"The Catcher In The Rye" is a novel that has always attracted controversy.
"The Catcher In The Rye" is a novel that has always attracted controversy. When J.D. Salinger's novel, "The Catcher In The Rye" was first published in 1951, it caused a storm in both the literary world, due to its unusual content and style, and the American social scene. In a list of the most controversial books ever written, it is claimed that, "this immediate best seller almost simultaneously became a popular target of censorship" (1) and that it was banned due to its "profanity, reference to suicide, vulgarity, disrespect, and anti-Christian sentiments" (1) . The main aspects of this novel which make it controversial are; the language and style Salinger chooses to use, the comment he makes on 1950's capitalist America, Holden's state of mental health, Holden's opinions on sexuality and treatment of women, his relationships with children and his portrayal as a Christ-like figure. Many of these issues are still controversial today and more recent events, such as the assassination of John Lennon in 1980 by a man carrying a copy of the novel and wearing the red hunting hat that Holden talks about in the book, have only served to attract further controversy to "The Catcher In The Rye". It is still a controversial novel containing issues and language that still offend. The language Salinger uses in the novel is immediately recognised as controversial, even in today's society
The Catcher in the Rye
In our lives, there are many different people we meet, and all of them unique in their own way. Each and every person has their own personality, and meeting someone new can be a wonderful experience. An event like no other is meeting the protagonist from the novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield. Encountering him is an experience all on its own, for he is a rare literary character. Holden is a complex character affected by the death of his brother Allie, challenged by bipolar disorder, and burdened by his self-imposed responsibility as the catcher in the rye. The life of Holden Caulfield changed forever the day his brother Allie died of leukemia. He held a special place in his heart for his younger brother, and when Allie died, Holden took a turn for the worse. His reaction to Allie's death is shocking yet understandable during a time of grief and anger. Holden admits to sleeping in the garage the next night. "I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and all." (Salinger 37) Expert analysis claims: "Ashamed of his need- a sixteen year old crying out for emotional support- and unable to accept kindness since in his guilt he feels he doesn't deserve it, Holden is locked into his grief and locked out of family and society."(Miller
Relationships with Holden in "The Catcher in the Rye"
Relationships with Holden in "The Catcher in the Rye" 'The Catcher in the Rye' is written from a first person narrative to be able to convey to the reader Holdens thoughts and feelings and this makes his character seem more believable. Holden describes what he himself sees and experiences, providing his own commentary on the events and people he describes. It takes the form of, perhaps, a session with a psychoanalyst or a one sided conversation with the reader during which Holdens attitudes to other people emerges. We learn that he finds it very difficult to maintain relationships with people and I will be examining Holden's relationship with adults and with his sister and how they differ. Holdens attitude towards adults is very much the same; he is polite and respectful. He prefers to avoid issues with them, for example, with his history teacher he tries to avoid the fact that he is failing in all but one of his subjects. He does not like to talk about his emotions with anyone and instead he isolates himself to show that that he is better than everyone else around him. However, the truth is that relationships with other people usually make him uncomfortable and his belief in his own superiority is there to protect himself. He attempts to be grown up and sophisticated, but, often fails. The episode with Holden's history teacher, Mr Spencer, is a good example of how Holden
The Catcher In The Rye
Many occurrences, either positive or haunting, in one's life force them to mature, but often these experiences produce fear in that adolescent, keeping them from taking the next step into life. J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye details the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, and his confrontations with death, sex, innocence, adults, and the "phoniness" of the world. These experiences mold The Catcher in the Rye into a coming-of-age novel, in which Holden's conflicts with these difficult situations and issues support the concept that Holden matured from an adolescent into an adult. Although the step into adulthood was not simple, but rather a difficult task, Holden's first wary steps into adulthood provide the framework of this prodigious novel. His maturation occurred during his time at various schools, his weekend in New York, and at home. Death presents itself as a prominent theme in the novel, and it helped Holden develop into a mature young adult. The passing of his brother, Allie, struck Holden hard, and he continuously reminisced on his memories of Allie. Holden also spoke to Allie often when he felt emotionally and physically distressed, such as when he decided to move to the sunny west as means to escape life (Unrue 109). Seeing as Allie escaped from the burdens of life, Holden found comfort in him. From Holden's point of view, Allie was immune to the
The Rainbow Stripes and their Meaning.
Benjamin F. Cocchiaro Mrs. Cassel, p. 5 English 1O, 6.O 8 April 2OO3 The Rainbow Stripes and their Meaning Growing into adulthood is a harrowing trial for everyone and the death of a family member can make the passage all the more unbearable. So it has been for Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Holden is a severely disturbed youth. A trinity of problems stems from the death of his younger brother, Allie. After witnessing the passing of his brother, Holden finds himself fascinated with death, unable to love, and unwilling to grow up. These problems are amplified and aggravated by the people Holden encounters and the events that take place both during his upbringing and during his adventure in New York City. Holden is emotionally and mentally disturbed. Since the death of his brother, Holden had become a morbid youth. His fixation on death manifests itself through various different quirks in his personality. One of the most prominent mannerisms is Holden's tendency to say "that killed me." (Salinger 77) While the phrase is used lightly, the frequency with which he uses it throughout the book seems like somewhat of a Freudian slip, revealing a subconscious and quite possibly conscious death wish. He even goes as far as to fantasize about his own death and funeral. "I thought I'd probably get pneumonia and die. I started picturing
Catcher in the Rye: Close Reading
Jason Chernenko Lit 219W, Sec.1 Essay #2 Is it Holden or the World Around Him that is Phony? J. D. Salinger tells the story of The Catcher in the Rye in the first person perspective through the main character Holden Caulfield. Holden tells the reader the events that he is going through, trying to explain his world view, dominated by unreal, two-dimensional people with "phony" intentions. Webster's Dictionary defines a "phony" as, "a person who is not what he pretends to be" (Webster 952). The entire story consists of Holden's narrative, as he develops his stream of thoughts about the world and his own role in it. Near the middle of the story, in chapter thirteen, Holden narrates about his encounter with a prostitute. Prior to the scene with the prostitute, Holden spends time in a Greenwich Village nightclub, as he drinks scotch and soda, unintentionally listening to the conversations that surround him, which Holden views as depressing and "phony." The scene begins as Holden checks into a hotel after a long walk back to his hotel after leaving the nightclub. In the scene Holden encounters Maurice the elevator operator, and pimp. Maurice offers Holden a prostitute. Holden agrees to the offer, but soon regrets his decision to allow the prostitute in his room. During this time Holden is nervous and anxious of his soon encounter with a prostitute. Soon the prostitute arrives,
Holden’s quest in “the catcher in the rye” is a search for his identity.
Holden's quest in "the catcher in the rye" is a search for his identity. From the outset of the novel it is clear to the reader that Holden is unsure of who he is. This gives creates ambiguity in the opening chapter. The fact that the main character doesn't know who he is makes it difficult for the reader to get an accurate picture of his personality. However as the novel progresses we can see Holden's character begin to emerge and develop. Our first impression of Holden's character is that he has maturity and wisdom beyond his years. Furthermore we can see a very adult side to an otherwise childish character who "sometimes act[s] a lot older than [he is]". However whenever Holden tries to act older than he actually is his youthfulness actually shows through. A good example of this is when Holden decides to get a prostitute for "five bucks a throw". He seems confident and mature talking to 'Maurice', however when 'Sunny' enters his hotel suite he seems to lose his confidence and his immaturity emerges. The question "Don't you feel like talking for a while" this seems a very strange thing to say having been so self-confident as to "order" a prostitute to his hotel room. However it may be seen as a cry for companionship. He may have just wanted someone to talk to because he is 'lonesome'. I think there are three things that Holden is searching for. He is looking for his
The Catcher in the Rye Essay
English 3201 January 4, 2006 The Catcher in the Rye Essay Serena Lambe In the 1994 Washington Post critical review "J.D, Salinger's Holden Caulfield, Aging Gracelessly," Jonathon Yardley asserts that The Catcher in the Rye is "an essential document of American adolescence," and that there can be "no question about its popularity and influence." Although this book has been heavily criticised and condemned over the years for being "obscene," having an "excess of vulgar language, sexual scenes, and things concerning moral issues," it is now accepted as a classic piece of literature. The experiences of Holden Caulfield in this novel still resonate with teenagers of today, causing it to be a popular choice of reading material in high schools. Teenagers can relate to Holden's difficulties with growing up and his feelings of lonliness. Furthermore, most teens use their own slang and profanities during conversations and many have to deal with temptations such as alcohol and tobacco. Because of the timeless themes that relate to any typical teenager, this book has endured many years and will continue to do so for a long time. The difficulties which Holden faces due to growing up are universal among all teenagers. As teens
In J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye
Archer 1 Lyndsey Archer English 110-01 Mrs. Joanne Vickers 1-1-02 Holden Caulfield In J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield is a rebellious, judgmental, troubled and hypocritical individual. He does not fit in with the "phonies" of society. A few traumas have occurred in his life, such as his brother Allie's death, and a school friend committing suicide, which seem to be the root of his behavior. He acts as though the world is not good enough for him, and no one can avoid his inner criticisms. Even though he is very quick to judge others, he never criticizes his own actions directly. The characteristics mentioned are portrayed several times throughout the novel and from his actions we try to find out who Holden Caulfield really is. . Holden Caulfield is a rebellious individual. One of the major ways he shows this is by wearing his red hunting hat, which is also a major symbol in the novel. The red hunting hat shows individuality, personality and shows his desire to be different from everyone else. The hat reveals the main conflict in the book: Holden's need for seclusion opposed to his need for companionship. The hat is peculiar and shows Holden's desire to be different than everyone else. His refusal to apply himself and constant rebellion toward authority also show this. He failed out of four schools because he
The Catcher in the Rye.
The Catcher in the Rye. In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the cause of Holden Caulfield's depression is his confusion about the societal roles of children and adults. He idolizes children, but wants to be mature; he wants to be mature, yet he thinks adults are "phonies". As evidenced by the "Catcher in the Rye" image, he feels himself to be between childhood and adulthood without belonging anywhere.? Children symbolize perfection in Holden's eyes. He idolizes the dead Allie, almost like the God that is absent from his worldview. From the time the reader is first introduced to Allie, when Holden is thinking about Allie's baseball mitt for Stradlater's composition, Holden is praising him: "He was two years younger than I was, but he was about fifty times as intelligent . . . But it wasn't just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest, in lots of ways. He never got mad at anybody," (38). Later in the book, Holden prays to Allie to keep him safe or sane or to cheer him up. After Sunny, the prostitute Holden had sent to his room but sent away, leaves his hotel room, he says, "Boy, I felt miserable. I felt so depressed, you can't imagine. What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed," (98). Later still, as he's walking and before he decides to run away to pretend to be a
