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How Is Holden Dark Abyss In Catcher In The Rye

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In the novel “Catcher in the Rye” the narrator, Holden is resistant to childhood and goes to the extremes to deny that he is changing. This is shown through his irrational behaviors within the novel. Holden encounters individuals throughout the story that want to see Holden succeed; all these people that Holden meets in the “Catcher in the Rye” try to help Holden not fall off the cliff of depression into his personal dark abyss. Holden has just gotten kicked out of Pencey Prep and doesn't care that he is because has already been kicked out of 3 schools already. This abyss everyone is trying to keep Holden out of is pretty much giving up on life. Holden connects with people in “The Catcher in the Rye” that encourages him to grow up. Mr.Spencer, Holden's former history teacher conveys his concern over Holden failing and how it will impact his future. Holden goes to see Mr.Spencer prior to leaving his prep school, which he was recently being kicked out of; Holden has a nonchalant attitude about failing. As a teacher, Mr.Spencer knows how talented Holden is because of his attitude Mr.Spencer is frustrated and wants to express this to Holden; he states during their conversation.“I’d like to put some sense into his head of yours,boy. I’m trying to help you. I’m trying to help you,if I can. (Ch 2 Pg 18). Mr.Spencer is trying to help Holden stay …show more content…

During a meeting with Phoebe Holden tells Phoebe his plan to run away; Phoebe begs to go with him and he refuses because he doesn't want her to lose her childhood. After arguing with his sister, he realizes how crazy his plan is. During their argument Holden states to her,“I thought you were suppose to be Benedict Arnold in that play at all…. Whudda ya want to do? Not be in the play, for god’s sake?(Chapter 25 Pg 227).”Holden is yelling at Phoebe because she wants to leave with Holden and he doesn't want her to go so she doesn't ruin what a good childhood she

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Holden however, runs from them, but lies to himself that it was the right thing to do. Holden on top of all his immaturity, is calling anyone who isn’t him or his siblings a phony. At the beginning of the novel, Holden is at a school football game and is leaving to say goodbye to one of his teachers. When the teacher 's

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Good evening, David, James, and Abdullah and the rest of you here, how are you? I am here tonight to announce my candidacy for the presidency and I would start off by expressing my gratitude for your support because let's face it, I wouldn’t be here without you and to be honest, I wasn't even going to run for the presidency but I live by a certain creed, one that runs in my blood and this being that you should never accept the world as it appears to be, always dare to see it for what it could be. But is natural for us to accept the illusions of hope. We opt to shut our eyes from the painful truth.

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In conclusion the author J.D. Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye to help all of those teens going through the rough transitional period into adulthood, he wanted them to know that they aren’t alone and they aren’t the only ones feeling like this. Holden made the mistake of isolating himself and whenever he felt like finally turning himself in but he would change his mind much too quickly. He was very indecisive and wouldn’t plan too far into the future. If he was to have stayed at Pencey or gone straight home this story wouldn’t have been made, but then again that’s the purpose of it, to share this story and make it relatable to all teens of all different periods of time. We as teens must acknowledge that we are not grown yet, nor invincible, we must do things the right way or we’ll more than likely end up just as Holden

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920 Words | 4 Pages

In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger explains faith, relationships, and immaturity. Holden Caulfield meets some very interesting people and reconnects with old friends throughout the book. To say the least, Holden probably has the best relationship with his sister, Phoebe. The people he thinks he can trust, teachers and friends, turn on him. The only thing close to a relationship is a baseball glove from his dead brother, Allie.

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The story starts with Holden starting to tell you what happened to him to have gotten him in this mental institution in California. Holden begins his journey at Pencey Prep, a boarding school in New York. It 's a Saturday and there 's a big football game going on and Holden decides not to go to. Following Holden to his history teacher 's house, Holden is given a stern talk to about his expulsion. After the talk with Mr. Spencer, Holden heads back to his dorm room, where you meet Ackley, a student of Pencey Prep and Holden 's next door neighbor.

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When Holden first reached to New York, she was one of the few people he constantly thought about. They both cared for each other’s well-being equally. Neither Holden nor Phoebe would want to leave each other behind. For instance, Phoebe decided to give Holden all her Christmas money showed the unquestionable love they have. The act of Phoebe was selflessness and without a doubt, Holden would have done the same under similar circumstances.

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In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was published in 1951. The novel revolves around a teenage boy, Holden Caulfield, who believes his purpose is to be the catcher in the rye-to save children from the loss of innocence. “The crisis of existence that Holden Caulfield faces... trying to understand the sometimes terrifying transition from childhood to maturity”(Lewis). Holden’s dilemma is that he wants to become an adult without renouncing his innocence in his transition. This introduces his inner turmoil of maturing into adulthood.

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In Holden’s mind becoming “the catcher in the rye “means that he can still catch Allie from falling off the cliff. This is relevant to Holden’s depression because everything around him is telling him to grow up but instead he runs away from it in fear that is will pull him farther apart from his relationship with his brother Allie. Holden is on the edge of becoming an adult which creates more pressure and leads him to

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Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden makes very bad decisions. He is struggling with many things, and he has lots of complications in his life. Holden is growing up alone, his parents at home, far away. From boarding school to boarding school, he has nobody to support him. Throughout his teenage years, he has nobody to tell him how to handle the changes that are happening.

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The Catcher in the Rye is one of the many novels that is banned from schools reading lists. This fact sparked interest in why this brilliant novel even deserves to be put on this list. We must dive deeper in the meaning behind the words and why the author created the characters the way he created them. J.D. Salinger introduces protagonist, Holden Caulfield as a pessimistic teenager who is essentially having a midlife crisis. Holden believes he lives in a world full of phonies and that this fact of the matter makes it impossible for him to grow into who he is destined to be.

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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’.

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837 Words | 4 Pages

In The Catcher in the Rye, the author J.D. Salinger, introduces the protagonist; Holden Caulfield. Holden feels the sense that he cannot choose between the two worlds. For example, he makes it seem as both of them are complete opposites from each other. In the book, Holden wants to keep his innocence, but he also wants to grow up and toss that innocence away. He still keeps his childhood personality by constantly obsessing over things that shouldn’t matter.

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830 Words | 4 Pages

He has trouble growing up and accepting life as it is. Holden thinks adults are "phony" which makes him hate the fact of growing up and staying innocent as much as he can while he is old enough to become an adult. He is frustrated with the world and people which makes him act with anger. His innocent childish dream is to be the Catcher in the Rye, to catch the kids before they become phonies like Holden says about adults. The moment he realizes that he cannot keep kids from falling or in other words, from growing up and becoming adults, he, reaches adulthood, and takes a big step towards it at the end of the novel.

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“ you have to go back to school, you want to be in this play, no I want to stay here, no you don't you're going back to school”(269). This is sort of contradictory to holden earlier in the novel, because he left school and now he is telling phoebe to go back to school. This shows a reformation from earlier in the novel, because he wants what’s best for phoebe not that he wants to see her but wants her to have a better life. In the carousel scene holden wants to help phoebe not fall off but comes to the realization that she is going to grow up hence when he says if they fall let them fall. Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye and now he wants to let them fall....

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871 Words | 4 Pages

All throughout the book, Holden is trying to find someone to listen to him. He even paid a sex worker just so he could talk with her. “Old Phoebe didn’t say anything, but she was listening. I could tell by the back of her neck that she was listening. She always listens when you tell her something” (218).

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