Age Essay In the novel Catcher in the Rye, author J.D. Salinger captures the essence of maturity. Salinger’s character Holden Caulfield is an immature adolescent who lacks in aspirations. Throughout the novel, readers witness Holden evolve into a mature young man and finally find his true calling. Holden reaches a pivotal moment where he finally matures morally. Holden’s moment of maturity occurred when he realized he wanted to be a catcher in the rye. Salinger’s use of symbolism plays a monumental…
Words 382 - Pages 2
novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger expresses the free will of choice. Salinger cleverly conveys how decisions can alter a person’s perspective of their peer. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, is a young teenager who has emotional instability and behavioral concerns. Holden acts immaturely extensively throughout the book. Holden invents a world where adulthood is the emblem of superficiality and “phoniness”, while he chooses to convey childhood as a world of innocence. Holden’s observation…
Words 1393 - Pages 6
The Catcher in the Rye “The Catcher in the Rye,” a novel by J.D. Salinger introduces love, loneliness, loss of innocence, and the struggles of becoming an adult through a teenage eye. Holden is a very unpredictable character that looks at life with more detail than most. He shows sensitivity with sly symbols throughout the novel and proves his innocent misfit in the world. These symbols teach small and big lessons of life. “The Catcher in the Rye” should not be censored because of its beneficial…
Words 876 - Pages 4
(Times New Roman, size 12 double-spaced) Tim Walsh J.D. Salinger’s bildungsroman novel, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is narrated by Holden Caulfield, the 16 year old protagonist and is deeply confused, dissatisfied and a self-declared loner. The novel focuses on a two day period following Holden’s most recent expulsion, from Pencey Prep, and it tracks his actions in New York City. ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is a frame story, in flashback form, as Holden addresses readers directly, from a sanatorium after…
Words 1012 - Pages 5
awareness”(468). The evils of loss and tragedy affect people psychologically and change their perspectives towards the real world. Holden Caulfield, the sixteen year old protagonist of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, narrates the book as he spends his weekend through New York in the 1950’s. Holden’s life is not an easy walk through the park, as his entire family is still recovering from the tragic death of his little brother, Allie. The psychoanalytical theory by Sigmund…
Words 1213 - Pages 5
mechanisms, motivations, and the unconscious mind. Throughout the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden’s seemingly erratic actions can be explained using this psychoanalytical approach. Focusing on the motivation behind a person’s actions, Sigmund Freud developed a psychoanalytical…
Words 1018 - Pages 5
transitioning from a preparatory school to New York City, is not expected to look out for anyone and likewise has no one to protect him in The Catcher In the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Although the two have opposite backgrounds, both learn similar life lessons, whether it be from personal experience or observation. Throughout Norman and Holden’s stories, both authors use point of view, characterization, and extended symbolism to build the themes of losing innocence and understanding life. An intriguing literary…
Words 2274 - Pages 10
WE ARE ALL JUST A BUNCH OF PHONIES In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, protagonist Holden Caulfield struggles to find his place in the world as he oscillates between childhood and adulthood. At thirteen, his younger brother, Allie, passes away which hinders Holden from moving on with his life because of his inability to mourn successfully. Holden’s “behavior discourages readers from identifying [him] as purely [immature] or purely [mature]” which classifies him as a “morally ambiguous…
Words 1498 - Pages 6
Many people can agree that the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger has many themes that can be interpreted several ways. Some people think that the novel has a simple theme of a misunderstood boy who just does not want to grow up. On the other hand, some think that the story deals with more complex themes about life and death, while others believe the theme revolves around Holden’s outlook on masculine success. The one thing that these different themes have in common is that they try to explain…
Words 1600 - Pages 7
Erin Vance Mrs. Saunders AP Comm 02/21/15 Catcher In The Rye: The Struggles of a Teenage Boy The famous American novel Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, tells the story of the problems Holden Caulfield, a troubled teenager, faces on the journey from childhood to adulthood. After getting expelled from Pencey, the boarding school he attends, he goes on a three day adventure in New York City to avoid his parents and the reality his situation. On his adventure, he finds that the adult world…
Words 896 - Pages 4