Existentialism in Catcher in the Rye Essay example

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.

Throughout the novel, Holden attempts to find the true from of himself as he struggles with the social interactions around him. Due to the struggle and confusion that arouses from it,

Teenage years are difficult. Time tells this story of struggle again and again. The Catcher in the Rye is a classic novel showing the struggles a teenager goes through while transitioning into adulthood. The main character, Holden Caulfield, is a judgmental and temperamental boy who struggles to see the positivity in life. Throughout the story, Holden searches to find himself, as he feels forced to grow up. He holds onto aspects of his childhood and isolates himself so much that it is even harder for him to transition. J.D. Salinger uses the red hunting hat, the museum and cigarettes as important symbols in the story to convey the themes of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, loneliness, and isolation.

Holden Caufield emphasizes on the loss of innocence in children. He feels that once they lose their innocence, they will soon turn into phonies like everyone else. The loss of innocence is very common in the development in human existence. It is caused by many factors. Past a certain age, children are either forced or led unintentionally into a pathway of corruption. A child is also known to lose their innocence by desires, fantasies, and attention. But once they lose their innocence, they tend to desire to go back and pretend to be young again. In the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden discusses the importance of innocence in children's lives. He feels that once a child loses his/her innocence, he/she will soon be leaded to a

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?

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.

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.

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.

Holden believed it was his place in the world to tackle on the task of preserving

Reveals about situation: Holden’s disorder is becoming more and more evident. He does not originally feel a sense of belonging, so he decides that he will move away. However, he begins to question his decision and become very paranoid above leaving. This reveals how he thinks he wants to leave, but in reality, he wants to stay home and mend his relationships with his family.

Many have to deal with anxieties and fears that follow them through everyday life. One such anxiety is existential anxiety, in which a person must discover his or her own self worth. In order to address existential anxiety, people either focus on their faults, committing to the path of self-hate, or finds the compassion to accept themselves including their faults. In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the narrator and main character deals with his fear of growing up as well as his existential anxiety of having to do so. The existential anxiety Holden exhibits is the want of returning to his childhood and is not coming to terms with him growing up. Holden expresses his existential anxiety by showing his self hatred through immature actions and attempts at self compassion while realizing his impact on others.

“I swear to God I’m crazy. I admit it.” It is very easy to automatically assume that Holden Caulfield is crazy. It’s even a logical assumption since Caulfield himself admits to being crazy twice throughout the course of the book. However, calling Holden Caulfield crazy is almost the same as calling the majority of the human race crazy also. Holden Caulfield is just an adolescent trying to prevent himself from turning into what he despises the most, a phony. Most of Caulfield’s actions and thoughts are the same as of many people, the difference being that Holden acts upon those thoughts and has them down in writing.

In the world in which we live today, the experience of living the life of a teenager is a pretty positive one overall. In the book The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, feels that the world is a pretty crumby place to lead the teenager life. Despite what Holden says, he has a pretty negative outlook on life and that is reflected in him talking about how crumby his situation is.

Life can be pointless, if the boulder is too heavy to bare in The Myth of Sisyphus. “It exemplifies the pointlessness of existence by applying one’s self to a task.” It is used with a “philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining his or hers development.” This theory or approach is called Existentialism, it appeared in the 1800’s “but the term itself wasn’t coined until much later.” “It began as a European movement including Czech, German, and French, it took hold post WWII.” J.D. Salinger is one of the many authors who integrated Existentialism elements in their writings to interpret their message to their readers. In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, J.D.

In his 1946 essay Existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre undertakes the task of defending existentialism against what he defines as “charges” (341) brought against it. Sartre begins to outline the “charges” brought against existentialism and further, existentialists. Following the medieval quaestio-form, Sartre begins with the statement of the objection, a short discussion, and then his reply to each.