The Catcher in the Rye
The novel The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is about a troubled young man named Holden Caulfield. Holden searches his teenage life, struggling to find answers to his questions about himself and his identity. No matter where Holden goes, in his opinion he is surrounded by phonies. They appear to be everywhere Holden is: his school, the hotel, the theatre, and all over the streets of New York. The story is told from Holden's point of view, as he endeavours to put together the pieces of the puzzle that he calls his life. Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel, is an immature teenager. Holden is sixteen years old, six feet two inches tall, with a crew cut and prematurely greying hair. His story begins as he is kicked out of prep school, and takes off to New York. Holden's thoughts and ideas reveal many of his character traits. One late Saturday night, four days before the beginning of school vacation, Holden decides to leave Pencey, his school, at once and travels to New York by train. Once in New York, he decides that he will stay in a cheap motel until Wednesday, when he is to return home. His plan shows how very impetuous he is and how he acts on a whim. He is unrealistic, thinking that he has a foolp
A necessary idea that Salinger presents in the novel is the theme of acceptance. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel The Catcher in the Rye, and can relate somewhat to many of Holden's thoughts, feelings and opinions. The theme of shifting into adulthood can help many young adults better understand the world and other people. Although it does contain abusive language and sexual connotations, The Catcher in the Rye provides insightful information and relevance to the life of young adults through its realistic situations and theme of acceptance. Holden Caulfield, at first, appears to be having a conflict with society, but, upon closer examination, we see that he is truly only at war with himself. Holden's first major conflict begins after he is kicked out of yet another school, this time Pencey Prep, for failing four classes. He is supposed to go home at Christmas Break and not return, however, things don't work out as planned. A situation in his dorm progresses into a fistfight, when Holden finds out that his roommate (who has quite a reputation) took out a girl named Jane Gallagher, whom it becomes apparent that Holden holds a deep sentiment for. Holden loses the fight, grabs his bags and hunting hat and heads for the train station a few days early. This presents the conflict of Holden deciding how to tell his parents that he has been kicked out of Pencey. roof plan, even though the extent of his plans are to "take a room in a hotel...and just take it easy till Wednesday." This course of action proves Holden's recklessness and immaturity very early on in the novel. Another considerably minor (and yet still imperative) addition to the novel is Phoebe Caulfield. Holden's younger sister is his main supporter. She sticks with him no matter what, but she also, however, is not afraid to scold Holden for his errors. Although Phoebe is merely a young child, she understands Holden, sometimes more than he does. "Old Phoebe didn't say anything, but she was listening.... she always listens when you tell her something. And the funny part is she knows, half the time, what the hell you're talking about. She really does." (167) Phoebe is an instant reminder of delight to H
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Approximate Word count = 1474
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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