Catcher in the Rye, thematic

A detailed Summary of Catcher in the Rye, thematic


A Lack of Companionship, a Lack of Joy

"Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with

hoops of steel" (qtd. in Davidoff 106). As long as man has existed, man has strived to

have companions: to feel the love of friends and family. In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in

the Rye, protagonist Holden Caulfield rose from his sadness and found happiness only

when he realized the importance of the love and companionship offered by friends and

family. Holden faced many obstructions in his quest to find the joy that was missing in his

life. Unfriendly and non-understanding people seemed to attack Holden's life from all

directions, yet Holden ultimately discovered happiness through the kindness of his sister

Phoebe. By learning from Holden's quest for happiness, we as humans will be able to peer

deeper into our own quests for joy and our own understandings of where happiness

actually comes from. In order to find happiness, one must first recognize his sadness and

ultimately acknowledge the supreme importance of friends, family, and every companion

Sometimes one notices the void of sorrow only when he realizes that he is without


first foreseeable options. One escape Holden contemplated in the novel is running away

of an unrealistic idealized lifestyle where he finds happiness by being alone. This bubble of

happiness, one can acknowledge for himself that friends, family, and loving companions of



Some common words found in the essay are:
Holden Caulfield, Vermont Salinger, Holden Phoebe, Pencey School, Holden Caulfield's, Lack Joy, friends family, Okay Salinger, Sally Watts, Catcher Rye, loving companions, happiness holden, holden finally, family loving, holden caulfield, family loving companions, friends family loving, Northeastern United, importance friends family, sister loved, it's love, catcher rye, loving companionship, happiness holden caulfield,

Approximate Word count = 1258
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

Professional Essays

  • Critical Reviews of SlaughterhouseFive ... Five an almost solemn review pointing to its thematic, social, and ... Five does belong ampquotsomewhereampquot on the list but ampquotbelow Catcher in the Rye, which is too low ... 2593 words
  • Slaughterhouse Five ... Five an almost solemn review pointing to its thematic, social, and ... Five does belong ampquotsomewhereampquot on the list but ampquotbelow Catcher in the Rye, which is too low ... 2593 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.