Catcher In The Rye Dbq Analysis

Teenagers lives their life differently. However, when the time of being a adolescent arrives, they all have the same confusion and mindsets. J. D. Salinger’s novel, “The Catcher in the Rye”, is about a seventeen year old boy named Holden Caulfield, who lives his life with complexes and problems of his owns. Holden lives his life according to his favor and commit unreasonable actions. Holden has a difficult time trying to understand what being a teenager is. Holden Caulfield is a typical teenager because he expresses the problems of being a teenager.

Adolescence is often a confusing time where people still have elements of childhood, but they are beginning to enter the world of adults. People end up stuck between two points in life and feel that they can not quite fit into either. In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, sixteen year old Holden Caulfield experiences the contradicting feelings of being a teenager while he is alone in New York City. He masquerades as an adult and his experiences represent various aspects of being an adult. He tries to act grown-up and engage in adult life, but at the same time he resists it and tries to hold onto the way things are. Salinger explores the image of adulthood using symbols. Symbols of adulthood hold for Holden a certain longing and resentment as he struggles with the turmoil of adolescence.

JD. Salinger’s 1951 book, The Catcher in the Rye, shows us how society treated their confused and changing teenagers during their transition into adulthood. The book’s main character Holden Caulfield is being pressured into growing up even though he doesn’t feel ready, to lead an adult life. He is still struggling socially and mourning for his deceased brother whose death turned Holden upside down and into a negative, hopeless person from a young age, which causes him to be distracted, indifferent and to flunk every school he goes to.

Wishing to speak to his little sister Phoebe, Holden sneaks into his house. He’s worried he might run into his parents now that he’s gotten kicked out of Pencey, his most recent school. Lucky for him, only Phoebe is at home, but when she finds out that Holden has gotten himself kicked out of school again, she begins to bawl her eyes out. She tells him that he doesn’t like anything but Holden says that's not true. Phoebe then proceeds to ask him what he plans to be, like a scientist or a lawyer. Holden doesn't want to be a scientist because he isn't good at science. However, he doesn't fancy being a lawyer either because “How would you know you weren't being a phony? The trouble is you wouldn't” (190).

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses literary elements such as tone, figurative language, and theme to create the overall effect of a teenager’s cynical and conflicted approach to dealing with the concept of adulthood. Salinger writes about Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old boy, and his venture through New York City after he is expelled from his preparatory school due to academic failure. During his time in the city, emotional and mental problems surface, and his desperate want for companionship exposes his inability to connect with others.

Holden does not want to be forced to grow up, but instead tries to act more mature than he actually is. During Holden’s time and still today “teenagers [find] themselves stranded between adult things and childish pleasures.”(Schuessler) For Holden, this feeling of being stuck between childhood and adulthood created anxiety within him. Thus from this anxiety he feels he must act mature, but although trying to act mature he still believes he acts younger that he is. No one around Holden can understand him and the issues he is having with growing up, which makes it even more difficult for Holden himself to understand, so instead of trying to understand he runs away to New York. Holden engages in risky behavior because he believes it makes him mature. All teens engages in risky behavior and “some risk-taking among adolescents is evidence that they are trying out more adultlike roles” (Cloud) In Holden’s case he was not acting more adultlike. He was trying to act more mature, but he did not want to be an adult. Participating in risky behavior because he believed it made him mature is demonstrates how truly immature Holden was. Holden is confused about who he is and makes many immature decisions because he believes that they are mature decisions and he does not care how they affect his future. Some readers can argue that because of Holden’s awareness of the fact that he

Holden’s parents establish a set of standards for Holden while he attends fancy preparatory schools. They want him to become successful and follow the footsteps of his father, “Lawyers are all right, I guess… All you do is make a lot of dough and play golf and play bridge and buy cars and drink Martinis and look like a hot-shot… Even if you did save guys’ lives and all, how would you know you did it because you wanted to, or because you did it because what you really wanted to do was be a terrific lawyer? How would you know you know you weren’t being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldn’t” (172). This shows his unwillingness to acquiesce, and follow the standards set by his parents and society. Holden continually gets kicked out of school, because he doesn’t want to live a meaningless life. He simply has no concern about making money or achieving the American Dream, he just wants to be complacent and live a happy life. Holden is essentially rebelling against what society has taught him that was most important; wealth and power. He has created his own set of principles, which is often the cause of his alienation from the rest of his peers. While attending Pencey Prep, Holden was forced into taking an oral expression class, that forced him and his classmates to standardize the way they think and speak in order to comply with the guideline set by their teacher Mr. Vinson (183). In almost every aspect of his life, he is being continually

Childhood is a miraculous thing, and gaining maturity is one of the most important things in childhood. J.D. Salinger displays this perfectly with his coming of age novel The Catcher in the Rye. This coming of age novel has set the tone for many other novels of the like. The main crux of the novel focuses on maturity and how it affects the characters. This is very apparent with the main character Holden Caulfield, and Salinger uses this character to subtly create a commentary on maturity. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is not the only character who demonstrates this claim, but he is the best example. As the novel progresses the reader can see shifts and changes in Holden’s character, and these shifts are what make The Catcher in

“I was 16 and I'm 17 now sometimes act like about 13” (Salinger 232) This quote taken from the novel shows the reader that Holden may not be just as mature as his lifestyle represents. “I'm 6 foot two and I have gray hair”. (Salinger 222) Maturity is also shown when Holden comes home to visit some teachers, and is told to start dreaming, and thinking about his future plans in life, such as an occupation, etc. These conversations Holden has, starts to make him think that one day hell have to grow up and start to plan out his future, and that he can no longer hide from

J.D. Salinger author of the famous novel “Catcher in the Rye” writes about the many issues that the protagonist a marginalized depressed teen named Holden Caulfield faces throughout the book. Salinger uses relatable scenarios targeting the adolescent age and of those with mental illness, much like Holden. Catcher in the Rye describes the life of a lonesome teen who wanders around N.Y.C as he faces his inner demons and life’s demons. Salinger’s ability to address the many social issues the protagonist encounters is remarkable as he illustrates the protagonists battle with depression, issues with loneliness and his ability to save innocence. The novel grabs readers attention as the most extreme issues are faced by Holden Caulfield a marginalized teen.

Resulting from his lack of social maturity, Holden refers to himself as a child, “I'm seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I'm about thirteen” (11) this immaturity is seen throughout the novel. A prominent example is in the way Holden deals with money, “What I don't spend, I lose. Half the time I sort of even forget to pick up my change, at restaurants and night clubs” (119). Like a child Holden is impulsive, in a teenager this is characteristic of a lack of development. Lacking any form of financial liability one clearly understands that Holden has cast away the responsibilities he faces. Literally, this carelessness with money signifies a lack of awareness for his future. As Holden feels lost and lacks guidance, his mind avoid the troubling

The novel “The Catcher in The Rye” by J.D. Salinger, narrates the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield. J.D. Salinger’s portrayal of teen angst and alienation towards the adult world has made the book an enduring story especially amongst teenagers. The credibility of characters, the time and place, and the overall theme, have helped the novel become an enduring classic amongst readers. The Catcher in The Rye was originally directed towards an adult audience but the coming-of-age portrayal led the book to become very popular amongst teens.

His immaturity is further emphasized when Mr. Spencer inquires if he even bothers to have foresight, asking, “Do you feel absolutely no concern for your future, boy” (17)? Holden makes a swift retort with repetition, seemingly without absolve, “Sure I do” and “But not too much, I guess. Not too much, I guess” (17). At this stage, Holden is still not ready to admit his faults or even realize that flunking out of school may cost him colossal setbacks in life, rather imagining juvenile events than anticipating his consequences. Immediately following the arrival at his dorm, Holden for the first time puts on his famed red hunting hat, which he buys after he abandons the fencing team’s equipment in the subway.

Holden doesn’t like the idea of children growing up and reaching maturity because he himself experiences discomfort with mature topics such as sex. Holden may also have these desires because he wants to protect the innocence of the kids. “What I have to do...I have to come from somewhere and catch them” (191). He wants to keep the authenticity of the children before they enter the world of responsibility and maturity. He wants to ensure that they never escape

Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger there are several different themes portrayed that widely relate to current issues of teenagers and adults alike. While reading the novel several different themes were revealed creating a deep and meaningful story line. Three themes viewed within the novel are; the phoniness of the adult world, alienation as a form of self-protection, and the painfulness of growing up. Each of these themes have large significance in character and plot development throughout the story.