Catcher In The Rye Essay Topics

Many books in the American school systems have been banned for “ Exploring complex topics such as sexuality, violence, substance abuse, suicide and racism through well-drawn characters lets kids contemplate morality and vast aspects of the human condition, build empathy for people unlike themselves and possibly discover a mirror of their own experience”- (Regan McMahon). While Regan Mcmahon lists topics that are considered too inappropriate for students to read, she also implies that these books help in finding your own opinions and encourages critical thinking. In the book The Catcher In The Rye it explores the topics of sexuality,substance abuse, and depression. The book shows an insight on Holden (the main character) and his life as

This defines our way of life as we need to grow our own opinions and know how to think for ourselves. Books are very critical to this part of our life. Reading about other people's perspectives can help us understand their lives and give us a feeling of comfort or being understood. It also shows the consequences of the characters actions and how others react to them. This can help many students who relate with the main character to form opinions and new perspectives. In "The Catcher in the Rye" Holden shows many times throughout the book his perception of the world by saying “You never saw so many phonies in all your life…”(pg 164). This describes how Holden does not see much truth in the people he is surrounded by. Which many readers can sympathize with as many of us see phonies in our world.The catcher in the rye also uses symbolism to show abstract ideas. On page 150 Holden hears someone say “ ‘If a body catch a body coming through the rye’”. We can understand that it was misheard as it’s actually “if a body meet a body coming through the rye”. This was significant to Holden because hearing a child say that phrase made him feel less depressed which showed a lot about his character. Holden wanted to be the catcher and protect the innocent if they slip and fall. You can see his deeper intentions where he wanted to protect the innocent because no one did that for him. This follows the common idea of how broken Holden is and reveals deeper, complex meanings throughout the book on the impact his childhood had on his demeanor and made him mentally