The Catcher in the Rye--Do you agree with Holden's criticisms of society Why or why not
Holden's criticisms of society center around the fact that he finds society dirty, corrupt and extremely "phony". He views society as a fake surrounding for us all, wants desperately to protect the innocent from the damaging effects of society, and strives to isolate himself from it. I agree with his disapproval of society, though perhaps do not feel as strongly about certain aspects of his thoughts such as escapism. I feel this way not only because I share his views and think they are right, but because the points and examples Holden raises in the novel are easy for me as a person to empathise with. His critical and at times contemptuous commentary on the people he meets and how "phony" they are, is very easy for me to relate to with the people in my own life, his ideas of wanting to protect the young children from harm and the destruction of their innocence is another idea which I myself think about, and I can understand his need to isolate himself and thus avoid society's deceptive company. Often in the novel, Holden comments on how unreal and artificial a certain person (or people) is. For example, Stradlater, Holden's roommate at Pencey, is a "secret slob" who "always looks all right" and gives one the impression
he is really "fixed-up", but is actually quite sloppy in his personal habits. Stradlater's outer appearance and vanity reflect his phoniness, because underneath he is as untidy and unorganised as the rest of us. Holden then goes on to talk about how Stradlater thinks he's "a real hot-shot" because of his looks. "Just because they're crazy about themself, they think you're crazy about them, too," he says, "It's sort of funny, in a way." I can see how Holden finds this amusing. There are many "Stradlaters" in our society, those who think themselves the greatest, and show little concern for the others around them. People like this come across as being proud and haughty, and I myself find it entertaining to watch these individuals prance about thinking how wonderful they are --- when really they are not as spectacular as they make themselves out to be. The examples Holden brings up to do with his views on society can be seen as radical or a bit extreme. However, I am able to share his opinions because in some ways, my line of thinking corresponds to that of Holden's. This is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed reading the book so much, because of similarities I drew between Holden's ideology and my own. On Holden's criticism of society, I found many interesting ideas that were brought up in the novel which I felt that I agreed with. The main reason why I agree with Holden's views of the world in general is because I have the same cynical mentality. A main theme in the novel which can be seen as the backbone of the story,
Some common words found in the essay are:
Catcher Rye, , Stradlater Holden's, views society, protect children, sometimes society, examples holden, catcher rye,
Approximate Word count = 1037
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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