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Examples Of The Catcher In The Rye Belonging Essay

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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. An individual who wants to achieve a sense of peace and comfort in the adult world will search for a long lasting romantic relationship. Salinger expresses how Golden desires a romantic relationship through the use …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Holden is seen trying to make friends to feel a sense of belonging after a long time of isolation. For example, the direct speech, “yeah. I was defending your goddam honor. Stradlater said you had a lousy personality. I couldn’t let him get away with that stuff.” This displays how Holden wants to impress Ackley by lying to him. Thus, showing how Holden seems to be trying to find a sense of comfort and peace from Ackley after the fight with Stradlater. In addition, the truncated sentence, “she liked me” shows that Mrs. Spencer gives Holden a sense of comfort and peace. By paying a visit, Holden feels like Mrs. Spencer likes him which provides him with a sense of friendship with the older women. Thus, Holden also tries to build a friendship with the women to continue to feel the sense of comfort and peace. Salinger then uses the simile, “then we shook hands. And all that crap. It made me feel sad as hell, though” which shows how Holden did not want to leave. This suggests that Holden feels the sense of belonging when he is with Mr and Mrs Spencer and the thought of leaving them made him sad. Hence, showing the viewers how Mr and Mrs Spencer give Holden a sense of peace and comfort. In summary, Holden searches for people to belong to in order to feel a sense of peace and

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