Discuss the view that in "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" and "Catcher in the Rye" Holden and Ruby can be regarded as unreliable narrators
Julia Christie Coursework Discuss the view that in "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" and "Catcher in the Rye" Holden and Ruby can be regarded as unreliable narrators ---------------------------------- In both "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" and "Catcher in the Rye" there are obvious signs that Holden and Ruby are troubled and unreliable characters. The informal conversational tone that Holden uses is meant to be spontaneous and unrehearsed; so instead of getting a focused autobiography, we get a scanty account of a few days that often trail into other stories that are what we use to draw a picture of Holden. Holden states his intentions from the beginning. He has no intentions of telling his 'whole goddam autobiography or anything' and states clearly that he doesn't want to write 'all that David Copperfield kind of crap'. This also suggests that Holden has no concern with what has happened previously, which we later see is not the case. "Catcher in the Rye" is only spread over a few days unlike "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" which can be seen as more of a bildungsroman and appears to be a child's viewpoint in an adults voice. This is characterised by the use of vocabulary and descriptions and also marked by the use of parenthesis. Parenthesis often follows descriptions such as after the description of the guest bed Ruby adds in brackets 'much nicer than the camp bed'
Why is symbolism in the Catcher in the Rye so important?
Andre Malan (word Count 1064) Why is symbolism in the Catcher in the Rye so important? Symbolism is an essential element in any literary work. This is especially true for J.D. Salinger's novel the Catcher in the Rye. Salinger's main character, Holden finds it difficult to communicate with the outside world and therefore with us, the reader. Salinger uses symbolism as a subtle way of communicating Holden's emotions and faults to us the reader, without compromising the consistency of his characters by forcing Holden to do so. Salinger also uses symbolism to relate events in the novel to society at the time and expose its faults to public ridicule and criticism. Finally Salinger uses symbolism to highlight the idea of Holden making a journey and to make the reader aware of when Holden's journey has reached an end. Holden hides his emotions from himself and from those around him. He says that his breaking of the car windows was 'just for the hell of it' (Salinger 39), when it is patently obvious to the reader that this violent reaction was due to anger and pain caused by the death of his brother Allie. Salinger uses the symbol of Holden's hand that 'still hurts me once in a while' (39) to show us that the death of Allie still causes Holden great emotional pain. He also uses the hand to show that The death of Allie has weakened Holden 'I can't make a real fist anymore - not a
'Holden's quest is an impossible one; it is a quest for the preservation of innocence in a world of phoniness and cruelty'. By close examination of appropriate episodes in the novel, discuss how far you would agree with this statement.
'Holden's quest is an impossible one; it is a quest for the preservation of innocence in a world of phoniness and cruelty'. By close examination of appropriate episodes in the novel, discuss how far you would agree with this statement. On reading 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D Salinger we discover Holden Caulfield's quest to preserve innocence in the world of phoniness and cruelty that surrounds him. However, the various people, places and events that we come across as the story unfolds lead us to doubt the possibility of such a quest. The novel takes the form of a retrospective narrative as Holden, the seventeen year old narrator and protagonist, relates to us from a kind of institution the "madman stuff" that happened to him the previous December. It charts Holden's journey other three significant days in his life, from the elite boarding school Pencey Prep to the urban wilderness of New York City as he resists entry to the adult world which he views as a cold, cruel and corrupt place. His overriding belief is that this world poses a major threat to the purity and virtue of childhood innocence. I will now explore the many ways in which Holden attempts to protect this innocence and evaluate the extent to which he succeeds in his quest. In order to better understand the innocence-threatening world presented to us in the novel, we must first consider its various contextual
Critical Essay: 'The Catcher In the Rye' "Choose a novel which deals with the theme of isolation. By referring to the novel closely, examine the techniques the writer uses to portray this theme."
Critical Essay: 'The Catcher In the Rye' "Choose a novel which deals with the theme of isolation. By referring to the novel closely, examine the techniques the writer uses to portray this theme." 'The Catcher In the Rye', written by J.D. Salinger is a bildungsroman in which Holden Caulfield, a misanthropic sixteen-year-old, narrates a story concerning three, eventful days of his life. Among the several themes successfully portrayed throughout the novel, the theme of isolation is most prominent, as Holden constantly feels detached from the society in which he lives. The reasons for this are various but are mainly due to the fact that Holden is unhappy with the world he lives in and what it values. His dislikes for the world around him cause him to withdraw into a state of isolation and this serves as a form of self-protection from the 'phonies' that he finds so unbearable. It is at the start of the novel that that Holden is initially perceived as being an outsider to the society around him. At 'Pencey Prep.', he reveals his strong emotions on a number of instances and the reader soon learns that he does not appear to have any true friends. An example of this is shown after his fight with Stradlater when he admits to himself that he was "feeling so lonesome and rotten, I even felt like waking Ackley up". This quotation clearly illustrates the extent of Holden's loneliness
The protagonist Holden Caulfield shows a lot of bravery during the course of the novel. I disagree with the quote, but I do agree that there are many references that are similar between J.F. Clarke's quote and J. D. Salinger's novel.
Corey Perlmutter September 26, 2005 Catcher in the Rye essay Mr. Pryal Period 8 Author J.F Clarke's quote, "The bravest of individuals is one who obeys his/her conscience" can be looked upon in many ways. It also relates to J. D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye. The protagonist Holden Caulfield shows a lot of bravery during the course of the novel. I disagree with the quote, but I do agree that there are many references that are similar between J.F. Clarke's quote and J. D. Salinger's novel. Conscience is described as the awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong. In the novel Catcher in the Rye, Holden is very brave by leaving his school and spending time by himself in one of the busiest cities in the world in New York City. I have mix feelings about whether or not Holden obeys his conscience. He is a typical bad boy, he smokes, tries to buy a hooker in his hotel room that he was staying at alone, and is put into a psychiatric hospital. I feel that somebody who obeys their conscience would not be this type of a kid who is basically known as a rebel. In some parts of the book, Holden does look like he has some moral respect when he is very nice to a kid who really has no friends in Robert Ackley. When Holden goes to his old school to give his sister a note he sees that someone has written
"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
Catcher in the Rye
The special moments in life only last a short period of time. In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger portrays a young fellow that dislikes himself and the world that surrounds him. The protagonist shows the way many teenagers feel about themselves and their relations with their parents, their friends and the opposite sex. Salinger uses secondary characters to remark Holden's isolation in society, the mood and his immaturity. Holden, the main character in the book, feels isolated in a society where almost nobody cares for him, he acts sometimes in strange ways and tends to react in very peculiar ways. Along the story, there are many examples of Holden's isolation but there are three that stand out because of their double meanings. One of them is how he is pretending to be walking through the park and acts as if he was shot. Normally people do not do this. One might think that he is crazy or that he does not really care about life. Both interpretations are correct but the best one in this case is that really he does not care about life, he is just bored and acts as if someone had killed him and he was dead. This fact allows the reader to get the impression that Holden has a miserable life and does not want to live any more. The second example of Holden's isolation and a proof that he is a strange character is when he is in a taxi and tries to struck up a conversation with the
Catcher in the Rye : self knowledge
Catcher in the Rye: Self knowledge The character of Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" must endure many hardships on his way to self-knowledge. Holden's actions and fantasies about helping children symbolize his fear of the reality of the real, adult world. In J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden, goes through many hardships in his journey to self-knowledge. In the beginning, Holden has to deal with being kicked out of school and not having any place to call home. He is also struggling with the unfortunate tragedy of the death of his beloved younger brother Allie. At the same time, Holden is trying to deal with growing up and accepting the adult world. Throughout the novel Salinger addresses the conflicts faced by a young man struggling with the trials and tribulations of growing up while also confronting personal loss and loneliness along the way. In the beginning of the novel the reader learns that Holden has been kicked out of his school Pency-Prep. Holden talks about how he has been kicked out of schools in the past and says, "They gave me frequent warnings to start applying myself... but I didn't do it. So I got the ax"(4). This shows that Holden doesn't really care about school, it is not all that important to him. In fact, he decides to leave school early, a few days before Christmas break begins saying
Theme in The Catcher in the Rye.
Theme in The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye shows the turbulence and confusion experienced during many childhoods. This confusion is expressed through Salinger's use of long, run-on sentences that often contradict themselves. A clear example of this stylistic technique is found on page 62, when Holden states, "I think if you don't really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all, and if you do like her, then you're supposed to like her face, and if you like her face, you ought to be careful about doing crumby stuff to it, like squirting water all over it. It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes." The structure of these two sentences reveals a character that is coming to terms with his impending adulthood and trying to establish his identity. By using long, run-on sentences, J.D. Salinger provides room for Holden to contradict himself and argue both sides of his arguments. Currently, Holden sees the same acts as both "crumby" and "fun", and he hasn't had an opportunity to make up his mind yet. One of his main sources of confusion is interpersonal relationships. Salinger devotes fifty-three words in a single sentence to Holden's musings about girls and where to draw the line with them. Relationships are just one of the things that don't make sense yet to Holden because his life experiences are
An Analysis on the Relevance of J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye in Modern Times
Holden in Real Life: An Analysis on the Relevance of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in Modern Times It's highly intriguing that years after it's publishing, The Catcher in the Rye remains such an intriguing novel to teachers, students, and the general population alike. Yet through analyzing the main themes of the book, one can deduce that although the slang and fashion might be outdated, The Catcher in the Rye is still relatable and relevant. This can be primarily attributed to the constant theme of teenage angst and desire for rebellion, a common feeling spurred amongst the young for decades. The book also remains relevant because of the history behind the book as well as the culture it has created. Regardless of opinions however, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, although written half a century ago, maintains relevance in this time as a coming of age novel that opens perspectives and boldly exposes themes that were once tabooed in the American society. To begin, Holden has primarily maintained relevance in the modern age because he continues to give a voice to the youth of our society. Taking a tone of rebellion, Holden separates himself from the society that is so illegitimate in his eyes, and seems to form a realm of his own within his mind. This primarily entails his disrespect for most adults and the rules they make for everyone. You can see