The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - 1005 Words

Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J.D. Salinger’s classic coming of age tale The Catcher in the Rye, entices readers through his hyper-critical scrutinization of the post-war consumer world. The novel itself is acclaimed to be quite autobiographical; the similarities between Salinger and Holden are numerous. Holden is an avid critic of materialistic American ideals, and he aims to preserve innocence in others, and to save himself from falling into the land of adulthood. After failing out of prep school, Holden retires to the streets of New York City, searching for the little purity he has left. Through Holden’s manic and depressive moods, his language, and his relationship with his sister, Holden’s desire to escape the â€Å"phoniness†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Costello states, â€Å"†¦Holden uses theses phrases to such an overpowering degree that they become a clear part of the flavor of the book; they become, more, a part of Holden hims elf†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Costello 33). A major phrase which Holden uses is â€Å"It really is† or â€Å"It really did†. These affirmative phrases demonstrate how Holden longs to fortify his honesty and avoid slipping into the world of â€Å"phonies†. In addition, Holden’s diction is identifiable at a mature level and at a young level. For example, Holden makes use of vocabulary such as â€Å"suspicious† and â€Å"terrific†, yet he abuses basic grammar through the use of misplacing adjectives as nouns and using double negatives. Therefore, Holden’s language mirrors his division between childhood and adulthood. In addition to Holden’s moods and his language, his relationships also aid in delineating his character. Holden’s most valued relationship is the one he shares with his younger sister, Phoebe. To Holden, Phoebe is the one person whom he can truly trust, and he feels best when he is with her. A monumental reason fo r Holden’s appreciation for Phoebe is that she has emotionally replaced Holden’s deceased brother, Allie, who passed away at a young age. Holden loves his sister so greatly because of her youth, and he does not want to see her enter the world of adulthood. However, Holden realizes that he cannot preserve Phoebe’s innocence when he takes her to ride the carousel at the zoo. Holden says,Show MoreRelatedThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger637 Words   |  3 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, consists of many minor characters. There are more than about sixty characters in the novel in which only three of them are major characters (Holden, Allie, and Phoebe) and the rest minor. Many of these characters are just mentioned with no lasting impact on either the novel itself or Holden. Salinger uses minor characters in the Catcher in the Rye to tell the readers about Holden and his views about the world. The first minor character seen in the CatcherRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger654 Words   |  3 Pagesfirst questions that came to my mind when I received the first assignment notice that we would be reading The Catcher in the Rye for English class. The title is most likely the single most important word choice that the author must make. J.D. Salinger uses the title in the book to allude to more than just when Holden sees the young child singing. J.D. Salingers title, The Catcher in the Rye, alludes to the conflict Holden faces of sexuality when growing up. The first reference made to the titleRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger944 Words   |  4 PagesMany people have different aspects and impressions on a teenager’s life. Some say society is the problem for their misbehaviours while others say it is the child who is responsible. Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger tells a story of a teenage boy named Holden Caulfield who gets kicked out from school to school. He never pushed himself in academics or anything and ended up failing, at most, everything. He re-tells what happened to him in New York after he got kicked out of Pencey Prep and secretlyRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger862 Words   |  3 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye a novel written by J.D. Salinger, the book starts off with Holden Caulfield, main protagonist, talks about his experience alone the weekend before he went home after getting kicked out of Pencey Prep.Holden seems to be embracing the growing up mentality yet he is frighten of adul thood he is trying to keep his innocence. Holden’s attitude toward life in general is perplexed. He pretends to be an adult by drinking heavily, yet he complains like a child. Holdens thoughts arentRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger1515 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a very complex and interesting person to take into consideration and psychoanalyze. His various traits make him a different person from the rest of the phonies in the world. Holden says, â€Å"All you do is make a lot of dough and play golf and play bridge and buy cars and drink Martinis and look like a hot-shot. How would you know you werent being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldnt.† What Holden doesn’t realizeRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger798 Words   |  3 PagesCatcher in the Rye Essay Anyone who has lost a beloved relative to cancer or other illnesses can understand how difficult it is to return to a normal living routine and move on with their lives without the relative. In J.D. Salinger’s novel, Holden Caulfield has to deal with the loss of his younger brother to leukemia. A few years after his younger brother, Allie, passed away, Holden finds himself being kicked out of yet another boarding school, this one being Pencey Prep in Pennsylvania. HoldenRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger1104 Words   |  4 Pages J.D. Salinger has written multiple novels, but his most famous is The Catcher in the Rye. Not only is this novel famous for its literary merit, it is also known as his most banned novel in certain schools. Even though this novel has been banned, J.D. Salinger’s themes and moralistic purposes serve literary worth. In The Catcher in the Rye, the reader is first introduced to Holden Caulfield, as first person narrator. He is a radically independent adolescent who tosses off judgments at ease unselfconsciouslyRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger983 Words   |  4 PagesCatcher in the Rye Essay Throughout Catcher in the Rye there are a lot of small parts of the story where it would be linked to the book and to the text all together. J.D. Salinger created a lot of important passages that would be associated with what type of message that he was trying to convey to the audience. Salinger would develop certain characters like Phoebe through her description and actions to have a influence on Holden, thus causing him to change as a character and reveal sides of himRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger507 Words   |  2 PagesJ.D Salinger is a very known american writer whose literature became very popular. His books revolved around many ideas such as his view on children. Children in many of his books have an innocence that Salinger grasps onto and makes adults corrupt. Also, he shows how children are teachers to adults but can still be foolish. Purity in children are expressed throughout many stories by Salinger. In Catcher In the Rye, Holden repeatedly expressed â€Å"Did you ask her if she still keeps all her kings inRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger667 Words   |  3 PagesIn a J.D Salinger novel, The Catcher in the rye interprets the adolescent world full of patience and misery. Holden Caulfield, hardly being the complete opposite of a typical protagonist. Instead, being the archetype of an anti-hero facing adolescent over anxiety. He is a teenager forced to grow up in a time of turmoil with severe emotional handicaps placed upon him by family, friends and life in general. Caulfield sets himself on such a journey and is portrayed as an individual on a quest for validation