The Catcher in the Rye
In life, one is often made aware of particular subjects which they would prefer not to possess any knowledge about. J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye provides consummate examples of these circumstances, told through the eyes of an adolescent boy, Holden Caulfield. Holden's internal turmoil and subsequent nervous breakdown is a result of the knowledge he holds but desperately wishes he did not. He is bombarded by conflicting feelings concerning Mr. Antolini, Jane, Stradlater, and Phoebe. One of the few authority figures Holden respects and speaks highly of is his former English teacher, Mr. Antolini. He recalls a scene in which Mr. Antolini was the only soul who ventured to pick up poor, unrelenting James Castle after he hurled himself out of a window. "He didn't even give a damn if his coat got all bloody," (174 ). Later, Holden's encounter with Sunny and Maurice mirrors the actions of James Castle. After the events unfold he remarks, "I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would've, too, if I'd been sure somebody'd cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn't want a bunch of stupid rubber necks looking at me when I was all gory," (104 ). Holden doesn't want to picture anyone gawking at his mangled body
"Ask her if she still keeps all her kings in the back row," (34 ). Holden asks this of Stradlater, his roommate at Pencey Prep, before his date with Jane Gallagher, Holden's cherished friend. Holden references the kings in the back row several times, confirming his child-like attributes. "If you knew Stradlater you would've been worried, too. I'd double-dated with that bastard a few times, and I know what I'm talking about. He was unscrupulous. He really was," (40 ). The thought of Stradlater making sexual advances at Jane weighs on Holden's mind often. If Holden wasn't aware of Stradlater's promiscuous tendencies, this would have been a non-issue. His not "being in the mood" to phone Jane exhibits his anxiety about the effects the passage of time can have on a person. Jane may have become someone Holden would perceive as "phony" after all this time. Holden himself may have changed to the extent that Jane would not desire to be his friend any longer. Separating his past from his present is difficult for Holden, and he is still fascinated with his childhood memories of Jane and her kings in the back row. "What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff-I mean if they're running and the
Some common words found in the essay are:
James Castle, That's I'd, Gallagher Holden's, Jane Holden, Stradlater Phoebe, Caulfield Holden's, Catcher Rye, Maurice It's, , Sunny Maurice, kings row, james castle, catcher rye,
Approximate Word count = 842
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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