...Time: A long weekend in the late 1940s or early 1950s Place: Holden begins his story in Pennsylvania, at Pencey Prep. He then recounts his adventures in New York City. Themes: Alienation as a form of self-protection; the painfulness of growing up; the phoniness of the adult world Characters: • Holden Caulfield- he protagonist and narrator of the novel, Holden is a sixteen-year-old junior who has just been expelled for failing from Pencey Prep. Although he is intelligent and sensitive, Holden narrates in a cynical and jaded voice. He finds the hypocrisy and ugliness of the world around him almost unbearable, and he tries to protect himself from the pain and disappointment of the adult world. The criticisms that Holden aims at people around him are also aimed at himself. He is uncomfortable with his own weaknesses, and at times displays as much phoniness, meanness, and superficiality as anyone else in the book. • Ackley- Holden's next-door neighbor in his dorm at Pencey Prep. Ackley is a pimply, insecure boy; he often barges into Holden's room and is oblivious to Holden's hints that he should leave. • Stradlater- Holden's roommate at Pencey Prep. Stradlater is handsome, self-satisfied, and popular. • Jane Gallagher - A girl with whom Holden spent a lot of time one summer. Jane is extremely important to Holden, because she is one of the few girls whom he both respects and finds attractive. • Phoebe Caulfield - Phoebe is Holden's ten-year-old sister. She listens to what...
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...Stefani Arcadi C. Centorame ENG 2D March 24, 2015 The Catcher in the Rye The transition from childhood to adulthood is a huge journey. In the novel the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is on his own journey and cannot accept the fact that his childhood is slipping away and that he has to grow up and face reality. Holden is having a difficult time doing so because he is afraid that if he grows up he will become a phony and will not be himself. Holden is poised between two worlds; one he fears to enter and one he cannot return to. Holden's refusal to face the adult world leads him to isolation and the realization that he has to mature. The museum of natural history displays how Holden is stuck between childhood and...
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...Holden Caulfield's “Catcher in the Rye” Fantasy Growing up, we have all experienced a particular desire to achieve something; an ambitious state of mind that gives us meaning to life. Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, has a primary ambition - to become the Catcher in the Rye – the protector of the young and innocent, as stated in his conversation with Phoebe (Salinger, 191). Completely imaginary and a hopeless fantasy, this passage underscores what is prevalent throughout the novel - the issue of Holden's black and white perspective on the dark, phony world of adulthood juxtaposed with the light, innocent, world of childhood. The important passage contributes to Holden's clinical depression as a result of his beloved brother's death, therefore his cynical view of adulthood, and his anxiety about growing up, resulting in the overall angst and alienation palpable throughout the novel, leading to his eventual catharsis. Holden's imagery of “catching” children playing in a field of rye before they fall off a cliff is unrealistic, misheard from a little boy, and it serves merely as an escape route from what he fears most about adulthood – the change and overwhelming complexity. Holden wants everything to be easily understandable and eternally fixed, similar to the Eskimos and Indians in the museum. Opposed to acknowledging that adulthood scares and mystifies him, Holden instead invents a fantasy – that childhood is an idyllic field of rye, while...
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...that may be significantly impacted by a traumatic experience. The author J.D. Salinger illustrates this idea in his novel The Catcher in the Rye, which focuses on the life of the depressed protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Holden experiences the death of his young brother Allie and struggles with transitioning from his innocent childhood to his materialistic adulthood. This transition eventually influences his mental state of mind, which is evident by his lack of motivation in school, and results in him suffering from loneliness, frustration and alienation. The psychoanalytic lens discusses an individual's actions based on their conscious and unconscious mind. The Catcher in the Rye can be better analyzed through the psychoanalytic lens rather the existential lens, and this is exemplified by Holden’s desire to avoid inevitable change, his resultant isolation and his battle between his conscious and unconscious mind. Holden has a fear of change and desire to avoid...
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...example of a person who does not take advice would be Holden Caulfield from the novel Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield narrates the novel, Catcher in The Rye from a mental hospital in Southern California. He narrates his life after failing out of his school, Pencey Preparation. Along the way Holden took advice from many people, but never executes it. “If” is a poem from Rudyard Kipling to his “son” to teach him how to be a man. Much like how Holden ignores the advice...
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...Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #4: Adolescence and Adulthood: The Developmental Trajectory One of the central ideas of this novel is Holden Caufield’s curious, conflicted relationship with adolescence and adulthood. Standing on the threshold between the two, Caufield negotiates neither successfully. Applying a developmental psychology framework for this essay, identify the points at which Holden’s ability to navigate adolescence successfully began to break down. Identify what Caufield could have done to achieve a more successful resolution of this complicated developmental period. Finally, you may wish to analyze this novel using the literary concept of the bildungsroman. In either case, be sure to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts that you are using as your analytic framework. https://myportal.bsd405.org/personal/bennett,%20megan%20w/english10/Catcher%201112/Catcher%20Essay%20Thesis%20Samples.pdfn http://www.unit5.org/ncwhsimc/Documents/Analytical%20Thesis%20Statements.pdf Both Salinger and Knowles display meaningful symbols throughout their novels that give the reader a better understanding of the intentions and meanings which are revealed throughout the novels Throughout the novel, Holden Caulfield possesses curiosity with conflicting relationships between adolescence and adulthood. The title of the novel The Catcher in the Rye is a central, controlling theme that symbolizes the main character Holden’s wish to keep children from reaching adulthood....
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...Short Story vs. Film: My Left Foot To each its own, the film and the short story, “My Left Foot”, give audiences a different view on this story written by Christopher Brown; however, because of the unusual context that the story unfolds on, the written version, which contains the first-person narrative, reigns supreme. In the beginning, Christy Brown was diagnosed with, at the time, an unknown disease (which was later discovered to be Cerebral Palsy). As a result, he was unable to speak for a large portion of the film and the entirety of the short story. Unfortunately for the film, they did not do a first person narration, which excludes much of the internal struggle that occurred during the story. Chrity, because of his condition, was isolated from everyone else. He mentioned that he was “lonely, and imprisoned in a world of my own, unable to communicate with others.” Consequently, it created a desire within him. A desire to be like and with the other the kids. A desire to fit in (something that he could not do because of his condition), which he also stated:” I longed to run about and play with the rest, but I was unable to break my bondage.”. Additionally, the film began when Christy was around nine years old (this was most likely due to the limited pool of young age actors). This excluded much of Christy’s mother’s efforts to care for him (she accommodated for Christy’s disability), find cures for him (she went through many doctors), but most importantly, to raise Christy...
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...about a boy named Holden Caulfield. Holden drops out of schools and faces hardships while away from home. Throughout the novel, it is shown that Holden refuses to grow up as he reminisces about his childhood life. He also faces many struggles and hardships. The death of his younger brother Allie seemed to take the greatest toll on him. His death had also much grief to him. Holden and Allie shared a special relationship that couldn’t really be replaced. His death affected Holden to such a great extent that he has difficulty forming new relationships throughout the story. Holden’s brother Allie was eleven years old when he passed away from leukemia. When Allie died, Holden went to his garage and broke...
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...death. Also due to these deaths Holden is lead to a conclusion that everyone is a phony. Finally, Holden refuses to commit to relationships with anyone after the death of Allie; he distances himself and avoids deep lasting relationships. Holden is affected strongly by James and Allie’s deaths; he is suicidal with mental problems and...
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...Catcher in the Rye in Class Essay In the novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield the main character in is struggling with growing up. While living in Manhattan for a couple of days he goes through an emotional journey where the options are grow up or “disappear”. The key moments to Holden’s coming of age journey was his moments of separation, exploration, and his self-realization. As soon as the book starts we are given evidence that Holden constantly isolates himself from society. As soon as the book starts Holden tells us that he is watching the school football’s team game by himself “practically the whole school was there except me “(2). This shows how he chooses himself to not partake in society’s activities. Another experiencing in the novel that shows Holden separation from society is him leaving Pency Prep early instead of staying until the Christmas break. Holden constantly separates himself from the adult world because he is not mature enough to understand why adult’s act the way they do so instead he just calls everything they do “phony”. We see the word “phony” used often in the novel to show Holden’s hatred toward everything to do with adults. A large bulk of the novel was following Holden’s exploration of New York as a free man. He begins to have his first experience with the adult world. This stage of his journey was beneficial to his coming of age journey as he begins to realize the level of maturity you need to...
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...The viewpoint of this class having a new name "American Identities and Experience" the reading that this course should continue to read is Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Sallinger. It would be great fit for the Fall 2019 syllabus because the book itself explains the title of the course. The main character from the book Holden, is an American who trying to find his identities by learning and living through his experiences. Holden is considered the universal teenager living in America who is going through trouble and issues as young person. The time era he is living in the late 1940's is already a civilized life if Holden would have been living in the 1800's the "go west young man" phrase would have been applied to him. It would have encouraged him...
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...behavior. Although Holden has experienced a traumatic event of the death of a loved brother, these behavior issues are still detrimental and could have serious consequences in the near future. Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye by: JD Salinger has poor communication skills which put him in physical harm and angry outbursts that sabotage his relationships. Caulfield has many poor communication skills that are caused by his behavioral. Holden's poor communication skills, more specifically his tendency to instigate, is having immense effects on his wellbeing. In more than one situation Holden has been beaten...
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...Catcher in the Rye Critical Paper Pencey Prep High School expelled Holden Caulfield at 17 years old on account of flunking. He failed 4 out of 5 of his classes at Pencey Prep; the only passing grade was in English. (Salinger 4) A total of 5 prep schools have expelled Caulfield throughout his teenage years. (Sallinger 13-14) Regarding Holden’s abnormal physical appearance, he has grey hair with a statue of 62.5 inches. (Salinger 9) Holden's tendency is to resort to perverted ideas around sexual desires and memories. Starting out after his expulsion from Pencey Prep, Holden's journal The Catcher In The Rye gives a detail account on his adventures in New York City. Holden Caulfield is in this facility because he hallucinated Allie's existence...
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...In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, Holden is portrayed as immature because he is dealing with a mental disorder ever since his brother died and as a result, is kicked out of every school he went to. In the beginning, he goes to a school named Pencey, which is adored by its attending students. He decides to leave Pencey because he is failing every class except English, and is most likely going to be expelled anyway. He goes to his old teachers house, Mr. Antolini, and they talk about what he plans on doing for the future. He buys a notepad and a pencil and writes a letter to his sister Phoebe, telling her to meet up with him because he is planning on running away. He does not end up running away and plans to go to...
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...Within Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, evidenced by Holden’s happiness, Holden begins his path to maturity when he accepts the Phoebe is “reaching for maturity” on the carousel, realizing that he needs to mentally heal and mature. Not being able to see everything good happening around us is common in our everyday life. We get used to the privileges, and we tunnel-vision in on the negatives of the world and yearn for escape. Holden, depressed and fantastical, grasps at the hopes for escape in the first three quarters of The Catcher in the Rye. The lack of the carousel symbol within the book before Holden’s change represent how he shied away from his journey to maturity. There are some major reasons as to why he shies away from maturity:...
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