Catcher In The Rye Quotes Analysis

This hat provides Holden with a perfect and easy way to alienate himself from society and in doing so "protect himself".

“It was a red hunting hat, with one of these very, very long peaks… It only cost me a buck. The way I wore it, I swung the old peak way around to the back- very corny. I’ll admit, but I liked it that way. I looked good in it that way.” (Salinger, 21)

Holden is unable to accept realities of life because of his negative personality. He claims that many people are phony and that they try to do things to make them look better than they are. Holden also thinks of many things as depressing. “It was really nice sightseeing, if you know what I mean. In a way, it was sort of depressing, too, because you kept wondering what the hell would happen to all of them” (p. 123). Holden always finds a down side to a situation. He fails to recognize the good sides of life, and this prevents him from seeing advantages in adulthood that are not present in his life.

It is quiet tragic for Holden, for he has to act composed and “cool” despite his somber resulting from the destruction of his symbol of childhood memories, which essentially contribute to his real identity.

He instantly starts getting ideas about working and earning a living on his own. Holden says, “I’d get a job. I figured I could get a job at a filling station somewhere, putting gas and oil in people’s cars… Just so people didn’t know me and I didn’t know anybody” (257). He understands that independence is significant in maturing and leaving behind the pacifier of his hat; and symbolically, his comfort. Holden wants to move away and find a way to work and support himself. He grows tired of people easily, but he would rather be in isolation and be supporting himself than running away from his internal

• “Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.” (ch.2 p.5)

10. (Q) What causes Holden to suddenly shift from his chronic depression to a state of

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

During the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, author J.D. Salinger brings Holden’s pessimistic, antisocial personality to life through what he says, how he says it, and through the characters he meets. Salinger bases Holden’s expressions off of the culture of the 1950’s, his own personal dialect, and the everyday occurrences of Holden’s life in mind. J.D. Salinger manipulates the diction, uses syntax to criticize others, and controls the character interaction and dialogue in order to create the protagonist, Holden Caulfield.

“... and all that David Copperfield kind of crap but I don’t feel like going through it if you want to know the truth... my parents would have about two hemorrhages a piece it I tell anything pretty personal about them.” (Page 1)

The passage begins on an unusual high note, with Holden’s three upbeat words, “The best thing.” But, by the end of the first sentence, Salinger hints that Holden’s reasoning might be more characteristically dark. To Holden, the best thing about the Museum is that “everything always stayed right where it was.” The reader isn’t sure what Holden means. “Nobody’d move,” he explains as a clarification, as if the reader would now understand. It isn’t until the third try that that Holden’s reasoning is clear. He likes that the displays of Eskimos, deer, and birds are frozen in action and never change. “Nobody’d be different” he repeats, completing the idea using Salinger's signature technique of repetition to drive the point home. To Holden, “the best thing” about the museum is that it never changes, unlike the real people in his

In the scope of things, Holden’s actions to alienate himself perpetuated his depression and triggered his downward spiral and mental decline. There was a clear internal conflict between his need to protect himself from the pain others cause and, his intrinsic need for companionship. A self-destructive cycle was born out of this conflict. Holden would alienate himself for protection, this resulted in him feeling lonely and depressed, this resulted in his reaching out to others, the interactions lead him to believe that people are destructive which ultimately leads to him alienating

Holden has several insecurities that are displayed throughout the book that hint at his condition.

Holden’s alienation is a result of how he wants to avoid the problems in his life and how he doesn 't want to acknowledge them.This character of a brooding adolescent is created to show the physical effects of events in his life. Throughout the chapters he frequently refers to the hardships in his life.These hardships include his brother’s death at a young age, his intimacy issues, and inability to form healthy relationships.Holden’s innocent manner therefore is caused by the impression that his brother’s death left on him.His unknown sense of identity has subsequently made him feel detached from his own family. As his elder brother and younger sister are considerably successful,Their successes have made the recently kicked out Holden feel

He drinks, he smokes and rebel against both his teachers and adults. Holden is a very negative person and is constantly trashing other people, if not he is lying to them. He likes calling people ‘phonies’, even tough he acts like a phony himself. And this is his hefty scare, he is terrified of growing up, yet he realises it is time for his body is changing and turning him into a man. Holden has had an uncomplicated life if you disregard away from his brother’s death. He comes from a good family, has never lacked anything and has agreeable opportunities. An instead of using this to his advantage, he gets sucked down into a pessimistic and sad vortex. He never feels at home anyplace or feels a strong connection to people. Rebelling is an ordinary thing to go through in your adolescence and Holden has it bad. He is indeed a ‘rebel without a