Catcher In The Rye Conformity Essay

Every individual has times in their life where they feel isolated and alone. When this occurrs a person will search for ways to connect or feel important.. The person will do anything they can to be noticed and appreciated. In the novel, Famous All Over Town, by Danny Santiago the main character, Chato, has many reasons to feel lonely. In almost every aspect of his life he is being let down in one way or another. He has to try to deal with a family on the brink of falling apart, he has to go to a school which doesn't teach anything "fun," and he has friends that are a bad influence on him. The novel reveals how he has to endure hardships, most of us do not have, to get through a day. By the end of the novel the reader begins to understand

Salinger uses the symbol of a red hunting hat to suggest and develop the themes of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, isolation and loneliness. Holden

The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger. It is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a cynical teenager who recently got expelled from his fourth school. Though Holden is the narrator and main character of the story, the focus of Salinger’s tale is not on Caulfield, but of the world in which we live. The Catcher in the Rye is an insatiable account of the realities we face daily seen through the eyes of a bright young man whose visions of the world are painfully truthful, if not a bit jaded. Salinger’s book is a must-read because its relatable symbolism draws on the reader’s emotions and can easily keep the attention of anyone.

Have you ever had this feeling of being so stressed out that you would escape to hopeless dreams, causing you to withdraw yourself from others? Among many themes that J.D. Salinger expresses in his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, there is one that fits that type of feeling perfectly. That theme is: isolation is a product of the individual's reaction to the environment and often leads to downfalls and other negative consequences. This is clearly demonstrated through the influence of the allusions and symbols that Salinger uses to subtly apply the theme mentioned above.

The red hunting hat mirrors Holden’s resistance to conformity displaying his inner conflict of loneliness or companionship. Holden’s hat protects him and he feels that it gives him uniqueness as he does not agree with many of society’s standards. Salinger strategically places the hunting hat into situations where Holden feels awkward and uncomfortable. During these situations, Holden “puts [his] red hunting hat on, and [turns] the peak around the back the way [he] likes it” (59). The hat gives Holden the comfort and stability he desires in his life, as well as confident as he thinks that he “[looks] good in it” (21). However, the hat also isolates Holden in a protective bubble, restricting him from taking risks that he is not comfortable with. Holden is trying to get out into the world, yet it seems like the hat is holding him back

Through the short journey that Holden goes through in the novel and the interactions and experiences, fights and struggles that Holden partakes in, the reader watches and is delivered the authors ideas on life. There are three main symbols that directly introduce the theme and these symbols those are the red hunting hat, the ducks in central park, and the carousel. By using these symbols the author shows the literary ability of being able to skillfully use symbols as a tool.

Why does Holden continuously judge people based on their physical appearance? Could this be a projection of his insecurities or a reflection of his mental health?

Arguably, the novel’s most obvious symbol can be found in the title. Holden discusses and explains with Phoebe that he wants to be the “catcher in the rye”. He imagines himself wearing a giant baseball glove, ready to catch the kids as they ponder and fall off the cliff while playing in the rye. The children in the poem symbolize childhood. Furthermore, the field in the poem represents innocence, the action of falling from the cliff is the fall from innocence. Moreover, Holden symbolizes the protector of children, he protects them from losing their innocence and childhood. Furthermore, it also represents his desire to avoid the harsh reality of the adult life. Ironically, Holden mistakes the meaning and words of the song, much in the same way he mistakes the cause of his torment, it comes from himself, not from others. For example, "I thought it was 'If a body catch a body,'" I said. "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. 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 they don't look where

A baseball mitt, a red hat, a museum, and ducks are obviously completely different objects, but in The Catcher in the Rye, from 1951, they are closely related. Not only are they all cases of symbolism, but they all connect to the main character’s brother. Holden, the main character, perpetually dwells on the death of his brother Allie and these four figures are representations of his inability to mature, and also his feelings on death and his own life. However, one more symbol, perhaps the most significant one, is Holden’s vision for himself as a catcher in a field of rye. . In the novel, J.D. Salinger uses symbolism to give us deeper insight into the reminiscent feelings and depression of Holden. The symbols represent far more than just

of symbolism in his novel to accurately convey the feelings of his main character, Holden, and, in essence, to reveal information pertaining to human sentiment. Many of these symbols contain

Holden is very inquisitive about where the ducks in Central Park go in the winter. His questioning the cab drivers of this shows a youthful willingness in him to discover what he is curious about. “You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you happen to know, by any chance?” (60) The cab drivers give mostly thoughtless

Holden’s loneliness was a more concrete manifestation of his alienation. It is both a source of great pain and a source if his security.

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger discusses the ideas of alienation and isolation. He notes that if one is unable to keep up with society they lose touch. Salinger portrays alienation and isolation through literary devices such as symbolism. Some of the symbolic features use in the novel is Holden’s red hunting hat which shows Holden’s uncommon desire compared to society’s desires. Another significant symbolic feature is the catcher in the rye; this represents Holden’s idea of protecting children from maturing as adults and facing reality. Another literary device is tone, although Holden seems preoccupied, he constantly tries to seek companionship throughout the book. J.D. Salinger also portrays irony, it is ironic that Holden calls the people around him loners and phonies when he, himself is a loner and a phony that refuses to accept taking on responsibilities and growing up. The literary devices used in this novel, further support Salinger’s recurring theme of alienation and isolation.

An extremely important and recognizable symbol throughout the story that helps support the use of existentialist elements is Holden’s red hunting cap. According to Roper Vanderbilt, “A useful beginning has been made in a few studies that focus, in rather isolated fashion, on certain

In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger highlights major themes about toxic human interactions that can arouse one to depression and loneliness through emotional pain. This is illustrated through Holden who although in isolation noxiously interacts with other individuals that cause him pain and other dark emotions. Similar to the song written by Australian singer and song writer Sia, she outlines these similar emotions felt by Holden in “Hostage”. Both works of art expound the idea that human contact is a necessity but through alienation it can cause one to put oneself into harmful situations that can cause darkness and depression. I depicted this theme in the visual of a young man and women who are separated by a wall. This wall