- Level: International Baccalaureate
- Subject: World Literature
- Word count: 2305
Catcher in the Rye Oral presentation
Extracts from this document...
Introduction
Catcher in the Rye Oral presentation In my oral presentation, i am going to discuss the numerous symbols that we come across in, "The catcher and the rye". When i talk about symbols, i mean objects, characters, figures, colors, or anything that is used in the novel to represent abstract ideas or concepts. I want to begin by talking about the title of the novel. "The catcher in the rye" being one of the most important symbols. Throughout the book, we come across the title twice, the first time being at chapter 16 where Holden admires a little boy because he is walking on the street rather than on the sidewalk and is singing the Robert Burns poem "Comin' Thro' the Rye". "He was swell. He was walking in the street, instead of on the side walk, but right next to the curb. He was making out like he was walking a straight line, the way kids do, and the whole time he kept singing and humming. I got up closer so i could hear what he was singing. He was singing that song, "If a body catch a body coming through the rye." It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed any more". ...read more.
Middle
but to those of you that have read it, im sure you remember the love and emotions felt by Holden and Phoebe.) The Ducks Another peculiarity that you might have noticed in Holden, is his will to through out the novel bother every taxi driver he meets with the question of where the Ducks fly away in winter? "You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you happen to know, by any chance?" The question i believe is one for himself, and mirrors a concern of Mr. Antolini's when he talks to Holden about where does a person go when his environment can no longer support him?. "This fall I think you're riding for - it's a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn't permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling. The whole arrangement's designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldn't supply them with. Or they thought their own environment couldn't supply them with. So they gave up looking. ...read more.
Conclusion
This is another example; Holden imagines a "perverty bum" as he calls him, sneaking into Phoebe's school at night to write the message on the wall. I think the most interesting thing, is that it's more likely that a student at the school wrote the "Fuck you" sign on the wall. But Holden, either can't or chooses not to see this; in his world, children are innocent and adults corrupt. While this keeps everything nice and simple in Holden's mind, it also makes it impossible for him to really understand sexuality and the process of growing-up. While he does come to the realization that trying to rub out all the "fuck you"s in the world would be an impossible task (as there are just too many), he doesn't make the important connection, or realization that this would be pointless anyway. Since children will grow up and will experience sex, whether he likes it or not. Catcher in the Rye is a very powerful and symbolic book. Numerous symbols are used through its context and most of them, if properly digested, bring us a bit closer and open to us new ways of seeing Holden and his character. This concludes my oral presentation. ?? ?? ?? ?? ...read more.
The above preview is unformatted text
This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our International Baccalaureate World Literature section.
Found what you're looking for?
- Start learning 29% faster today
- 150,000+ documents available
- Just £6.99 a month
