The Grapes Of Wrath And The Catcher In The Rye

How the choice of form is related to the content

Holden’s tour guide relates significantly to the novel. It reflects the constant conflict between the child world and the world of adulthood. It’s also directed towards children, whom Holden enjoys interacting with much more than adults. I tried to use the same descriptive language Holden would when he talks to kids, for example, “the museum with the Indians” to describe the Museum of Natural History. Holden uses this terminology with a young girl he meets in a park, and it’s significant to the theme of childhood since children aren’t concerned about formality. In addition to Holden’s way of communicating to children, I also included his values that he holds and wants them to hold as well. Since

They both take place in the United States during the 20th century, however the Grapes of Wrath is set during the 1930’s in the American midwest, whereas the Catcher in the Rye is set during the late 1940’s. The setting of the novels display rural America before and an urban setting after World War 2. Before, there was the Great Depression, and it was very obvious to see the social and physical effects of the crisis on American citizens. After the war, there was the generation of baby boomers, and the economy seemed to be rather stable, with many Americans contently living their lives as society expected them to, in what Holden would consider phoniness and conformity. When comparing the struggles, there are similarities and differences. In the Grapes of Wrath, Tom and his family are battling against a greater, more powerful force; the big companies. Their struggle is external. Holden, while he does resist and fight against societal norms, is mainly dealing with an internal conflict that concerns coming of age. As mentioned, Holden tends to act his own way and does not follow what 1950’s Americans would deem normal. He can’t stand being told what he’s supposed to do, and acts out by swearing, lying, and annoying others throughout his journey. Tom, although he’s much more respectful, breaks the law multiple times, and rebels against those with more power than

Keep in mind that this is a tour guide for children and pre-teens, so some of the places he visits are not relevant. Holden spends his first couple of nights going from bar to bar, getting more and more depressed, which is incredibly important to his character, however, it wouldn’t be effective on a tour guide for kids. Holden also goes to many fictional places, such as the Edmont Hotel, or Mr. Antolini’s house. The latter is quite significant, since Mr. Antolini points out that Holden lacks direction in life, contributing to Holden’s discovery of himself. Once again, children would not be interested in going to some random teacher’s house, although Antolini probably wouldn’t