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Catcher In The Rye: Poem Analysis

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Recommended: Holden Caulfield's Mental Condition in The Catcher in the Rye

In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield narrates his perspective of his life from the location of a mental hospital. This story takes place in New York where Holden encounters many struggles as he flunks out of another school, Pencey Prep. Salinger’s incorporation of symbolism has a significant meaning to the book as a whole. Giving the novel its name, the symbol of a catcher in the rye directly correlates to Holden Caulfield as he hopes to fulfil his dream of preserving the innocent.
Despite Holden’s lack of effort to achieve success, he possesses this heartwarming quality of love for the innocent and hope that they will succeed. After being kicked out of Pencey Prep, Holden decides to spend three days alone in New York before returning home to his family for Christmas break. While looking back into the past to narrate his life, at many times, Holden describes himself as feeling very depressed and lonely. As Holden roams the streets, he notices a young boy and points out by mentioning “He kept on walking next to the curb and singing ‘If a body catch a body coming through the rye.’ It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed anymore” (Salinger, 115). This young, innocent boy gave Holden a sense of happiness that was obtained through this poem by Robert Burns. Surrounding himself with innocent people, not phonies, only brings positive results to Holden. Holden 's special connection with the innocent is revealed through his siblings, Allie and Phoebe. Allie, his brother, died of …show more content…

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses Holden Caulfield to narrate his perspective of life through the voice of a typical teen. The use of key symbols such as the catcher in the rye itself, plays a significant role in developing the importance of innocence. The symbol of a catcher in the rye, directly correlates to Holden Caulfield as he hopes to become the catcher in order to fulfil his dream of preserving the

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Holden's attempt to justify himself is unfair to himself but this best describes Holden's personality. The Catcher in the Rye Many symbols is the utmost example of a novel with innocence struggles inner and outer.using the Red hunting hat , Innocence of Holden's siblings And Holdens Preservation of objects he is close to.repeating of symbols is the way J.d. Salinger creates a novel that makes the main character struggles. Creating a novel where the main character continuously has troubles brings light of real world struggles of people in daily

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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Catcher In The Rye

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The book The Catcher in the Rye is a story of internal conflicts and the shallowness of adulthood. The main character, Holden, is struggling to maintain his strong voice of innocence in a fight only involving himself. One of the many reasons for Holden’s emotional devastation is the death of his younger brother Allie. Allie passed away three years earlier from leukemia and this of course highly affected Holden’s mental state at the time even if he didn’t know it. Salinger’s tone held the most importance of this book.

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The Catcher in the Rye In the novel The Catcher in the Rye J.D Salinger writes about a teenager struggling to find his place within the existence of the reality of others. Salinger creates shocking events that lay out the foundation of the the main character Holden Caulfield’s life in the novel. Salinger uses Holden’s characteristics throughout the novel such as Holden’s stubbornness to establish a much bigger theme in the book along with many other symbols.

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The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” was about the journey of a adolescent boy finding his way to adulthood. In the book Holden Caulfield was unsuccessful in finding his way to adulthood. Holden’s attitude in the novel throughout his journey was very immature. He also can't accept the fact that innocence can’t be forever protected. Lastly, Holden calls everyone a phony when in reality he is the real phony.

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In an attempt to pass time after his breakfast, Holden has the idea to stroll around the city. He visits broadway to purchase a record for Phoebe, he eventually chooses a vivacious record with a unique and brash sound. Holden believes that Phoebe is special and wants to showcase his beliefs to her by giving her a record with music that corresponds with her individualism. Consequently, Holden’s mind begins to meander for a while when he starts to admire Phoebe’s maturity and intelligence. It is only until he overhears a young boy in the middle of the street singing “If a body catch a body coming through the rye” (Salinger 115), that Holden is brought back to reality.

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The Catcher in the Rye is a novel that was written by J. D. Salinger in 1951. It was first published by Little, Brown and Company and was originally written for adults, but became popular among teenagers for its teenage main character, who deals with problems a large number of adolescents face in their transition into adulthood. It is not a difficult book to read, especially considering it is only 234 pages. The story revolves around the protagonist, a 16 year old boy named Holden Caulfield, who recently flunked out of a prestigious preparatory school.

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The Catcher in the Rye Thematic Essay Imagine living a lonesome life, full of fear and little hope of better days to come. Imagine the toll this would take on a person’s life and how they develop as a person. For Holden Caulfield, the main character of J.D Salinger’s classic The Catcher in the Rye this, is his reality. Holden is a sixteen year old troubled boy suffering through major mental issues and living a rather a depressing life for a teenager. Throughout the novel he goes through many hardships that only worsen his depression making him feel hatred towards his seemingly hellish world.

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Symbolism In Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye

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The story of The Catcher in The Rye explains Holden Caulfield's journey to discover his purpose in life. Throughout the novel, he travels around New York, interacting with several people. But not only people, but symbols help Holden to understand how the world works, from a Red Hat to a Childhood museum, these symbols dictate his feelings towards the outside world and people around him. Innocence and permanence are staples of the story, and Salinger's use of a Hat, Childhood Museums,ducks, and a carousel, are able to convey these idea because of their representation of these concepts.

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J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is considered a coming of age novel. Throughout the novel, Holden, a confused teenage boy, matures and understands more about himself. Salinger conveys Holden’s increasing levels of maturity by using a variety of symbols. The ducks in central park, the red hunting hat, and the carousel ring symbolize the the development of Holden’s adulthood.

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Many people harbour a desire to accomplish something specific in life. Sometimes this desire stems from the background of a person, and sometimes desires are developed over time and with age. “The Catcher in the Rye” narrated by Holden Caulfield, who is an overly disturbed teenager, is about the change from childhood to adulthood. Holden, like many, has a burning desire to protect the innocence of children; this desire is tied to the themes of relationships, intimacy and sexuality which are carried throughout the novel. In a stroke of genius, the author, J.D. Salinger, sums up this desire in the title, which is taken from a poem by Robert Burns: Comin ' thro ' the Rye ( 1796).

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Purpose: To show how a small change in choice could affect holden’s life The Catcher in the Rye is about Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy from New York. The novel starts with Holden, writing in his book, hinting that he is in some sort of mental facility .Even though he comes from a wealthy family,because of his loss of interest in studies,and low grades, he gets expelled from all schools he has studied in .Holden leaves his final school, Pency Prep and decides that he will stay in New York City until his parents learn of his expulsion and “cool down” .Most of the novel is dedicated to Holden’s time in the city, Holden lives in a hotel room for a few days during his stay .Holden then starts meeting with people that he used know, some strangers and goes to places with. From his conversations, he

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In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger uses the main character Holden Caulfield to portray the loss of innocence. Holden is a teenage boy who struggles with adulthood and the innocence of being a child. Through Holden's experiences, Salinger shows that the loss of innocence can be painful and difficult, but it is also necessary for personal growth and maturity. Holden's journey towards loss of innocence is shown by several events, such as his expulsion from Pencey Prep School and his roams in New York City. Holden's expulsion from Pencey is a turning point in the novel, as it marks the beginning of his realization that he can no longer hold on to the innocence of childhood.

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The Symbolism Of The Catcher In The Rye

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Holden is walking towards Broadway when he sees this nice family walking down the street. The parent were “walking along, talking, not paying any attention to their kid.” (115). The kid was walking on the street not the sidewalk ” he was singing that song, “if a body catch a body, coming through the rye. He had a pretty little voice too.

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Catcher In The Rye And 1984 Comparison Essay

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The Catcher in the Rye is a story about loner Holden Caulfield who recounts his past few days where he was kicked out of school, left to visit New York, and shares his thoughts on almost everything in his everyday life, such as women and his dreams to be a catcher in the rye. First, to establish the shabby setting, Salinger uses similes. When Holden travels to his former teacher's home, he sidetracks from his original thought to complain about the bed he is sitting on. Salinger writes Holden thinking, "'It is. I was.

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Holden's Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

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Holden’s unusual fantasy metaphorically displays this desire to save children’s innocence on his quest, and literally displays his obsession with death and preventing it, as being the catcher in the rye would accomplish both goals. F. Literary Critics also note that Holden’s catcher in the rye job is a dream of his that he pretends to be a reality to hide the fact that he secretly knows that he is unable to save the innocence of all children. G. Authors James E. Miller jr, and Arthur Heiserman explicitly state that, “Holden delights in circles – a comforting bounded figure which yet connotes hopelessness” (Miller, Heiserman 496). H. The “comforting bounded figure” is Holden’s catcher fantasy that he literally uses to comfort himself against the reality he refuses to believe because it “connotes hopelessness” and he is still too innocent and naïve to accept that. I. Holden possesses this dream as a weak attempt to save the innocence of children and to avoid a hopeless reality of defeat he has yet to accept.

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