In J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield, muses at one point on the possibility of escaping from the world of confusion and "phonies" while George Bernard Shaw's main character of Pygmalion, Eliza Dolittle, struggles to become a phony. The possible reason for this is that they both come from opposite backgrounds. Holden is a young, affluent teenager in 1950's America who resents materialism and Eliza Dolittle is a young, indigent woman who is living in Britain during the late 1800's trying to meet her material needs and wants. These two seemingly opposite characters do in fact have something in common: they, like every other person, are in a constant pursuit of happiness. This commonality is the basis for the themes these two stories present. Some of these themes go unconsidered and this leads to many misunderstandings in the world. This is why Pygmalion and Catcher in the Rye are not just stories but, in fact, lessons that are presented in their themes. These themes teach that being middle or upper class does not guarantee happiness, treating others with good manners and equality are important, and pron

Holden believes in manners and treating everyone equally. Before Holden leaves for Christmas Break, Mr. Spencer invites him to his house and asks about what the headmaster, Dr. Thurmer, said to him. Holden replies that Dr. Thurmer spoke of life being a game, and that one should play it according to the rules (8). Holden shows no animosity about Dr. Thurmer's speech. He accepts it as part of the educator's duty even though he knows that life is only a game if you are on the right side, where all the "hot-shots" are. Mr. Spencer also lectures and proceeds to go through Holden's history exam with him. Holden did poorly both in class and on the exam and feels guilty because Mr. Spencer is infatuated with history. Holden tells his teacher that he enjoys listening to his lectures in class but he didn't care much for history because he "doesn't want to hurt his feelings" (11). Robert Ackley, the boy living in the room next to Holden and Ward Stradlater, Holden's roommate at P!

ing home to deal with his parents. Throughout his journey home, he describes bouts of deep depression, impulsive spending and erratic behaviour prior to his nervous breakdown. Despite his material wealth, Holden does not appreciate what he has; he feels guilty. For example, his roommate at Elkton Hills, Dick Slagee had very inexpensive suitcases. "He used to keep them under the bed, instead of on the rack, so that nobody would see them standing next to mine. It depressed holy hell out of me, and I kept wanting to throw mine out or something, or even trade with him" (108). Holden is a prime example that all people are human beings; one is not any better than another based on which position in society they hold. He is not pretentious because of his wealth, but actually, if a comparison of the two is going to be made, Holden is of a higher class than Eliza but he leads a more melancholy life than she. Therefore, wealth does not create happiness.

eaking helps to pass her off as a duchess at an opera. Holden's speech also manages to categorize him: not class-wise, but rather age-wise and personality-wise. He captures the informal speech of an average intelligent adolescent. This speech includes both simple description and cursing. For example, in the introduction, Holden says, "They're nice and all," as well as, "I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything" (1). The term "nice" is an extremely broad term Holden uses to characterize his parents. He does not want to disrespect them yet he does not feel right praising them either. This opening to Holden's story shows Holden's unwillingness to share his views. However, this gradually changes and he opens up. He uses the terms "and all" and "or anything" regularly throughout the novel and because not everyone speaks like this, these terms make Holden's speech unique. Holden also feels he has to confirm what he is saying because he does not quite believe himself. For example, he says, "I'm a pacifist, if you want to know the truth" (26). When Holden is particularly angry, he swears more often. He says "That guy Morrow is about as sensitive as a god dam toilet seat" (55). His inability to properly communicate without have to rely on profanity to express himself shows

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2191
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)