J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye - 1435 Words

This paper proposes to delineate the characteristics of Holden Caulfield, the adolescent protagonist hero of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and illuminate the reasons as to why this prototype of brooding adolescence, displaying a rather uber-cool style of disaffection, disenchantment and disillusionment became an indispensable figure of interest, in literary circles as well as popular culture. The paper seeks to take issue with the wider dimensions attached to the ‘incapacitation and debilitation’ Holden is often accused and address Salinger’s vision behind etching Caulfield precisely the way he is. The paper also wishes to foreground the socio-political implications that reverberate within the rubric of the novel, Holden’s characterization and his abhorrence at the ‘phoniness’ that surrounds him- an aspect of the novel that has oft been overlooked by critics, reviewers and commentators alike in their attempt to mete out an avala nche of critical inquiries into the overarching framework of timeless, transcendent morality, which manages to escape the roots of context that bred it. Also, an important aim of the paper is to collate critical attention on Caulfield into a cogent effort to place him in his rightful position as a remarkable hero of literary merit, akin to the oft-discussed analogies and comparisons of him with Huck Finn, David Copperfield, Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom, Peter Pan, Natty Bumppo, Quentin Compson and the like. Towards the end of such aShow MoreRelatedJ.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye595 Words   |  2 PagesResponsibility is considered to be a natural addition to life as people grow older. Holden Caulfield struggles to accept his responsibility in his life throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye. During the course of the novel, Holden experiences the sudden pressure of responsibility caused by his actions. As his counter attack to the unwanted situations he faces, Holden doe s what most people would do and rejects the direction his life is now headed. Holden Caulfield shows his revulsion to acceptRead MoreAn Analysis of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye1223 Words   |  5 PagesIn J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is portrayed as a young, troubled individual. He tells us his story from the mental institution where he is currently residing. Holden is a 16 year old going through many different adolescent changes. He is expelled from his prep school for flunking too many subjects. He drinks, smokes, sees a prostitute, is punched by her pimp, goes on dates, spends a great deal of time in the park, and really does not do a great deal else. HoldenRead MoreEssay on J.D. Salingers The Catcher In The Rye2037 Words   |  9 PagesJ.D. Salingers The Catcher In The Rye   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel The Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, contains many complex symbols, many of the symbols in the book are interconnected. A symbol is an object represents an idea that is important to the novel. I believe the most important symbol in this novel is Holden’s idea of being the â€Å"catcher in the rye†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel, is not the typical sixteen year old boy. Holden has many characteristics that aren’tRead More Immaturity of Holden in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye577 Words   |  3 PagesImmaturity of Holden in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden, cannot accept that he must move out of childhood and into adulthood. One of Holden’s most important major problems is his lack of maturity. Holden also has a negative perspective of life that makes things seem worse than they really are. In addition to Holden’s problems he is unable to accept the death of his brother at a young age. Holden’s immaturity, negativeRead More Symbolism in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye Essay2842 Words   |  12 Pagesif 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 â€Å"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 te n years to write and was originally twice its present length. J.D. Salinger uses copious amounts ofRead MoreThe Use of Language in J.D. Salingers Catcher in the Rye3182 Words   |  13 PagesThe use of language in J.D. Salingers Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J.D. Salingers Catcher in the Rye, is an upper-class boy who has gone from one private school to another, searching for -- something. He expresses his frustrations in language highly characteristic of adolescence; his extremely colloquial speech sounds just like that of teenagers today, even though Salingers novel was written in the 1950s. But a particularly striking factor of Holdens narration isRead MoreEssay on Overcoming Trauma in J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye663 Words   |  3 PagesOvercoming Trauma in J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden is in a rest home, where he speaks about his past and discusses his thoughts and feelings of his memories. Holden tells about his life including his past experiences at many different private schools, most recently Pensey Prep, his friends, and his late brother Allie which led to Holden’s own mental destruction. I believe that Holden Caulfield is mentally disturbed and shows manyRead More Holdens Depression in J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye 1546 Words   |  7 Pagesdepressed at some time or another in their lives.   However, it becomes a problem when depression is so much a part of a persons life that he or she can no longer  experience happiness.   This  happens to the young boy, Holden Caulfield in J.D Salingers novel, The Catcher in the Rye.   Mr. Antolini accurately views the cause of Holdens depression as his lack of personal motivation, his inability to self-reflect and his stubbornness to overlook the obvious which collectively results in him giving up on lifeRead MoreThe First Person Narrator in J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye1097 Words   |  5 PagesIn J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the first person narration played a critical role in helping the reader to know and understand the main character, Holden Caulfield. Salinger also uses s ymbolism to help portray the theme that not everything that glitters is gold. Holden, in his narration, relates a flashback of a significant period of his life, three days and nights on his own in New York City. Through his narration, Holden discloses to the reader his innermost thoughts and also helps toRead MoreHolden Caulfield, from J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye681 Words   |  3 PagesHolden vs. Will The characters Holden Caulfield, from J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, and Will Hunting, from Good Will Hunting, have very similar personalities; however, they live in completely different worlds. The Catcher in the Rye is narrated by Holden Caulfield. He is a seventeen year old from New York City, and in the book, he comes to terms with his past. The story is told from a psychiatric institution. The movie Good Will Hunting is about a very intelligent twenty year old, Will