The Giver And Catcher In The Rye Comparison Essay

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In the story The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger, I have noticed many different events that continue throughout the story told by Holden Caulfield. Holden is our main character and is a troubled teenaged boy. He literally has no clue on what he wants to do with his life; he kind of hit the base of the ground. Holden has a mother and a father who appreciate him but disagree with his actions. Holden has a sister named Phebe and a brother named D.B. Unfortunately Holden had a brother named Allie who had died from leukemia. I believe Holden is a troubled teen because of his brothers death, maybe if things were different, his problems with his interactions with others wouldn't bother him as much as it does. Throughout the story I could notice the problems Holden has with not only the interactions with people but the environment because he has problems with people that are fake and in the story Holden always calls them, “Phonies”. I quite enjoyed this book because not only does it explain what goes through a teenage mind it explains the meaning of life to me. I believe it …show more content…

In both novels the protagonists are teenage boys who do not conform to society's standards and expectations. The theme of accepting one for as they are is prominent in both works and is one of the main reasons I enjoy both novels so much. Both of these books have arguments on how one perceives himself. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden believe he is invincible, like when he attacks Straightlayer on page 50 because of a girl he had feelings for. Another good argument that makes the plot convincing is the discussion back and forth between Holden and Mr. Spencer, where the teacher tells him, “do you blame me for flunking you, boy?” on page 15 and Holden has a little hissy fit. I think Holden running away from his problems throughout the novel is something any teenage boy would do if he didn’t have the right support