Catcher In The Rye Research Paper

The novel "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger is very interesting novel in which the main character, Holden, intrigues the reader with his unpredictable actions and upfront judgments of his surroundings. Holden alienates himself to try and help protect him from the outside world and conserve his innocence. He constantly proves this to reader many in times in the novel by, telling characters he feels different, wearing clothing that makes him stand out even though it may make him look stupid, and failing to come through in relationships with characters in the story.

Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger is a classic novel that is not only controversial but contains relatable characters such as Holden Caulfield. Holden is a 16 year old boy who has gone through so much pain and hurt throughout his life that he has given up in school and during the novel you start to see that he has given up at life itself as well. Holden struggles with depression, unhealthy drinking habits and with failing out of school. These three struggles are very relatable to teenagers these days. In the following paragraphs I will show you the connection between teenagers these days and Holden and the the similarities that make him such a relatable character. Holden is an ideal and universal representation of teenagers.

There is no character that stands out against the society’s ideals and best represent for teenagers like Holden Caulfield. Like some teens, Holden does not do well in school and eventually gets kick out from one of the most prestigious schools in Agerstown, Pennsylvania: Pencey Prep. He gets so feed up with the school that he decides to leave earlier and travels to New York to have some lone times. During this period, the interactions that he has with the people he meets change his behavior and mind set, especially with Phoebe. In “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden indeed is still a relatable character through his actions, feelings, and concerns to his family members, especially Phoebe.

To make an understatement, Holden Caulfield is the driving force behind The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. Salinger comedically tells the story in Holden’s perspective, and depicts a condensed version of his life story. Because of his life experiences including loss and depression, Holden is a very reserved individual; his inability to express his feelings keeps him from reaching his full potential. He is too emotionally inept to keep strong relationships with people and this results in him struggling with loneliness and waves of sadness. Though this book was written in 1951, the character traits and problems that Holden embodies are still relevant to teenagers of today. Not only do they feel in excess the struggles of everyday life, but all teenagers can relate to Holden on the varying severities of self-isolation, recurring depression, and dealing with the consequences of the

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.

Despite his longing for acceptance, “His efforts to connect with any stereotypical kid his age result in abject failure“(Privitera 204). Salinger thoroughly emphasizes this through Holden’s relationships with Stradlater and Ackley, with both of whom he has a strenuous and artificial relationship, demonstrated by his internal, flippant commentaries on his peers as he discusses them in the book (Salinger 31-40). Holden’s peers ostracize him due to his more introspective and introverted nature, as seen in Stradlater’s angry response to Holden’s reflective response to this writing assignment, saying that he doesn’t “do one damn thing the way [he’s] supposed to”(Salinger 47). These difficulties stem not from deficiencies of his peers, but rather a problem of Holden’s refusal to accept anything different from what he expects, making excuses about his reasons throughout the book to cover his actions. His rationalization of his internal wants and desires impedes any proper connection he could possibly make with his peers. He, “Subconsciously longs to be accepted yet feels he cannot make the connection”(Privitera 205).

Holden Caulfield, the main protagonist of the book is a young, emotional, and a damaged person. He faces difficulty with the death of his brother, his family being disappointed about his work in school, and not only his innocence, but the innocence of his sister, Pheobe. Holden doesn’t like to acknowledge, but we know many people in his life care about his well being and his success and happiness. The issue Holden is dealing with is prevalent throughout the entire book leading up until the end, and that is his innocence. He can’t accept growing up and is scared of reality. This is crucial for the book, not just to captivate the reader with relatable narration and emotions, but for the forward movement of the story and plot.

Readers are able to sympathize and identify with Holden’s rowdy behavior: making immature decisions, breaking relationships, and wanted to act more like an adult. Because of this, the audience recognizes Holden as a speaker for the young generation, no matter what year. Moreover, Holden represents the teenage rebellion and angst that

Instead of acknowledging that adulthood scares and mystifies him, Holden invents a fantasy that adulthood is a world of superficiality and hypocrisy (“phoniness”), while childhood is a world of innocence, curiosity, and honesty. Nothing reveals his image of these two worlds better than his fantasy about the catcher in the rye: he imagines childhood as an idyllic field of rye in which children romp and play; adulthood, for the children of this world, is equivalent to death—a fatal fall over the edge of a cliff. His created understandings of childhood and adulthood allow Holden to cut himself off from the world by covering himself with a protective armor of cynicism. But as the book progresses, Holden’s experiences, particularly his encounters with Mr. Antolini and Phoebe, reveal the shallowness of his conceptions.

Holden is in a cab on his way to Ernie’s and after he asks the driver with Holden. When Holden asks why he is “sore” about it, the cab driver denies being upset. Holden seems to constantly anger people throughout the story due to his blunt way of addressing topics and his inability to see the positive side of things. The cab driver on the other hand, is clearly upset, but is instead choosing to be passive aggressive by denying his anger. I do not like when people are passive aggressive. I would much rather someone talk to me directly and maturely if they are upset.

The purpose of this paper is to explore and investigate the many different topics that involve baseball mitts, from things such as science, how a glove is broken in and cared for, how gloves are made, an article that goes in depth on the art of glove making, and why a glove can withstand 300, 95 mile an hour pitches a game. To pop culture, and some of the many movies you can find one of the gamers in, like Money ball, A League of Their Own, 42, The Sandlot, The Field of Dreams, and many more. The timeline of the very first glove patent in 1885, to the newest model in 2015, and even a look inside The Catcher in the Rye. This object promises an evocative paper because of all the research I’ve done on Baseball mitts to find the most interesting information

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye presents a look into the mind of Holden Caulfield, a popular literary icon numerous teenagers have rightfully found themselves relating to at some point. While the familiar emotions of Holden were welcoming for me, his anecdotes and witty remarks proved entertaining as well. The story chronicles Holden’s exploration through New York post-expulsion, with his point of view influenced by his growing alienation with the world. He represents that growing sense of unease at growing up and facing a reality that is not always pretty, and, in his case, a need to save children from having to face that reality. I personally admired the fact that he was not just an angry teenager in the world as stereotypes suggest.

Literature is a powerful tool that allows readers to gain perspectives and to experience firsthand the thoughts and emotions of characters in any work. Often, it is through these works that a person can learn a great deal towards becoming a better member of society. However, despite Holden’s affinity for the subject of English and his ability to perceive the nuances of some of the characters from books he has read, Holden still seems unable to learn from the experiences of these characters. Most tragically though, it is the characters with whom he tends to associate more and with whom he feels more of a connection that demonstrate his social ineptitudes, because these characters are in such similar situations to him. These characters are dealing with common social issues like sexuality, emotionality, and alienation-- issues that Holden experiences time and time again-- yet he does not learn from the struggles these characters are experiencing, and thus is incapable of applying them to his own life.

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is one of the most controversial novels ever written. It has been banned and unbanned many times and has been constantly cited for its foul language, lacking plot, and unclear morals. While the novel may have flaws, one would be hard-pressed to find the perfect novel. It is also important to understand the context under which the novel was written and the ideas and feelings the author was trying to convey. Once these are understood, it becomes increasingly clear that J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, definitely still has a place in school curricula for its unique style.

1. The Catcher in the Rye was written by J. D. Salinger. Salinger was American, and served in the second World War.