surrounded by phonies...They were coming in
the goddam window". This relates to teenagers because nowadays, we
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The title itself (Catcher in the Rye) demonstrates this theme. Throughout the book, most of the
people he is shown to admire portray or protect innocence. For instance, when Holden thinks of Jane
Gallagher he says they had no sexual relationship, even becomes infuriated thinking she was
subjected to sexual advances by her stepfather or his roommate (Stradlater), and envisions her not as
a young woman, but as the girl he played checkers with, "She's a dancer... I used to play checkers
with her all the time" (page 31). This incident relates to teenagers nowadays since when teenagers
like someone, they don't just think of them as sexual objects, but like them for their personality.
Through the whole of the book, Holden brings up the title in some way, "Thousands of little kids,
and nobody's around– nobody big, I mean– except me"; this statement took place when Holden
discussed what he wanted to be– a catcher in the rye. This quote shows how much Holden likes
children, which are full of purity, by saying he wishes to be only around kids with no adult around,
except him– this is his ideal world full of
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Catcher In The Rye
Imagine this: a school without an emphasis on letter grades. It may seem like a utopian ideal,
however, this idea is being tested in English 1 classes. So that brings the question, can this concept
be applied school–wide or will we succumb to society's desire to quantify us?
Currently, all English 1 Poetry/Drama classes participate in this initiative of non–letter grading as an
effort to combat students' extrinsic motivation to attain As. Instead, students are being assessed on
how well they embody and work on "the aims of a Punahou education
": things like critical thinking,
persistence, resilience, and interpersonal collaboration. Over the course of the semester, teachers
take notes on how students are applying these aims; for example, if a student creates an English 1
project about the symbolism of Holden's red cap in The Catcher in the Rye using thoughtful outside
research and supporting quotes from the text, a teacher may construe that as an excellent example of
critical thinking. At the end, students are still administered a letter grade for the semester, based on
how well students worked on these aims and not due to aggregate point values converted to
percentages and letters.
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On one hand, the traditional grading system is universally recognized; its simplistic nature allows
teachers, students, and parents to easily interpret, understand, and directly compare others in the
same class. But on the other hand, there also significant cons, such as its subjectivity, lack of
explanation, and cultivation of testing culture. This is exactly what non–letter grading is intended to
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Catcher In The Rye Theme Essay
Have you ever had this feeling of being so stressed out that you would escape to hopeless dreams,
causing you to withdraw yourself from others? Among many themes that J.D. Salinger expresses in
his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, there is one that fits that type of feeling perfectly. That theme is:
isolation is a product of the individual's reaction to the environment and often leads to downfalls and
other negative consequences. This is clearly demonstrated through the influence of the allusions and
symbols that Salinger uses to subtly apply the theme mentioned above. Allusion is seen multiple
times throughout the book. Holden makes these allusions towards many famous poets and novels
during that time. For instance, Holden himself agrees
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Modernism basically moves away from the romanticism trend to focus more on the individual in the
story, which is seen throughout the story. For example, "If you really want to hear about it, the first
thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like..."
(Salinger 1). That quote is exactly how the story starts off, so a couple of things are already clear:
The story is in a first–person point of view and the tone is that of an average attitude–filled teenager.
On top of this, while the entire story is being narrated by Holden, the reader doesn't get the chance
to be able to interact with him and vice versa. Thus, creating a type of mood that makes it seem as
though the reader is stuck in Holden's head, but the upside of this is that the reader is able to read
and understand the character and his values much better. In conclusion, Salinger portrays isolation
being the product to an individual's reaction to the environment, often leading to downfalls and
other negative consequences. By choosing to use different allusions and symbols in the story,
ranging from the red hunting hat to the shared similarities between one character and another,
having a tinge of influence from the modernism trend that was happening during that literary time,
not to mention the influence that Salinger himself on Holden, for they were very similar, Salinger
got his point
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Catcher In The Rye
J.D.Salinger's the Catcher in the Rye is a classic American novel. The novel is based in the time
period of the 1950's. It's a first person telling of a teenage boys life after his brother passes away and
he is kicked out of his fourth school. Not wanting to attend school anymore with a bunch of
"phonies" he decides to have himself a little vacation before returning home to his parents. On his
night out on the town he acts the way a teenager would act when alone with a good sum of dough.
He goes to a couple of bars and successfully gets drinks, buys his own room at a hotel to stay in for
the night, even hires a prostitute. The reason behind all of his rebellion and getting kicked out of
school is simply because he's lonely and depressed. The
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J.D. Salinger makes his book very unique and original. He uses the main character Holden as a
prime example. Holden acts like an overly emotional teenager that isn't afraid to state his opinion.
He's very enthusiastic about things he believes in and will be very blunt. "C'mon let's get outa here,"
I said. "You give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth." (133). Along with the
character being unique he also has a very original writing style. He wrote the novel in the style of
how a teenage boy would think. He stops and changes topics mid paragraph like any young person
would do. His excessive use of curse words is a risky decision but it helps you understand the
character and his views on things in a more intense level. When he curses about things it shows how
strongly he believes in what he does. The author also leaves many holes throughout the book to
engage the reader and make them have to infer what happens. Throughout the book Holden brings
up a love interest named Jane. She is always on his mind and he contemplates calling her but never
actually does it, leaving you as the reader to determine if he ever actually goes and finds her
eventually. His biggest hole in the story is the ending. He is at the park with his sister and he still
hasn't seen his parents or ran away and it just ends with you leaning on the edge of your seat waiting
for the answers to what
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