Catcher In The Rye Critical Lens

The coming of age phase in a young person’s life is a transitional phase which prompts the idea of individualism, decision making, acceptance, moral challenges, disappointment, and individual needs. These years are essential for the overall learning and growing-up part of someone’s life. Coming of age characteristics transpired in the novel The Catcher in the Rye and The Absolutely True Diary of a part-time Indian pertain to, but do not exclude, the acceptance of the complexities and “grayness” of the world, confrontation with the adult world, and the individual needs and desires vs. external pressures/expectations/norms. In both novels, young boys are faced with tough choices that will later help them in the overall transition from

The critical lens presented in the Catcher in the Rye is very evident in the main character Holden. Using the psychoanalytic lens to read The Catcher in the Rye shows the struggle Holden has trying to deal with the "Phonies" in his everyday life that he just can't relate to. This inability to connect with the people around him reveals his emotional instability and personal flaws. The majority of his issues lye within his subconscious and he doesn’t realize the way he treats people.

“I swear to God I’m a madman” (149) Holden Caulfield says, revealing the wicked nature of J.D Salinger’s 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. The book follows 16 year old Holden Caulfield in his days spent alone on the streets of New York City after getting kicked out of prep school. During this time Holden goes on an alcoholic rampage, fueled by hate and filled with anger towards anything he sees as phony. The book has been the cause of major controversy since its release, with schools across the country banning it from the realms of teaching for decades. Now, it is read in many high school literature classes because of its alleged similarity to the way teenagers think. The Catcher in the Rye should not be taught to young, impressionable teenagers in public schools because of its rampant profanity, glorification of alcohol and tobacco use, and narration by a mentally ill, generally horrible person.

In “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy who has recently expelled from school, had lost his younger brother to Leukemia and witnessed the suicide of one of his peers, struggles in his journey of coming of age. He isn’t fond of the idea of having to mature and be exposed to responsibilities and problems of the real world. As a result, he tries to preserve the innocence of his younger sister, Phoebe. One way in which he aims to accomplish this goal is through a Little Shirley Beans record which he buys in hopes of giving it to Phoebe. Salinger utilizes the symbol of the broken record to develop Holden’s loss of innocence and deteriorating character.

It is known that humans require interaction between each other. As a result we tend to get attached and depend on them. We tend to advocate others from groups and keep to the same people. J. D. Salinger explores this in his book in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye. This book is beloved by many because it is so easy to connect to, even our generation now can connect to Holden and some of the things he goes through. The story is about a boy named Holden, he gets kicked out of school multiple times, and instead of telling his parents he wanders around New York in search of someone that cares and that he can make a connection with. Growing up is hard, and we need human connection to make through the hard times.

Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye exhibits unusual behavior during the course of the novel. His actions resemble those of one who suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder. After his younger brother, Allie, dies of leukemia, Holden’s feelings toward the world change drastically. He begins to isolate himself from others. Even when he feels a connection with someone, he finds something to dislike about them and pushes them away. Holden also experiences frequent flashbacks to times when Allie was alive. He holds on to these memories and blocks Allie’s death from his mind. His PTSD also causes Holden to endure anxiety attacks. These attacks further push away the people he loves and makes it difficult for him to cope with his feelings.

When he’s talking, he manipulates and lies to people. He also doesn’t handle people well, Holden isn’t good at communication and making friends. He’s always thinking that he is a great liar, but lying to most people isn’t a good quality. Holden thinks about his family a lot, especially his brothers D.B and Allie. Holden’s brothers is a big part of his thoughts, with D.B’s writing and Allie’s death. Mainly Allie, because his death really affecting Holden’s life. Holden’s mental stability was forever changed when Allie died, and will probably never fully heal. While D.B getting drafted in the army also affected his views on life, with his brother leaving. Also D.B’s favorite books, Holden remembers fondly. While both his brothers’ favorite writings, he likes. When D.B came back from the army, he started a writing career. D.B then decided to become a screenwriter, Holden thinks he sold

The book, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, discusses many different aspects of the life of a young adult. The main character, Holden Caulfield, appears to be a typical self-absorbent teenager. Yet the majority of the time Holden makes valid points on what goes on in today’s society. Even though the book was set back in time, the issues discussed in the novel are still relevant today. Holden is often seen as an arrogant individual when in reality he wants a better world to live in.

In the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden, the main character, is in a mental hospital where he is telling the story of how he got there. Holden starts his story around the time where he gets kicked out of his school, Pencey Prep. Holden, who has gotten kicked out of two schools including Pencey has to face his parents who do not know that he got kicked out of Pency yet. Up to now, Holden has had a rough life between his brother Allie dying of cancer and having to go to multiple different schools. On the other hand, Holden cares about very few things.

Throughout the book The catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield takes a journey through his life. On the outside of this young teenage boy it may seem like he has it together, but the inside of him is a full-hearted child. Holden has troubles with his inability to not try and save every innocent life he passes all the while he’s trying to force childhood and his actions back on himself. The sudden death of his brother Allie makes him go through this transition where he needs to grow up and face reality, but he instead chooses to hide behind the thoughts of a child. Although some may think that Holden has grown up because of the change he shows from the beginning to the end of the novel and the fact that reality might have hit him, that is not the case.

The Catcher in the Rye fixates upon the fragile mental state of jaded sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield. Ever since the death of his brother Allie, Holden has been expelled from every school he’s ever attended and has become increasingly cynical of human nature, condemning everyone he meets for their phoniness. He lacks the ability to identify his own feelings and prefers the word “depressed” to describe every negative emotion, hoping to take away the word’s severity with his overuse of it. At sixteen, Holden is realizing that it is time for him to become an adult, and while he attempts to do adult activities once he is on his own, he ultimately resists the pull of adulthood and equates aging with losing one’s innocence; he wishes to preserve

Holden’s description of himself throughout the book is all over the map. On Page 9 he goes from saying “I act quite young for my age.” to saying “Sometimes I act a lot older than I am.” He has this attitude towards himself of shear confusion; he wants to be something he’s not at all times. He gets frustrated when he can’t be served alcohol but is still in the state of wanting to be a child and cared for by someone. Holden also has very high expectations of himself, “I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know its crazy but that’s the only thing I really care to be.” (Pg173). The catcher in the Rye is someone who catches people in the Rye. He expresses his want for a job like this; that by doing this he would no longer experience depression, that helping people would be enough for him.

Holdens infatuation with Allie became a recurring idea in his narrative, even going as far as, “I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie.” Holden seems to only think highly of Allie commenting on how intelligent, kind, and well-liked Allie was. To Holden, Allie was perfect in childhood, and his premature death preserved that innocence in a sort of twisted immortality. Allie will never be corrupted by the drugs, drinking, and deceit that Holden associated with adulthood. Finally, his constant flunking out of schools demonstrates Holden's fear of the future.

Holden's reached an age where he's figured out what he likes and what he doesn't but hasn't quite figured out what he wants. He loathes phony people and seems to find them everywhere he looks. He's grown up and lost innocence and hates the world he's seen. Unsure of

"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of