Catcher In The Rye Analysis Chapter 1

Catcher In The Rye Analysis Chapter 1
Chapter Analysis of "Catcher in the Rye" Chapter 1 In the first chapter of this novel, we get introduced to the protagonist and narrator of the novel,
Holden Caufield, from a rest home in which he has been sent for therapy. He refuses to talk about his early life, although he does explain that his
older brother "D.B" sold out to writing for Hollywood. His story and breakdown begins in the school of Pencey Prep, a boarding school set in
Pennsylvania. The setting for the early chapters in the narration is his "terrible" school, to which he describes the atmosphere to be "as cold as the
December air on Thomsen Hill". Holden's student career at Pencey Prep has been destroyed by his refusal to apply himself. We know this after
Holden explains he failed four of his five subjects, passing only English. Due to his lack of effort and determination, he was forbidden to return to the
school after the term. The Saturday before Christmas vacation began, Holden overlooked the football field, where Pencey usually...show more content...
Holden then asks if it's possible to join a monastery without being Catholic, but Ackley finds that question annoying. Even as he tries to have company,
Holden is talking about escaping society. His loneliness and desire for alienation are at themes that play a major role here. In the hallway, lonely and
tormented by the suspicion that Stradlater may have had sex with his long–time friend, Jane, Holden then decides to leave Pencey and stay for a few
days in New York until his parents find out he's been expelled. He packs and puts on his hunting cap. While crying, he shouts "Sleep tight, ya
morons!" and leaves Pencey. I think Holden's loneliness and anger about Jane possibly sleeping with Stradlater drove him to leave Pencey and his
society to be alone in New York. His crying may also indicate something more than just typical sadness, something more like
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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...show
more content...
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

Theme Of J. D. Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye
"It reflects something not at all rich and strange but what every sensitive sixteen–year–old since Rousseau has felt, and of course what each one of us is
certain he has felt" (Jones 24). So wrote one of the earliest critics of J. D. Salinger's most famous work, The Catcher in the Rye, in 1951. In his focus
on the empathy shared between Catcher's readers and its narrator, Holden Caulfield, a precocious sixteen–year–old who smokes two packs of cigarettes
a day but still plays make–believe, Ernest Jones successfully pinpointed one of the text's most captivating and relatable qualities. Holden's account of
his own coming–of–age secured the book's international popularity and iconic status as the definitive coming–of–age novel in the canon of
twentieth–century...show more content...
Across his writings, the influence of childhood on adult life, and of children on adults, is evident (Graham, "J. D. Salinger" 191). Yet Catcher is
different as its narrator is a teenager, a figure on the brink of adulthood but still a child himself. Salinger sprinkles Catcher with innocent children,
whom Holden takes pleasure in meeting and helping. Like so, he walks two brothers skipping school to the mummy exhibit at the museum: "they
stuck close as hell to me, and the one that didn't talk at all practically was holding onto my sleeve." (Salinger 219). However Holden is also aware
that the only way to truly protect the innocence of children is to remove them from contemporary American society. In one of his fantasies in
which he imagines a new life for himself, he views himself as a father: "if we had any children, we'd hide them somewhere. We could buy them a
lot of books and teach them how to read and write by ourselves" (Salinger 214). For Holden, children represent a purity that he longs for. When
Holden returns to his parents' home Phoebe Caulfield demonstrates Holden's tendency to see all children the same way, generalizing, "adults, they
look lousy when they're asleep and they have their mouths way open, but kids don't. Kids look all right. They can even have spit all over the pillow

Theme Of Identity In Catcher In The Rye
"Do...[not] let your struggle[s] define your identity" (unknown). In other words, this quote says that you should not let your struggles dictate your
life. The Catcher In The Rye, a meaningful novel written by J.D Salinger, demonstrates this quote with the use of a protagonist, Holden Caulfield,
who is extremely difficult to understand. Salinger uses vague writing to portray Holden as someone who does not fit into society's expectations.
After the death of Holden's brother Allie, Holden goes into a downward spiral of depression and tries to venture into adulthood faster then he
should have. The first time the reader interacts with Holden is when he is at, Pencey, a private school which he is failing all of his classes. As a
result, Holden got kicked out of Pencey. To beat the letter, that the school sent home, Holden left Pencey early and headed into New York City. From
there Holden spends his days in New York City reminiscing and interacting with some interesting characters. Based on the reading one can say that
Salinger's main message in The Catcher In The Rye is to illustrate the struggle of identity crisis in adolescents. Salinger does this using Holden's sexual
confusion and the use of turning an everyday item into a piece of symbolic literature.
One of the issues Holden faces in the novel is sexual confusion. He first exhibits sexual confusion when he was talking to his roommate, Stradlater,
about his date with Jane Gallagher. Holden met Jane when his family was at his

Themes of Society and Growing Up in The Catcher in the Rye
In reading J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, one is compelled to have a very strong reaction to the contents of the book. Whether that
reaction is negative or positive, it is unquestionable that the reader will give the novel a second thought after reading it. There could be many reasons
why this novel has such an impact on the readers. It may be the use of Salinger's catchy slang phrases, bitingly sarcastic and usually negative, grabbing
the attention of the reader. Another possibility is Holden, the novel's subject and lead character. "He describes everything as 'phony', is constantly in
search of sincerity, and represents the first hero of adolescent...show more content...
It is a widespread belief that much of Holden Caulfield's candid outlook on life reflects issues relevant to the youth of today (Davis 317–18). Before
his novel, J.D. Salinger was of basic non–literary status, having written for years without notice from critics or the general public. The Catcher in
the Rye was his first step onto the literary playing field. This initial status left Salinger, as a serious writer, almost unique as a sort of free agent, not
bound to one or more schools of critics, like many of his contemporaries were. This ability to write freely, his status as a nobody in the literary world,
was Salinger's greatest asset. Rather than to scope inside Salinger's mind and create a greatness for him, we are content instead to note him for what
he is: "a beautifully deft, professional performer who gives us a chance to catch quick, half–amused, half–frightened glimpses of ourselves and our
contemporaries, as he confronts us with his brilliant mirror images" (Stevenson 217).
Novels about teenagers rarely capture the melodrama of growing up and having those feelings of unworthiness and uselessness as this one did. Aside
from all of thse clichГ©d growing pains that teens enjoy sympathizing with, however, there is still that side of Holden's character that is not quite
optimistic but hinting of a softer side of him. This mannerism is in

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.

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...show more
content...
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

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...show more content...
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

Catcher In The Rye Theme Essay
The Catcher in the Rye, a world renowned novel written by J.D. Salinger was published in July of 1951. The novel tells a story of a young adult named
Holden Caulfield who struggles with the transition between childhood and adulthood, and conclusively tries to understand what he is struggling with.
The entire novel analyzes three nights in particular in which Holden looks for something he is unaware of, through his endeavors in New York City.
Through some major symbols, specifically three, throughout the novel, the struggles that Holden face include his discomfort with wealth that is
associated with his family, the search for a communal environment, and his longing for childhood. Through the three symbols of money, a broken
record, and the...show more content...
Holden wonders where the ducks from the Central Park Lagoon go during the winter. He questions his taxi cab driver of his knowledge of the
ducks in the wintertime, and receives little to no answer to his question. INSERT AND EXPLAIN QUOTE The ducks and the pond are symbolic
to Holden and to the novel in a couple of ways. Holden's confusion as to where they go can relate to his personal confusion as to where he should
go. One can perceive this as confusion by Holden as to where he belongs, and the search for an environment in which he could belong. It is probably
common knowledge that ducks return to the pond after the long and cold winter, and the reason Holden is so intrigued of this concept is his
unfamiliarity with change of scenes and environment. This can be related to the inconsistent home environment Holden has experienced throughout
his most recent years, including the death of his brother Allie, living at multiple boarding schools, a summer home, and the house in which he grew
up. Another characteristic one can see of Holden through his curiosity of the ducks is his willingness. It is easy to interpret Holden as lazy or not
driven because of the way he handles other situations, but his persistence in which he proves his needing to know exactly where the ducks go is
notable. Through his search for an answer regarding the ducks winter whereabouts, the reader learns of Holden search for a permanent

The Themes of The Catcher in the Rye
Considered one of the best novels of the 20th century, The Catcher in the Rye has affected readers around the globe since its publication in 1951. Its
contemporary critics, however, gave the novel mixed reviews. Compared to the ideals of 1950s America, Holden Caulfield, the emotionally immature,
extremely judgmental, teen–aged main character of "Catcher," embodies the antithesis. Holden was an affront to the new social order, which
demanded conformity and propagated the "father knows best" mentality. Americans, however, despite the postwar economic boom, remained
suspicious of authority. In idyllic suburban neighborhoods across the country, while families huddled around their new television screens, people
discussed their neighbors' movements, made distrustful even of their closest friends by the "Red Scare". The American Dream seemed like a
golden ring just out of reach, leaving people feeling like they were going around in circles without a clear destination or purpose. With his sense of
nostalgia for better times, his bleak perspective of the future, and his contradictory nature, Holden speaks directly to this sense of confusion at the
world that Americans felt during the 1950s. The name of the novel is derived from what Holden describes as his "dream job." Phoebe, Holden's little
sister, who has the uncanny ability to see right through his bravado and blasГ© attitude, asks Holden to name one thing he likes enough to actually do
(Salinger 92–93). After quite a bit of

Catcher In The Rye Theme Analysis
Themes:
The major theme in the Catcher in the Rye, is innocence. Holden is conflicted with whether or not to grow up. He wants to grow up, and he thinks he
should. However, he wants to live in the past, be a kid, and have fun. He continually tries to reconnect with his childhood. Holden continuously reflects
on his times as a child with his dead brother Allie. He thinks about his times with the girl next door to him, and all the times he spent playing checkers
with her. He thinks about his younger sister, and their times at the museum. He talks a great deal about how much he misses these times with the
people who were close to him as a child. Once he sets out on his journey of discovery, his only security blanket is that reconnection to his childhood.
A few minor themes include death, falsehood, and sex. Death, as a theme, exists throughout the story; especially as he often reflects on the life and
death of his brother Allie. When Holden is afraid, or feels like he may disappear, he speaks to Allie. Although he has been dead for years, Allie's spirit
is constantly recurring throughout the story. Falsehood is another theme brought to life through Holden, who believes everyone and everything is a
phony. Stradlater, Ackley, the girls he meets at the hotel, are all fakes. Holden uses this idea, to help himself seem older, or better than the others
around him.
The final theme is sex. Holden, is confused and curious about sex. Its is almost obsessive the way he talks

The Catcher In The Rye Theme Analysis
The author from The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger utilizes motifs loneliness and depression to show how Holden a teenager from the book
explains the struggles he had during the great depression. J.D. Salinger uses the motifs of loneliness and depression to illustrate the theme that when
people feel lonely they try to connect with people to get rid of it. J.D. Salinger uses the motif of loneliness to show how Holden's struggles affected him
negatively and demonstrate what made Holden lonely in this book. For example, the motif of loneliness describes Holden because after his
brother Allie died he kept having flashbacks about him he couldn't believe his brother is dead, for example he says, "I slept in the garage the night
he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist" (pg.39). This shows how when Holden feels lonely or sad or upset he gets really
triggered which causes him to have a negative reaction to the world. Another example of Holden demonstrating the motif of loneliness in the book
is when he was thinking about Jane Gallagher, he says "Jane Gallagher. Jesus ... I couldn't get her off my mind. I really couldn't" (pg.32). This
shows us that just like Holden's case with Allie he feels like he misses most of the people he hasn't seen for a long time and that once he gets
flashbacks of the important people in his life it is hard for him to move on. He does not feel safe alone. For instance, at the end of the book, Holden
says "Don't ever tell anybody

The Theme of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
In the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulifield views the world as an evil corrupt place where there is no peace.
Holden has a phony phobia that restricts him from becoming a fully matured adult. In Holden's attempted journey in becoming a fully matured adult, he
encounters many scenarios involving friendship, personal opinions, and his love of children. His journey is an unpleasant and difficult one with many
lessons learned along the way; including the realization that he is powerless to change the world.
Around every corner Holden sees corruption. He looks out on a world, which appears completely immoral and unscrupulous. Holden finds a hard
...show more content...
Holden believes that he can change the world and he reveals his feelings on a date with Sally '" Did you ever get fed up? … I mean did you
ever get scared that everything was going to go lousy unless you did something…"'(pg 130). Holden proposes to Sally to escape this world
with him. It is finally to his younger sister that Holden reveals that he wants to prevent children from growing up. He blames the world's corruption on
adults and believes that when he stops the children from growing up he will preserve their innocence and save the world.
Holden's phony addiction gets him into trouble at school. Holden looks for the flaws in everyone and tries to eliminate that person he sees as a
threat, such as when Holden decides to face off against the phony Stradlater after Stradlater's date with Jane. Holden also thinks every teacher is a
phony who pretends to be helpful to students. If Holden has trouble in school he does not seek help from his peers because he believes that they are
phonies. Hence this point is tied into one of the reasons he is kicked out of Pencey, failing four out of five courses. Holden's avoidance of things
phony is very strong and he has a one–track mind. It is either his way or the highway, this is another example of how Holden's phony problem hinders
his chance at full maturity. Holden is so scared

Theme Of Death In Catcher In The Rye
In Catcher in the Rye, the theme of death is dominant in life of Holden Caulfield (who is the main character). Holden compares death with the
uncertainty of time. Holden is negative when it comes to his feelings towards death. In the following essay, the recurring motif of death will be
explored. Motifs are repeating "structures, contrasts, and literary devices" which support the progress and also support the main themes used in the
novel. The repeating motif of death will be analyzed by looking at past death events such as his brother dying from leukemia, his school mate James
Castle's suicide and also Holden's own thoughts about suicide (The Catcher in the Rye 2010: [sp]).
The theme of the novel was influenced by the death of Allie (Holden's...show more content...
One of his classmates at Elkton Hills committed suicide. James told Phil Stabile that he was "conceited"(pg. 91). When Stabile heard what James
had said about him, he and a few of his friends locked James in his room. James refused to take back what he had said and so they did unspeakable
things to him. James wanted to escape and this he jumped out of the window and died. James was lying on the floor outside of his window, "He
was dead, and his teeth, and blood, were all over the place. He had on this turtleneck sweater I'd lent him" (pg. 92). This encounter that Holden had
with death again, made it harder for him to accept death. The falling of James Castle to his death can be linked to Holden's position that he had given
himself as the protector of children. Holden wants to catch (protect) the children that are playing in the rye from falling of the cliff of adulthood
(Death in Catcher in the Rye 2014: [sp]).
The falling of James can be seen as two metaphors. The first metaphor is for the fall of children's innocence, because children have to learn about
sex, evil and injustice, and the whole experience of adulthood at a very young age. The second metaphor is the basics of death, where we all will
die. The falling of James can then also be seen as literal, because he was unable to cope with the knowledge of sex, evil and death and therefor he
committed suicide (Hegelpoetry 2008:

Catcher In The Rye Theme
The Catcher in the Rye Theme Analysis In J.D. Salinger's timeless novel, The Catcher in the Rye, young man Holden Caulfield explores the bridge
from childhood to adulthood while spending time alone in New York. After being kicked out from his school Pencey Prep, Holden leaves for home
earlier than planned and stays in New York for a few days before returning home. While in New York, Holden experiences various situations in which
he realizes that childhood doesn't last forever, and that innocence dissolves quickly in the harsh reality of the world. He tries to hold on to the
innocence as much as he can, but the guileless qualities of man inevitably fade away as time flies. Through the use of symbols in Holden's life and the
title of this

Catcher In The Rye Phoebe Analysis
Catcher in the Rye Essay(Prompt 2) In the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Phoebe, despite not appearing in the book as often as other characters,
serves as the confidante for Holden in order to bring out his true character and reveal his true emotions and thoughts. She brings out his emotions of
depressed thoughts, guilt, happiness, and how he values authenticity.
First, Phoebe acts as a confidante for Holden by showing the reader Holden's true emotions and thoughts. Phoebe reveals his moods of happiness and
depression and why he feels the way he does. When Phoebe is on the carousel, Holden "felt so damn happy all of sudden[because] the way old Phoebe
kept going around and around.[Holden]was damn near bawling, [He] felt so damn...show more content...
This further develops Holden's character to vent over the death of Allie and reinforce his moral code. When Phoebe is with Holden, Holden mentions
Allie when he snaps and explains that, "[He] know he's dead!" He then says "I can still like him, though, can't I? Just because somebody's dead, you
don't just stop liking them. [...] Especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive." This allows Holden to vent
his frustration allowing him to move along the stages of grief. (Salinger Chapter 22) Phoebe's character also heavily complies with Holden's moral
values. Holden values a attentive and authentic persona rather than the fake and passive persona that he perceives many people to possess. When
he was younger he noticed "When[he talked to] Allie[...]old Phoebe'd be listening. Sometimes you'd forget she was around, because she was such a
little kid, but she'd let you know. She'd interrupt you all the time. She'd give [Holden and Allie a] push or something, and say, Who? Who said that?
Bobby or the lady? And [they'd] tell her who said it, and she'd say, Oh, and go right on listening and all. She killed Allie, too. He liked her, too. She's
ten now, and not such a tiny little kid anymore[...] Anyway, she was somebody you always felt like talking to on the phone. " (Salinger Chapter 10)
This reveals how he value the authenticity and attentiveness of Phoebe and he strongly relates and connects with his siblings. This evidently reveals
that Phoebe works as a confidant for

Themes In Catcher In The Rye
"The Catcher in the Rye" is a classic American novel written by J.D. Salinger. In this book Salinger uses multiple themes, in order to connect the reader
to the main character, Holden Caulfield, and the story itself. Three of the themes he uses in the book are innocence vs. maturity, "phoniness", and
loneliness. These themes are great in this novel when they stand alone. However, when Salinger uses them to connect to the others, it becomes a story
that will stay with you for a lifetime, and the reader will understand why this novel is regarded as one of the best ever.
From the beginning of the novel, one common theme is the innocence that Holden is losing, and the maturity he is trying to gain, faster than it is
coming. Holden is...show more content...
Holden misses his innocent days, and we can see this in the way he admires his little sister Phoebe. He admires the innocence that his sister still has,
while also admiring the way adults admire the innocence he still has left. Holden also has an ongoing curiosity about where the ducks in the Central
Park lagoon go during the winter, this shows a sort of childlike wonder in him. All of this adds up to show how J.D. Salinger make a major theme out
of innocence vs. maturity.
The fact that Holden is not fully mature means that he doesn't completely know who he is. However, he seems to have an obsession with whether
or not other people are being true to themselves. For example, when he meets Sally's friend outside the play, he automatically assumes they meet at
"some phony party". He even said he left the school he went to before Pencey, Elkton Hills due to the amount of phony people he meet there. What
someone has to do to qualify as a "phony" in Holden's book, is not completely clear. But the term seems to describe anyone he doesn't like. Which
leads to the question of whether or not Holden is as true as he leads us to believe. Now, he was genuine that time he and Sally went for a drink and
Holden asked, "Do you ever get fed up?" This in its self is a truly honest question. He then goes on to rant about his life and how he wants to leave it
all behind in order to run away with Sally. To Sally this appears very reveling and honest, and even show his inner most

Theme Of The Catcher In The Rye
Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger there are several different themes portrayed that widely relate to current issues of
teenagers and adults alike. While reading the novel several different themes were revealed creating a deep and meaningful story line. Three themes
viewed within the novel are; the phoniness of the adult world, alienation as a form of self–protection, and the painfulness of growing up. Each of these
themes have large significance in character and plot development throughout the story. For this analysis the first focus will be the theme of the
phoniness of the adult world. One of the first times we see Holden use the term is when the speaks about his old Headmaster at Pencey. Holden speaks
about...show more content...
This themes is one of the more major themes in The Catcher in the Rye and if the base plot line for character and plot development. Throughout
the novel the readers can see how the "phoniness" is driving Holden madder and madder pushing him to his mental breakdowns throughout the
book. To Holden the phonies in the world allow him to be cynical and to isolate himself as a form of self protection, the second theme. In chapter
12 while at Ernie 's he meets a girl his brother used to see, "All of a sudden, this girl came up to me and said, "Holden Caulfield!" Her name was Lillian
Simmons. My brother D.B. used to go around with her for a while... Strictly a phony"(Salinger 96–97). He explains that adults, like Lillian, will always
be phonies, and the problem is they can not see it for themselves. Holden admits to this theory in chapter 22 right before the tell his fantasy to be the
catcher in the rye. The phoniness is a human concept, and with Holden wishing it did not exist he is wishing for an inhuman world. Due to this he
isolates himself as a form of protection from becoming an adult and turning into the phonies he hates. This barrier Holden puts up protects him and
destroys him at the same time. He wishes to connect to people again like he did with Jane but has become so cynical that he is afraid he cannot be
the way the used to be with her. This constant battle of protection versis cynical realness causes a great deal of problems for

Catcher In The Rye Themes
A novel, despite its lack of a film adaptation in our image saturated world that has stood the test of time. Banned in most American schools from
1961–1971 due to its controversial view on adulthood and its confronting themes of sex, alcohol, rebellion and delinquency. This novel has; sold
over 66 million copies world wide, been translated into all major languages and is still considered one of the great classics by literally critics. The
Catcher in the Rye written by JD Salinger is undoubtably one of the greatest novels ever written to date. A complex plot that explore multiple
complex themes to an authentic writing style, it is absolutely necessary that this book be featured in the top 100 novels of all time. Holden Caulfield
is a 17 year old boy retelling his dwindle into being institutionalised in a mental hospital. His 16 year old self of whom 17 year old Holden is
reflecting on, is plagued with the idea of adulthood being sprung upon him, eating at the carcass...show more content...
The theme of alienation as a form self protection is prominent within the book and leads to Caulfield's mental breakdown. In a world where mental
illness and social isolation is becoming a growing epidemic, especially within the teenage age bracket,The Catcher in the Rye helps us understand
the world from the perspective of someone who had never really belonged and allows us to empathise with him. Holden provides physical barriers
between him and society to demonstrate him attempting to mask his insecurity, such as the wearing of his red hunting cap. He wears the hunting cap
as a mask of reality, when he is wearing the hat he feels as though he can mask his unsteadiness and become free of all past pain. On Holden's venture
for answers he seeks the advice of adult figures in, most of which disregard and the only one who does listen seemingly had interior

Catcher In The Rye Analysis Chapter 1

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Catcher In The Rye Analysis Chapter 1