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

These two authors, J .D. Salinger and George Bernard Shaw have created two stories that are effective in many different ways. They are not only great literary pieces of work written with great intelligence but they are also geared toward the average reader. This method of creating a story that virtually anyone can read and find interest in is a great way to attract readers. When readers are attracted, the authors' messages get across much more clearly and to a larger number of people. When Catcher in the Rye and Pygmalion were written, the authors had the same themes in mind. These themes provoke thought and when thought is provoked, many good things can happen. For example, people can realize what they are doing wrong and change their ways. As these stories show, being middle or upper class does not guarantee happiness, being well mannered and treating people equally is important, and people should not always be judged based on the way they speak. If people read these stories and realize that they are not just great literary works but also important messages, much more can be learned than the mechanics of writing. If people begin to take these themes and apply them to everyday life, these stories could be considered more than just literature.

Throughout the world's history, pronunciation and the way a language is spoken indicates one's place in society. This is quite apparent in Pygmalion. Eliza is a classic victim of being "put into her place" based on the way she speaks. She goes to Professor Higgins in hope that he will give her lessons on how to speak in a more refined. She says she wants "to be a lady in a flower shop stead of sellin at the corner of Tottenham Court Road. But they won't take me unless I can talk more genteel" (23). This is precisely why she comes to Henry Higgins. He knows quite a bit about the study of speech. In fact, he is a professor of phonetics. He can "pronounce one hundred thirty vowel sounds" and "place any man within six miles" of their homes (15). Sometimes he can even place them within two streets of their homes. When Eliza hears this, she decides to take advantage of Higgins' ability and take lessons from him. She learns a new form of speech and this newfound way of speaking 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 exa

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)