More handpicked essays just for you.
Character analysis of Holden of the catcher in the rye
Analysis of Holden in the Catcher in the Rye
Character analysis of Holden of the catcher in the rye
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
During the 19th century there were a series of reform movements that occurred. Some of these reformation movements included; the Women’s Right Movement, Abolitionism (Slavery), The Romantic Art Movement and many more. The 19th century Romantic Art Movement was a time that artists and writers allowed nature to have a heavy influence on their works. In the 19th century, Thomas Cole was a romantic artist that expressed nature through his works. Some of these works include, The Voyage of Life, Romantic Landscape with Ruined Tower, and The Subsiding of Waters of the Deluge.
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.
J.D. Salinger fully utilizes the literary device of symbolism in characterizing Holden Caulfield in the novel, Catcher in the Rye. Whether through a red hunting hat symbolizing a desire for individuality or ducks representing an escape from life’s challenges, Salinger conveys Holden’s struggles deftly, his traits elegantly, and his character development insightfully. Salinger takes one of Holden's most apparent qualities, his desire for uniqueness, and expresses it through his red hunting hat. Aside from being different through its garish red color, Salinger adds another layer of character through the way he shows Holden wearing it. "... I swung the old peak round to the back -very corny I'll admit, but I liked it that way."
How do Mr. Antolini’s words apply to the novel? “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” Mr. Antolini’s words apply to the novel because it addresses one of the central points of both the novel and the central character parts of Holden. These words show the flaw in a lot of Holden’s thinking even if his intentions are good. He sees himself as having the responsibility of saving others from losing their innocence even as he struggles with the transition from being an innocent child into the life of an adult.
In J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye the character Holden is shown to have many different psychological issues and personality traits. Holden seems to be very emotionally unstable and his exhibits of feelings. As the novel progresses, we observe all of Holden’s memories of his emotions and psychological breakdowns. Holden is unable to cope with his psychological and mental issues causing him to have spikes of emotion always leading him to another emotional collapse. Holden’s initial issue is that he is emotionally unstable.
Although most of the time, Holden demonstrates his rebellious side, he actually still has fragile side. “What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of good-by”(7). “Good-by” is a word can brings a sense of sadness. Holden’s thoughts about “good-by” demonstrate he is a fragile boy who is like a piece of glass, easy to be broken. This shows that Holden is a person who has desire to love and care from others.
The Catcher in the Rye and its main character, Holden Caulfield. The novel presents four vital symbols—namely, The red hunting hat, the ducks, the Carrousel, and the golden ring. All of these objects symbolize a specific aspect of The Catcher in the Rye and help in effectively portraying Holden’s emotions, thoughts and his story overall. The first symbol that appears in the novel is the red hunting hat. It is perhaps one of the most
Have you ever felt like you are frozen, frozen to the point that you are asking people what to do and where to go using ducks as an example? In the book “Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger, Holden, the main character, is stuck in one place where he doesn't want to grow up and what to do in the future. He is getting kicked out of multiple schools over and over again. He doesn't know what to do and where to go, he is frozen in one place. He tries figuring out what to do by asking people what to do, he refers to ducks, and what do they do and where do they go when it gets frozen all over.
While this novel does have profanity and sexual references, it still deserves to be taught in high school because Holden shows how having a negative attitude towards life does not get a person far. In the beginning of the novel Holden tells the reader that "[Pencey] kick[s] [him] out [of their school]" (6) because he "was [failing] four subjects and not applying [himself]" (6). However, he does not just notify the reader, he notifies them in a way of forgetting to mention that he is no longer going to be attending Pencey. Holden passes this off as some minor detail when in reality it is not just a minor detail. Later on, Holden reveals to the reader that this is not the first school where he has gotten expelled.
Attending school in the 1950s, Holden is a victim of a conformist American society. In a historical context, postwar America is characterized by a booming economy, industrialization and the creation of uniform suburban communities throughout the country. There was also a call for a united America, with the tensions of the Cold War taking hold and a need to fight communism. This attitude of uniformity could be seen in the American education system at the same time, where students were expected to fit the mould of the ideal American child. This child was idealized as being obedient, respectful and subordinate to their superiors.
Throughout history, art has had gone through changes that are both subtle and drastic. There are constants throughout both art and the ages however. An example of one of these constants is that of religion’s influence and portrayal within the multitudes of Medias there are, such as paintings, architecture, and sculptures. Speaking of sculptures, let us focus on two sculptures in a little more detail. There are at least twenty seven known Votive Statues of Gudea.
Symbols occur throughout the novel and represent aspects of Holden’s developing character. A symbol is a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. Pencey Prep and Elkton Hills are examples of institutions that serve as symbols. Allie's left-handed baseball glove is a physically smaller but significant symbol in the novel. Holden's red hunting cap is another small artifact of symbolic meaning.
In the Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s personality often inhibits his relationship with others. Throughout the novel he struggles with how to treat women and can’t really form an emotional connection with most of them. After leaving Pencey, he invites his friend, Sally, on a date. While talking to her on the phone he remarks, “She was always late. Then I hung up.
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.
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.
