What did you want to be when you grow up? Holden Caulfield, from Catcher in the Rye did know what he was going to do. The Catcher in the Rye is about the 16 year old boy I mentioned earlier, recalling the events that took place after he was expelled from Pencey Prep. He then decides to roam New York, after he gets into a fight with his roommate, Stradlater. Then, the rising action builds from there.
Furthermore, alienation is showed by Holden. He tends to alienate himself from the world because he fears change, he wants love and a sense of comfort. He isolates himself when he didn't go down to the bleachers for the game at and he also isolates himself by constantly getting kicked out of schools. All those changes make Holden feel alienated because he just doesn't fit in. He tends to alienate himself because he doesn't trust anyone, he thinks everyone is fake .
Was Holden successful in his Journey This is an essay on whether or not Holden Caulfield is successful on his journey throughout the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by Jerome David Salinger. This book shows how hard it can be for teenagers that are going from an adolescent to adulthood. Holden, who is sixteen years old, has been kicked out of several schools. Pencey Prep. was the latest.
After talking about his childhood memories with his brother he states, ¨He is dead now. He got leukemia and died when we were up in Maine, on July 18, 1946. You´d have like him.¨ Then after talking about Allie’s old baseball mitt he said, ¨I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it¨(43-44). Allie’s death is used to show the unexpected change that Holden had experienced during his life. Allie was only eleven when he died, and Holden was thirteen.
Allie represents childhood. He was Holden's younger brother who died of leukemia at age eleven. Holden adored Allie and his death hurt Holden deeply. In Holden's mind, Allie stays forever young. He is a symbol of the bliss of youth.
Holden Caulfield is a teen who is stricken with grief. He narrates his life with both a jaded and cynical voice displaying an overall discontentment with the world. Holden struggles to balance his emotions and switches between an almost manic joy and rage. The most significant cause of Holden's issues is the death of his brother. I believe that Holden is suffering from PTSD and depression.
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger tells the story of Holden Caulfield and his three day journey through the streets of New York after getting expelled from Pencey Prep. Holden experiences a vast variety of emotions and experiences that past events have lead up to. One of the few positive experiences Holden has would be talking to his younger sister, Phoebe, about his dreams of being “the catcher in the rye.” Holden’s dream of being “the catcher in the rye” has Holden standing guard on the edge of a rye field, located on a cliff, watching children play and being there to catch the children before they fall off the
Based on the way Holden describes himself, and the way he portrays himself, seems as if he was a mature grown up man. According to Holden, half of his head is occupied by white hairs, while on the other half was his natural hair color. He states that he has a deep voice and is quite tall for his age. To add on, the attitude that Holden has towards life, is very negative as if he was a grumpy old man, that gave up before he had started anything. Despite the way he looks, and how he acts for his age,Holden is told he, “... still act sometimes like I was only about twelve.
Isolation and Depression: A Vicious Cycle Grief. Depression. Isolation. What do you think when you hear those words? Holden Caulfield has been through a lot, from being kicked out of several schools to being so depressed he wonders why he should go on living. Holdens family keeps pushing him away and that’s where he learns his tendency to push people away who he cares about.
The only motivator that Holden has to continue living is his younger sister, Phoebe, who is extraordinarily intelligent for her age. After he gets kicked out of Pencey, Holden is lost in life. He speaks to many people, seeking advice and comfort, but they are not able to help him find a human connection. Holden’s depression increases throughout the novel, almost to the point of suicide. He criticizes many people and ideas, labeling them as ‘phony’.
The idea of having a character that struggles to find themselves is quite a common idea in many books. This is seen in the Catcher in the Rye where JD Salinger puts Holden the main character through different struggles throughout the book to finally realise what his purpose is and what he aims to be. There are many different situations that Holden is put through but they all aim to the same purpose, being a catcher in the rye. Two of the main struggles are his journey into adulthood and to retain his innocence. The second is how he is almost alienating himself from others and very rarely opens up to anybody, and his relationships with people are not great because he thinks of many of the people he meets are phony.
In this quote he tells that his brother died. This shows his brother died when he was young. Furthermore he dies as an innocent child who was not exposed to the adult world or the “phoniness.” Allie's death was tragic to Holden but maybe, in some ways Holden wanted the death himself, he wanted to preserve his innocence. Another point that shows Allie's mitt represents innocence is when Holden says Allie used to read poems on his glove while playing baseball which he wrote before the game so he wouldn’t be bored.
A. Allie’s death causes Holden to become obsessed with death and this obsession makes him believe that growing up and becoming a “phonie” is like dying; this belief that is planted inside Holden’s head when Allie died is what sends him on a quest to preserve children’s innocence and save them from the “death” of growing up. B. Salinger includes the traumatic story of Allies death that happened years in advance to provide an explanation for Holden’s obsession with death and how he sees loss of innocence as equivalent to dying. Allie died with his innocence still intact, so Holden does not want other children to grow up and have their innocence “die”. C. Holden even admits to being mentally unstable after his brother’s traumatic death when he says, “I was only 13, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all
Holden’s Struggle To Find Himself: Throughout the novel, The Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden struggles to find himself and who he truly is in order to be happy. His struggles relate to many things that he does or say in particular. Holden lacks with a social status with women and his family, whether it’s a relationship or being antisocial. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield experiences the complexities and struggles involved with both physical and emotional relationships.
Throughout the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is a deep character that shows(possesses) many personality traits. His character is what connects many readers to him and helps in understanding him. Some character traits Holden possesses are that he is generous, kindhearted, usually honest, very intelligent, makes quick judgements, speaks his mind, is anxious about change, and likes kids. Considering his many character traits, it is easy for the reader to understand and relate to Holden. There are many character traits that I share with him.
