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Similarities Between Catcher In The Rye And The Great Gatsby

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In both The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby, the common theme is the past is romanticized. Individual symbols in both books differ in teaching the readers how not to fall into this trap. In The Catcher in the Rye, Allies baseball mitt repeatedly conveys how not being willing to change can lead to being stuck in the past. While waiting for Phoebe, Holden sees two kids wandering around. After having a small conversation with them he asks, “You two guys interested in mummies” (Salinger 203). The museum and the kids in this situation represent Holden's fear of change. The Museum is something that preserves items to make sure they don't change. The kids represent the phase of life Holden strives to live at. Both of these symbols make it abundantly clear that not being willing to change will lead you to romanticize the past. …show more content…

When Gatsby first meets Daisy, he is shy and awkward, but after Nick returns, he is charismatic and earns Daisy's love. Gatsby at this time truly believes he has finally won her affection. Nick notes when Daisy hugs Gatsby “that the colossal significance of the light had now vanished forever” (Fitzgerald 98). The green light disappearing represents his dream being accomplished. He finally has Daisy. Yet, this is not enough for him. Gatsby is so consumed with the past he needs Daisy to go the extra mile removing her love for Tom completely out of her life which is impossible. Eventually leading to Gatsby’s death. With the use of this symbol, the reader understands how being consumed with the past and not willing to move on will cause people to go mad. The symbols in both books show different paths that lead to people eventually romanticizing the

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When staring at a frequently visited museum by Holden as a child, he remembers his past experiences connecting back to his childhood trauma. Earlier in this scene, Holden goes to look for Sally when he encounters young boys who direct him towards the museum. Holden then starts to inform us that he used to visit here, and how he remembered certain factors. Holden remembers certain aspects of these museums like the flooring and a huge important idea, that nothing moves. Holden says, "The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was.

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Holden believes that society wants him to conform; wearing the hat allows him to express his individuality, which in his eyes is a rebellion. Furthermore, Holden displays his altered sense of reality when standing outside of the museum’s entrance: “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move” (Salinger 135). Visiting the museum enables Holden to maintain a distorted view of society and reality. The museum helps facilitate and manipulate his perceived sense of self and the world around him.

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Holden’s unusual fantasy metaphorically displays this desire to save children’s innocence on his quest, and literally displays his obsession with death and preventing it, as being the catcher in the rye would accomplish both goals. F. Literary Critics also note that Holden’s catcher in the rye job is a dream of his that he pretends to be a reality to hide the fact that he secretly knows that he is unable to save the innocence of all children. G. Authors James E. Miller jr, and Arthur Heiserman explicitly state that, “Holden delights in circles – a comforting bounded figure which yet connotes hopelessness” (Miller, Heiserman 496). H. The “comforting bounded figure” is Holden’s catcher fantasy that he literally uses to comfort himself against the reality he refuses to believe because it “connotes hopelessness” and he is still too innocent and naïve to accept that. I. Holden possesses this dream as a weak attempt to save the innocence of children and to avoid a hopeless reality of defeat he has yet to accept.

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Blinded by Memories How protagonists of Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby are similar by rejecting reality and how it leads to their downfall? The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby share the podium when best portraying the American dream and experience. Despite differing greatly, J.D. Salinger’s Holden Caulfield’s experiences and inner aspirations are akin to those of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby. The Great Gatsby and the American dream and success it illustrates including: wealth, fame, and roaring parties held by Jay Gatsby may initially seem wholly different from The Catcher in the Rye.

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Salinger used many literary techniques in order to tell his story. The most prominent literary device is the allusion in the title. The title “The Catcher in the Rye” is an allusion to the poem, of the same name by Robert Burns and the first verse which Holden, upon hearing a little boy sing it, thinks is “if a body catch a body coming through the rye” (Salinger 117). This later on points to the theme of the novel and how Holden wants to be the Catcher in the Rye, preventing other children from falling down the cliff and facing adulthood. The second literary technique is the flashback.

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