Holden Caulfield s The Catcher Of The Rye - 1493 Words

Jerome David Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, describes Holden Caulfield’s journey to understand the complexities of growing up and his purpose. In the beginning, he is in a mental hospital somewhere near Los Angeles and is writing about this â€Å"madman stuff† to a psychoanalyst. Holden flunked out of Pencey Prep and leaves his dormitory to go on a journey around New York to find his way through post-war New York society. At the same time, he is suffering from depression and is on the verge of mental collapse. Eventually, he breaks down, thus the mental hospital. In Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s mental breakdown results from his self-imposed isolation, his environment, and his inundating grief over Allie’s death. Holden’s environment and his isolation engender his breakdown partially. His isolation is introduced when he, â€Å"was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill† (Salinger 2). His location is a metaphor for the loneliness he feels. Pencey Prep also exemplifies Holden’s isolation because he does not want to conform into the norms and he describes his education and experience as phony. Holden critically judges everyone without deeply thinking about them or understanding their perspective. This prevents him from forming social bonds with people and keeps him aloof. Holden also is alienated from society because he does not fit in anywhere when he complains that, â€Å"Everybody sticks together in these dirty little goddam cliques. The guysShow MoreRelatedHolden Caulfield s The Catcher Of The Rye1416 Words   |  6 PagesIt is evident that the protagonist, Holden Caulfield suffers from depression due to the death of his younger brother, Allie in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Due to Allie’s death, Holden’s actions elicit his own views of the world and the â€Å"phonies† around him.   Holden has tunnel-vision to living a simple, happy life and isolates himself from those around him who understand the concept of growing up. Salinger uses a hat, a museum, and a merry-go-round to illuminate Holden’s emotion, theRead MoreHolden Caulfield s The Catcher Of The Rye1213 Words   |  5 Pages The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield suffers from depression due to the death of his younger brother, Allie. Allie’s premature passing elicits Holden’s cynical views of the world and the â€Å"phonies† around him.   Holden isolates himself from those around him in order to shy away from the complexities of life. Salinger uses a hat, a museum, and a merry-go-round to illuminate Holden’s inner turmoil with people, the notion of adulthood, and growing up. Sigmund Freud’sRead MoreHolden Caulfield s The Catcher s The Rye 1331 Words   |  6 PagesAre 50’s teens able to survive the hurtful but unavoidable transition of becoming a grown up as they struggle with the changes that come along with it? JD. Salinger’s 1951 book, The Catcher in the Rye, shows us how society treated their confused and changing teenagers during their transition into adulthood. The book’s main character Holden Caulfield is being pressured into growing up even though he doesn’t feel ready, to lead an adult life. He is still struggling socially and mourning for his deceasedRead MoreAn Analysis Of Holden Caulfield s The Catcher s The Rye 900 Words   |  4 Pagesstory The Catcher in the Rye the 16-year-old protagonist, Holden Caulfield, experiences a conflict that makes him want to relive his childhood memories. Holden has so much hatred toward the adult world and he thinks adults are very phony and lame. J.D Salinger delves into the mentality of a boy that hates adult intimacy and sexuality. Holden ends up in a mental institution to recover from his problems and to overcome his fear of adulthood. This novel is set in the early 1950s and Holden is from NewRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Holden Caulfield s The Catcher Of The Rye 1733 Words   |  7 Pagesthe novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is faced with multiple â€Å"phonies† that divert him from those he really holds affection for. Throughout the novel Holden shows disgust for certain characters but his ability to build relationships of intimacy are most eminent. Through Allie Caulfield, Holden is able to make a more personal connection. Seeing as how he is now dead, Allie is a savior in the eyes’ of Holden when he is in the time of need. Phoebe Caulfield, Holden’s tenRead MoreAn Analysis Of Holden Caulfield s The Catcher s The Rye 1941 Words   |  8 Pagesenough; one cannot appreciate the blissful innocence of childhood until it has passed. The novel, The Catcher in the Rye, explores the complex and often incomprehensible transition to adulthood through the experiences of the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. J.D. Salinger uses Holden’s character to express the challenges teenagers must overcome in order to adapt and succeed in an adult society. Holden outlines the challenges he is experiencing through this time of development by striving to preserve childhoodRead MoreHolden Caulfield s The Catcher Of The Rye824 Words   |  4 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye Symbolism Essay J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, is the story of Holden Caulfield’s loss of faith in society, and in particular adults. Salinger uses a number of symbols to demonstrate Holden’s rebellion against the phony facade of society and his desire to preserve the innocence of children, especially those he loves. Chief among them is Holden’s misinterpretation of Robert Burns’ poem â€Å"Comin thro’ the Rye†, wherein Holden mistakes the original line, â€Å"If a body meet aRead MoreHolden Caulfield s The Catcher Of The Rye1928 Words   |  8 PagesIn The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield’s story is seemingly aimless and without any sense of direction. However, Salinger brings the novel into focus in the final chapters by introducing the idea of being the â€Å"Catcher in the Rye† from the poem by Robert Burns. Salinger chose the name â€Å"Catcher in the Rye† for the title of his novel, but why? The a nswer is that Salinger wanted to emphasize the connection between Holden, the main character, and the cryptic â€Å"Catcher.† Holden confessesRead MoreAnalysis Of Holden Caulfield s The Catcher Rye 1308 Words   |  6 Pagesscratch, while others perish into the rubble. The same can be said for Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, a teenager that suffers and wallow in his misery behind the scene’s, yet lives a life of luxury and debauchery for all to witness. Psychoanalytical theory operates as a catalyst in analyzing and understanding Holden Caulfield in the narrative of The Catcher in the Rye. Holden is introduced as a defeatist, juvenile youngster that has just failed outRead MoreHolden s Influence On Holden Caulfield s The Catcher s The Rye 846 Words   |  4 Pagesforces that interact with one another greatly. For example, in The Catcher in the Rye, these two influences affect Holden Caulfield significantly. They have a large impact on how he views the world and other people. Whilst Holden â€Å"served the author’s purpose: to scrutinize the cruelties and banalities† of society, The Catcher in the Rye remains a work that may helps others understand the path to happiness (Coles). A concept Holden had observed from the start of the novel was the materialism and egotism