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Catcher In The Rye Suitcases Analysis

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Suitcases identify Holden in the novel The Catcher in the Rye. This identity of wealth shows an existential problem Holden, and everyone has. Let me ask you this; Are you secretly proud of something? Whether it be wealth or a sport. Something you do not brag about, but you are still proud of. Do you ever feel embarrassed about this thing; like you should feel bad for those who do not have what you have, or inclined that you should give this thing away? But when those people who are jealous of you have the same thing you have, you feel angry because they should be jealous of you? You are not alone. Every single person has this problem, but especially Holden. In Holden’s instance, his problem is evident because of his experience with Dick Slagle …show more content…

They have very inexpensive looking suitcases and do not know what to do with them. Holden is immediately disgusted. He could tell that the bags are not made of genuine cowhide leather (like the ones he has). Although he is disgusted, Holden continues to guide them with their suitcases. His immediate judgment to the suitcases shows the manipulative side of Holden; the spendthrift who only likes nice things. Him continuing to help the nuns with their suitcases shows the guilt Holden has; when he offers to pay a ‘small’ contribution of ten dollars to the nuns. At first, the nuns were a little confused. They kept reassuring Holden to make sure he could afford a contribution of ten dollars. He tells them This results in the nuns thanking Holden a lot, which he thinks this is quite …show more content…

Dick Slagle and Holden form a love-hate relationship. Slagle has very inexpensive suitcases which he is embarrassed about. His embarrassment results in hiding his own suitcases and removing Holden’s, so he seems wealthy. Holden states it depressed the “holy hell” out of him. He acclaimed, “…I kept wanting to throw mine out or something or even trade with him” (Salinger 141). Him wanting to throw out or trade his suitcases shows the guilt Holden has. He feels bad for his roommate but did not like how snotty he was. This is because Slagle used the word ‘bourgeois’. Nevertheless, Holden misses Slagle when they are not roommates. Right before, Holden states he could not look at someone with inexpensive suitcases, yet he wanted to throw out his expensive suitcases. The love-hate relationship Holden feels for his suitcases represents Holden’s the two

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Holden originally attended Pencey Prep but could never connect with the people around him. He is always criticizing or fighting with others, which lead him to leave Pencey without telling anyone. Holden heads to NYC where he faces many challenges with others and himself, emotionally and physically. Holden finds himself in his hotel room with a prostitute and feels extremely uncomfortable with what he is doing so he pays her and sends her off. The next day he plans a date with Sally Hayes, an old girlfriend, to see a play where he calls her “a pain in the ass” and laughs.

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As the book starts Holden describes his childhood and how he has been kicked out of several school and once more again from his currently school, giving a sense of irresponsibility and no care in the world. Holden later on mentioned slowly the loss of his brother due to leukemia and how he reacted outrageously by breaking the windows of his garage home. As a reader one would view that behavior as abnormal, but Peter Shaw descried it as a normal behavior for a fictional character in the 1950s and by mentioning that Holden, “is presenting in a somewhat different manner than are the sentimentalized young people in other novels if his period” (par. 3), admitting that Holden was somewhat of an outcast of a character even for its time he is still considered normal. Shaw also challenged the reader’s view of Holden by emphasizing that Holden is not a real person, but a fiction character developed in the 1950s and in fact a mad psychological character is normal and made the reading rather more interesting and acceptable during that time. As readers someone may come across as understanding Holden’s behavior due to a loss and everyone mourns differently and as Shaw said, “ the one period of life in which abnormal behavior is common rather than exceptional” (par.

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Evans is incorrect for assuming that the emotions Holden expresses are fabricated. In fact, Holden is a young man who feels incredibly deeply, but he often subconsciously chooses to conceal those feelings, like adolescents are known for doing. For example, when Old Maurice and Sunny come to his hotel room and abuse him to get the money he ‘owes’ them, he reveals, “I was still sort of crying. I was so damn mad and nervous and all“ (Salinger 103). He feels truly upset as a result of this personal injustice.

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When Holden becomes an adult is when the nuns accept him for who he is. Holden’s pond froze over, leaving him to be the catcher in the

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He also says that “almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making him sad.” Holden get sad about a present that he was given but who actually gets sad about getting a present? Holden finds a way to make a good situation into a

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Another hardship that Holden experiences is his depression which is most likely caused by his brother Allie dying, being extremely lonely, and his addiction to smoking and drinking. Holden seems to cope with these things through sexual interactions with people he is acquainted with or comes across. On page 122, Holden says, “When I opened the door, this prostitute was standing there. She had a polo coat on, but no hat.” This quote shows that Holden is dealing with the problems in his life by having sex with a prostitute, and throughout the novel, when Holden meets someone, he immediately looks at what they are wearing, which could be because he wants to find a way to defend himself by insulting or criticizing them if they begin to realize his insecurities.

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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 the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, the protagonist Holden Caulfield demonstrates his unusual behaviour. The narrator introduces the story of an emotionally damaged teenager whose suspicions and personal issues prevent him from being “normal” in a society full of phonies that he does not seem to get along with. It becomes clear that Holden has clouded judgement as he rides an emotional rollercoaster of mood swings with the people he likes, and dislikes. Therefore, it becomes obvious that some of his personal flaws include his distrust, depression, and unreasonable attitudes and thoughts are based on his underlying emotional problems. Holden Caulfield has a variety psychological problems, such as his skepticism, depressive behaviour, and

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Shouldn’t someone who acts tough and often brags know that they will never become a phony? The answer would be yes if Holden wasn’t so insecure. Holden’s childish ways cause him to never mature and figure out who he is as a person. We see many signs of Holden insecurities throughout the book, like the fact that he contradicts himself. An example of this would be when Sally and Holden are in the taxi and he tells her he loves her, he then counties to say, “It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it” (Salinger 139).

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Mother Teresa once said “Loneliness, and the feeling of being unwanted, is the most terrible poverty”. As a result of this loneliness, people become motivated to take drastic measures to end the desperation it causes. The desperation to not be lonely often causes people to lie about themselves to others to look better. Holden Caulfield, the narrator of J. D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, shows this struggle of loneliness as he attempts to find his purpose in the world.

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And I didn’t like her much. Nobody did. You had to feel sort of sorry for her, in a way” (). This demonstrates Holden’s failure to understand people and the judgemental thoughts he has. He often has these judgemental thoughts to distance himself from others.

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In particular, an instance of Holden’s willingness to die for a noble cause rather than living is his encounter at the Edmont Hotel with Maurice and Sunny, the prostitute who he doesn’t even have sex with. When Holden is confronted by the duo to steal five dollars from him, he speaks out and refuses to pay. His efforts were to no avail though, as he not only gets punched but also his money taken away from him. After pretending to be shot, he finally reveals what he felt like doing, which “…was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window.”

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This describes Holden to-a-t, because of his alienation problem, his conflict with “phoniness” and his struggle of growing up and leaving his small problems behind him. Throughout the novel,

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From the outset, I have to say that “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger has been one of the most important and influential pieces of literature I have ever read. At its core, the book is a superb coming of age novel which discusses several extremely powerful themes such as the difficulties of growing up, teenage angst and alienation and the superficiality, hypocrisy and pretension of the adult world. These themes resonated deeply with me and were portrayed excellently through the use of powerful symbolism and the creation of highly relatable and likable characters. One such character is Holden Caulfield whom the story both revolves around and is narrated by.

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Holden struggles with growing up and facing reality. There are many examples of Holden’s immaturity that are displayed in many forms such as facing responsibilities, his speech, his actions, and etc. Holden’s outlook on adult life is that it is superficial and brimming with phonies, but childhood was all about looking pleasing and innocent. He wants everything to stay the same and for time to stop. As Holden progresses in age, he will discover more about becoming mature in the

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