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Analysis of the catcher in the rye
Overall theme essay for catcher in the rye
Analysis of the catcher in the rye
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Tim Burton is best known for directing movies that don’t fit the normal mold for movies. Most people just call them creepy and random, but they’re making a mistake, there’s actually a lot lot of consistencies between his movies. One of his movies, Edward Scissorhands, was written by Caroline Thompson and directed by Tim Burton, is about an old scientist’s human creation, Edward, but dies before he can finish the creation. Edward is left secluded in the dead scientist’s mansion, with scissors in the place of his hands. A saleswoman named Peg takes him home from the dead scientist’s mansion.
In the book How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, the first chapter illustrates the elements and ideas of quests in literature. Foster starts off the chapter with a hypothetical story where an average sixteen year old boy named Kip goes to the A&P, a local super market, to buy a loaf of Wonder Bread. Along the way, Kip unpleasantly encounters a German shepherd but meets Karen, the girl of his dreams, laughing with Tony Vauxhall in his ‘68’ Cuba. Kip continues to search for the bread in the store, but he is disturbed by a marine asking him to join the Navy. The story is immediately paused, and Foster analytically explains how Kip’s trip to the A&P was actually a quest.
Device: Simile Quote: “He snapped his finger very hard on my pajamas. I won’t tell you where he snapped it, but it hurt like hell” (p. 115). Explanation:
In the first chapter of How To Read Literature Like A Professor, Thomas C. Foster begins with the idea that every trip is a quest. Foster theorizes that every trip must meet a certain five criteria to be considered a quest as well. Foster’s theory can be found in literature throughout the ages and into media today. Foster claims the quest always grows during the underlying adventure.
The journey of the hero is a long and arduous one, but not all journeys are that of the hero. One novel that is an example of a hero’s journey is The Odyssey by Homer. A novel that is an example of a journey that is very far from a hero’s is Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The protagonists of these stories may seem different at a glance, but upon further inspection there are many similarities between not only the characters, but also their stories. Holden Caulfield and Odysseus are similar yet different in their personalities, the fact that they both have to deal with death, face intense struggles, become more mature, and go on a journey to change themselves.
Throughout “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield shows great difficulty making long and meaningful connections with other people. Holden believes he is the normal one but it is actually the other way around. He holds on to a deep emotional road block of the death of his innocent brother Allie. Holden keeps this dragging around with him which causes him to veer from connecting and having a long term relationship with others.
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.
To achieve true peace and comfort, rather than trying to find love and comfort from others, an individual will search for someone who will give them a sense of belonging. This is seen through the novel, “the Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger where the persona, Holden, is seen searching for someone or a relationship. For example, the Holden tries to form many relationships including romantically, make friends, and with family members. Thus, to belong with a sense of peace and comfort, Holden attempts to interact with others.
In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the character Holden frequently expresses how sad he is. The cause of his depression varies, starting from Allie’s death to phony classmates to restrictive administration, but all these events and people contribute in Holden feeling worthless. He does, however, have one goal which is to become the catcher in the rye. Although this isn’t an official job title, Holden hopes that he can become a safe haven for children in need of catching. This is a very vulnerable ambition for Holden, because not only is he depressed himself needing aid from others, but connecting a person’s entire purpose of happiness on another person can be very difficult.
This is important because it shows Holden fear of growing up and changing because he feels alone and isolated because he is growing up and through growing up things change and he changes and he is lost now. Holden wants to join society but he is afraid of rejection, failure, and etc that all comes with growing up and figuring out who you
The book has every part of the five significant things for a quest (a) quester- Edgar, (b) place to go- Starchild colony, (C) stated reason to go there- escape punishment for the death of Dr. Papineau, (d) challenges and trials en route- inexperience, hunger, or the possibility of being caught, and (e) real reason to go there- get away from Claude. The quest of the novel Demdemyanos 2 also fits perfectly into Foster’s purpose for a quest and his characterization of typical quester. Edgar is an inexperienced and immature teenager who descends on a journey and along the way he finds himself, his views, as well as his values changing, a prime example of this is when he begins to miss Almondine he starts to realize that he was in the wrong position when got angry at her for lying next to Claude, Wroblewski states “ Now Almondine occupied his thoughts... Perhaps she would have forgotten his crimes, for which he wanted more than anything to atone.
Every Trip Is A Quest For many people who study literature almost all works of literature are related to eachother in some way or another. The most common relationship found between texts is some structure of a quest. In Thomas C. Foster’s book How to Read Literature Like a Professor a quest is described as “[consisting] of five things: A quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials, and a real reason to go there”(3).
Being rather isolated, Holden Caulfield struggles with the challenges involved with relationships as he fails to balance his desire for isolation with his desire for companionship. Although Holden constantly searches for new possible relationships,
Holden Caulfield’s story traces psychological/moral development and maturation. The conflicts that Holden deals with, shape him into a new adult. Holden learns so much on his journey, and finally accepts what society has to offer him. Society accepts him back, and Holden is rebirthed into an adult with new knowledge to benefit society. First off, Holden is portrayed as this terrible delinquent.
While many argue that Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye does not deviate from the traditional anti-hero attributes and, therefore, does not display any prominent change, an argument can be made to the contrary. Holden Caulfield goes through some noticeable character development and is in a better place emotionally at the end of the book because he speaks with Phoebe. His meeting with Phoebe and Phoebe’s message to him shows him a youth’s perspective on his world, rather than the superficial sincerity of his elderly professor and his favorite teacher that makes advances on him. Additionally, him being able to successfully communicate with a member of his own family puts him in a better place. His time with her lets him see his own self-image of a “catcher in the rye.”
