The Catcher in the Rye 5

A detailed Summary of The Catcher in the Rye 5

It is a worldwide known concept that communication among different people is a necessity of one's life if it is to be a happy one. Human companionship is something everyone will do anything for. Yet, some people have difficulties in communicating with others especially when they see problems among the people they try to communicate with. In this novel, "The Catcher in the Rye," the author, J.D. Salinger, illustrates the protagonist's difficulty in communicating with other people, especially with the women he encounters throughout the novel. The reader can see Holden Caulfield's failed attempts to communicate with people. In the conversations Holden has with people, he usually makes up lies or ends up embarassing them or himself. In others, he usually ends up being hostile towards them. Yet, it seems obvious that the reason for his failed attempts of communication is because he won't allow people to express themselves as they are. He automatically assumes that they are "phony" because of their first impression towards him. He won't give them a chance to express themselves unless he decides that their first impression towards them makes them "likeable".

Although Phoebe Caulfield may be Holden'

introduced to phony guys, and going up and down in elevators when you

"I sat there on D.B.'s desk and read the whole notebook. It didn't

Holden's attitude toward girls is strange and complicated as his feelings for them change from person to person. With his sister Phoebe, thier relationship provides Holden with a sense of happiness and security since he knew her all his life. As with Sally, even though they knew each other just as long, he seems to despise her and treats her quite differently than Phoebe. You can see the apparent affection between Phoebe and Holden, while with Sally, there is no such affection at all. He never says anything critical of Phoebe whereas there is a great deal of criticism about Sally and girls her age. When Holden tells both of them about his problems, both of them give different responses. Even though Phoebe doesn't exactly understand the reason for Holden's actions, she is thoughtful enough to pay attention to Holden as he tries to explian what is happening in his life. With Sally, however, she doesn't comprehend to what Holden is trying to say and is not interested in trying to understand. And because of that, Holden becomes hostile towards her. So therefore, he is alone again and more depressed than before, angry with himself for even talking to Sally about his current situation.

the terrible part. I swear to God I'm a madman." (pg. 134, "The Catcher

Another female that takes part in Holden's life is Sally Hayes. She is a beautiful but shallow girl that Holden has dated in the past. To Holden's standards, Sally is another "phony" person but her beauty makes Holden put his standards aside for the moment. The unusual thing is that Holden made it clear that he disliked the girl, yet he said that the minute he saw her, he felt like marrying her. On their date together, he tells her that he loved her even though it was a lie, and yet he meant it when he said it. In return, Sally tells Holden that she loved him as well. After exchanging their false feelings for each other, Holden tries to explain what is happening in his life, but she is incapable o

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Approximate Word count = 1436
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English