preview

Holden Caulfield Existentialism Essay

Decent Essays
Open Document

The only Constant in Life is Change Classic books are called classic for a certain reason. Classics keep interests high and almost always has a deep meaning behind it. The Catcher in the Rye is no different. The Catcher in the Rye is a novel about Holden Caulfield finding his way in life, changing in many ways and ultimately finding who he is as a person. In the novel, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, existential elements are quite prominent throughout the story shown through the actions of Holden Caulfield. Firstly, Holden Caulfield experienced the existential element of going against social norms from the start of the story. Caulfield “was still standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill” instead of being with the rest of the kids at the football game (J.D. Salinger 2). Instead of being with the other kids at the football game, Holden was alone and was able to feel freedom from social norms. Caulfield from the beginning was always a little different from the rest of the kids and he usually did things out of the flow of things. Caulfield was a character that J.D. Salinger wanted to express the existential element of not having to go with the flow of things and instead made Caulfield from the beginning of the …show more content…

Caulfield flunked “(f)our” classes out of the five classes he was enrolled in (J.D. Salinger 10). Caulfield was rebelling against doing anything he did not want to do. Caulfield was always rebelling from what others in general thought he should do, he took his own path through life. Another time Caulfield asked a woman on the train whom he had spoken with “(w)ould you care for a cocktail?” (J.D. Salinger 57). Caulfield went against the laws and decided to ask a woman if she wanted to drink a cocktail which he knew he was not old enough to drink. He followed the existential belief of doing what he thought was right not matter the laws and

Get Access