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Examples Of Alienation In Catcher In The Rye

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Holden’s blinded alienation Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, readers see the struggle and depression Holden experiences. J.D.Salinger emphasizes Holden's fixed pessimistic and introverted views on society in many complex scenes. Holden met many people such as Stradlatter, Ackley, and even Maurice that Holden thought were merely irritating and phony. Since Holden had such a pessimistic view on society, Holden always dismissed feelings towards his memories with people. Yet, near the end of the novel, as Holden progresses his life by going to school, Holden learns the true value of the memories by finding his passion and people to share his feelings with. Thus, whenever Holden talks about his memories, he misses everybody because it reminds …show more content…

Holden is depressed, feels lonely, and is oblivious of where to go for help. This enclosed introverted mindset led to Holden's fall as he thinks that the people he meets throughout the novel are merely phony, annoying, or violent. During Holden's conversation with Phoebe, he had a hard time expressing who he liked when Phoebe, impatient and annoyed, said, "You don't like anything that's happening." Holden is stuck in this bubble where he cannot find out who to learn from to get out of his mindset, where he tries to alienate himself from society. Likewise, when Holden meets with Mr. Antolini near the end of the novel, Mr. Antolini mentions the thought of school and how Holden is "in love with knowledge… and when you get past all the Mr.Vinsons… you'll find that you, not the first person who was ever… sickened by human behavior" (page 246). Mr. Antolini opens Holden's eyes to the fact that Holden is not alone when it comes to being introverted and the need to alienate himself from society. However, by getting past the annoying people from school, Holden will be "stimulated to know" that he will learn from and meet people in the same situation as he is right now to have a more open view of society (page 247). Thus, as readers see how Holden disconnected himself from society and how Holden learned to cherish moments while they last, he missed people such as Stradlater and …show more content…

As Holden had his conversation with Mr. Antolini, Mr. Antolini said, "I have some feeling you are riding for some terrible, terrible fall" (242-243). Mr. Antolini mentions this fall to Holden because Mr. Antolini wanted to make Holden aware of his downfall, of disconnect with society, before it is too late for Holden to recover. However, Holden replies, saying," You're wrong about that hatting business…I may hate them for a little while… but it doesn't last too long… If I didn't see them in the dining room or a couple of meals, I sort of missed them" (242-243). Holden missed Stradlater and Ackley when they were gone because of how their absence was not acknowledged when Holden was with Stradlatter and ackley. For instance, when Ackley was Holden's roommate, Holden would hate Ackley because of how he would barge in Holden's room consistently, cut his toenails on the floor, and have horrible dental hygiene. Nevertheless, Holden still misses Ackley because Holden did not cherish and see how Ackley's unique and irritating personality was unique, thus Holden did not imagine what Ackley's absence feels like until he left. Likewise, with Stradlatter, although Holden recognized Stradlater's physique and how Stradlater is a hotshot, Holden never truly appreciated

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919 Words | 4 Pages

He goes to Mr. Antolini’s because he feels he can trust and confide in him—it seems to be his final chance to save himself. But Holden’s interaction with Mr. Antolini is the event that precipitates his full-blown breakdown. It completely unsettles him, and leaves him feeling confused and unsure. While most of Holden’s confusion stems from what he interprets as a homosexual come-on from Mr. Antolini, some of it stems from the conversation they have. Both the conversation and Mr. Antolini’s head rubbing serve a similar purpose: they upset Holden’s view of the way things are or the way he believes they have to

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719 Words | 3 Pages

They say some people Holden encounters weren’t completely selfish because they tried to help him; however, these people ended up doing more harm to his situation, making him feel even more lost and alone. When Holden desperately needs lodging after a night of heavy drinking and looking for meaning, he calls up Mr. Antolini, who is more than happy to help; however, when Holden wakes up on the couch, he is deeply disturbed by what his former teacher was doing: “What he was doing was, he was sitting on the floor right next to the couch, in the dark and all, and he was sort of petting me or patting me on the goddam head...boy, was I nervous! I started putting on my damn pants in the dark. I could hardly get them on I was so damn nervous. I know more damn perverts, at schools and all, than anybody you ever met, and they’re always being

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481 Words | 2 Pages

Holden view his sister as genuine and honest, not a “phony” like almost everyone else. When he arrives back in New York, one of his first thoughts is that he would like to call and speak with her. In the end of the novel, when Holden is getting ready to start his new life he decides he cannot leave without saying goodbye. Phoebe is the only character in the book who he actually cares about and sees no flaws in. He holds onto Phoebe so much because unlike everyone else surrounded by him, she still has her

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722 Words | 3 Pages

But you’re wrong about that hating business... I don't hate too many guys. " Holden was finally strengthened when he received an inspiring note from Mr. Antolini. Holden says, "I read it right when he gave it to me, and then I thanked him and all and

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227 Words | 1 Pages

When he has a conversation with his roommate Stradlater, he feels disconnected from his classmates. Holden's isolation has a bad effect on his mental state and he begins to have a negative and out of touch mentality with the world around him. He criticizes the "phoniness" of other people and their behavior in almost always a

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536 Words | 3 Pages

At one point, he visits a past teacher, Mr. Antolini. After Holden explains everything that happened when he was expelled, Mr. Antolini says he had a feeling Holden was going to have a hard, terrible fall. He also says, “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” This meant Holden’s fall would be more terrible if he didn’t learn to grow

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403 Words | 2 Pages

In this Chapter Holden visits his former teacher, Mr.Antolini at his apartment to stay the night. In the middle of the night Holden is awakened by Antolini essentially petting him and admiring him as he sleeps. Holden describes the occurrence in first person which truly alters Antolini’s intentions as the reader is only being informed of what Holden states and how exactly he states it. Holden makes the occurrence out to be a type of inappropriate gesture from Antolini and even accuses Antolini of being a pervert by stating “When something perverty like that happens, I start sweating like a bastard”. Both Holden and readers misunderstood Antolini's actions.

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656 Words | 3 Pages

Holden says that all he want to do is be the catcher in the rye protecting children from falling. The whole novel Holden makes observation around him that are taking away from children's innocence. This is what upsets him the most the fact that everyone will eventually have to grow up. While he is trying to go get Phoebe he is reminded this in the following quote. “I went down by a different staircase, and I saw another "Fuck you" on the wall.

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462 Words | 2 Pages

He is incapable of moving forward and getting closure by clinging to this fantasy and avoiding facing the realities of growing up. It is further demonstrated in the way he interacts with other characters. To avoid confronting his own issues, Holden relies on superficial relationships in the novel to form meaningful connections. When Holden considers his own future he says he does not “feel like going into it” because he is reluctant to deal with his emotions and the challenges of adulthood (224). In avoiding these challenges, Holden remains stagnant and unable to move

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904 Words | 4 Pages

Also, when Holden wakes up to Mr. Antolini patting him on the forehead in the middle of the night, he tells us of similar “perverty” stuff that happened to him multiple times as a child. Therefore, he clearly struggles to trust anyone he both meets and knows, which shows his insecurity and skepticism of others. Another instance of this is Holden’s relationship with D.B. Although Holden says that they were once close, he now considers D.B. as phony because of the work he does in the film industry. In doing so, he loses a close relationship with his brother, just because he feels

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696 Words | 3 Pages

He believes that when one knows everything about everything to know about reality, they won’t be able to have such a life than they could’ve, which causes him held back by little details. In doing this, Holden doesn't enjoy his life. Holden knows that he is going through his own fail, as his older teacher shows, “‘I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of a terrible, terrible fall’” (186). Mr. Antolini here is telling Holden o he is going through this fail, and that if he doesn’t start paying attention something terrible will happen.

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734 Words | 3 Pages

Holden is unaware of his problem. When people try to help him he tells them there is nothing wrong with him. Holden wonders why he cannot connect with others. He blames it on other people when the source of his problems is himself. Holden’s past holds him back from connecting with others, but his fear of letting go of his past has him limited and scarred from making new relationships and connections.

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1077 Words | 5 Pages

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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1615 Words | 7 Pages

In the novel The Catcher In The Rye written by J. D. Salinger shows that Holden goes through his journey and is depressed because of his isolation from

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664 Words | 3 Pages

After arriving, Holden “went into [a] phone booth” and spent “about twenty minutes” without calling anybody (77-78). After pondering the many people he could call, Holden finally thinks of calling “Carl Luce, but [he] didn’t like him much” (78). While Holden has many people whom he could call, he spends twenty minutes convincing himself of why he cannot call any of these people. This illustrates alienation as Holden chooses to avoid talking to others, isolating himself when he could have easily chosen to interact with others. Moreover, this alienation provides Holden with self-protection as he does not run into any chances of his parents finding out that he has been expelled from school and has run away to New York.

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