The Catcher in the Rye

A detailed Summary of The Catcher in the Rye


Compare and contrast the two openings of 'The Catcher in the Rye' and 'Jane Eyre' as openings to novels.

'The Catcher in the Rye' is set in the 60s and therefore uses a more contemporary language and tone. This can be seen when the author uses colloquialisms in a very satirical way, "kind of crap." The author gives the reader a very good insight into the plot very early on in the book; from the first page the reader learns that the narrator is very jealous and envious of his older brother and believes he 'sold' his talents to Hollywood and undermined his own talents, "being a prostitute."

'Jane Eyre' is set in Victorian England and is written by Charlotte Bronte. The opening to this novel is less revealing and gives less of an insight into the story and plot. The opening does tell us, however, that the novel is set in an upper/middle class Victorian home, "leafless shrubbery." The author writes the opening using very descriptive language, the descriptions, however, are mainly visual and very detailed, "rain so penetrating." The writer also lets us visit Jane's personality in the opening, were we learn she is very rebellious; which is unusual in Victorian times, "until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent."


Another similarity is the way that the main characters seem to be outcasts and outsiders. They seem very isolated and unhappy, "lousy childhood was like." Authors often include 'lousy childhoods' as it makes the reader connect with the character, as they feel very sympathetic. This is because many people see an unhappy and dysfunctional childhood as their biggest trepidation.

Another difference can be seen in the characters personality. In the first opening the character is very pessimistic and has a very cynical attitude, "now he's out in Hollywood being a prostitute." Whereas in the second opening the main character Jane seems to be very assured and confident, "I never liked long walks" shows a noncompliant side.

The two novels also contain many similarities. Both the openings are written in the first person, making the novel more personal to the reader. This also gives more of an undercover look at the characters in the novels, "I'll just tell you," "I was glad of it." As writing in the first person is personal, this means that the reader is more likely to become involved in the novel and understand the characters in a greater depth.

Both narrators in both openings are

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Approximate Word count = 803
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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