How Is Holden Portrayed In The 1800's

A concept Holden had observed from the start of the novel was the materialism and egotism of people around him. There are numerous situations where this is displayed and he detests these ideas. For instance, Holden exclaims that almost everyone he encounters

In today’s society, people are judged by their values or are frightened to take sacrifices to better benefit their lifestyle. Characters like Gatsby, Tom, Daisy and Myrtle are shown as evidence of greed and how wealth surrounds their values. Fitzgerald uses social commentary to offer a glance of an American life in the 1920s. He carefully sets up his novel into distinct groups, but in the end, each group has its own problems to contend with, leaving powerful ideas for readers to adapt(add morals characters inhabit). By creating distinct social classes, old money, new money, and no money, Fitzgerald sends strong messages about the elitism running throughout every perspective of society. F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays characters like Nick,

Holden is a teenager and throughout the book his attitude reflects that. You can tell by the way  he talks and thinks.this book is really all his thoughts, so similes like these really help construct Holden's character.

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby, and Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn all explore the effects of wealth and class on society. On closer inspection, a common strand seems to form between these three classic novels. The idea that wealth (and the social class that comes with it) determines a person is refuted via the use of deep characterization. In the end, it seems, wealth and class don’t determine a person’s moral integrity and value, but rather how they interact those two things. Ultimately, Twain makes a case for the lower-classes, that even the poor (and enslaved) can be truly good, setting a better example than the wealthy. Fitzgerald, on the other hand, shows that rich aren’t entirely superficial, rather, that they can be great men. Bronte’s Jane Eyre is a bit more of an oddball than the other two novels, focusing instead on a protagonist that leaps from riches (under the supervision of a cruel aunt), to rags, then back to riches once again. Still, this common strand holds true between the three books: no class, poor or rich, is entirely exempt from moral bankruptcy. A poor person like Pap Finn can be morally corrupt, while a rich man like Jay Gatsby can be good. All character-based judgments in these books lay solely on the person they are judging, blind of the class and wealth that surrounds them.

Holden’s digression of Dick Slagle helps readers understand Holden’s view on social status and wealth. Holden’s old roommate at Elton Hills, Dick Slagle, reveals holden’s insecure about money. Holden feels bad that he owns more expensive suitcases than Dick and doesn’t want to make him feel bad, so he places his suitcases underneath his bed. He is confused when he realizes Slagle has been putting the suitcases back out from under the bed and back on the rack. Holden now finds out that Dick wants people to think those are his suitcases and that he is wealthy like Holden. Holden explains” it’s really hard to be roommates with people if your suitcases are much bigger than theirs.” (Salinger 142) This shows that he believes that being friends

In Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden must find his place in society while combating his very closed minded personality. Holden experiences multiple changes in his attitude, demeanor, and egotism. He transitions from feeling superior to all his ‘phony’ peers, to understanding that he must try fit in with the crowd. He makes up many excuses for his narcissistic and overly-independent personality, blaming those around him for not being authentic enough, and blaming his teachers for giving him bad grades. He seems to feel lost as an individual, not knowing how to succeed, while still following his principles and being independent.

Rather, he is saddened by her sitting in his room in her slip. He imagines her buying the dress she has just taken off and realizes that she is a real person and not just a toy to be used for his pleasure. Holden's desire to understand and feel for other people stops him. Holden also admits to being a coward, but the reader realizes he is just a scared boy trying to act like a man in an adult world. Even so, he doesn't flinch in the face of danger when threatened by bullies, such as his roommate Stradlater or the pimp, Maurice. Much more important than his physical courage is the moral tenacity with which he clings to his beliefs in the face of a hostile society. (Lettis, 5)

In a society where social criticism is the norm and status is admired, people with morals, views and opinions are considered peculiar. Where the “high life” is everything and money receives respect and friendship. The strugglers and hard workers are demeaned while the rich with fame and beauty are praised. In the novels, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald and, The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger, the outside observers Nick and Andrea are able to have a clear and realistic view of the characters in the affluent world because of the observer’s social class, lack of experience and different morals.

Throughout the book Holden’s immaturity is showcased through his world view. He has a constant frustration with the world as it is versus what he wants it to be. He

Holden appeared to be really directionless. He didn't even have ‘the faintest damn idea’ where he could go. Holden didn't want to go home because he was flunked by the school. Besides, he was contemptuous of the part of ‘phony’ society his family belonged to. At the same time, he couldn’t fit in the lower class society because of his background and unfamiliarity with their cultural norms. He was an

The social hierarchy is influenced by the amount of money one owns which determines whether one can attain their dream. By creating apparent social classes within ‘The Great Gatsby’ – old money, new money and no money, Fitzgerald strongly suggests that American society is intensely stigmatised. Daisy, Tom and Jordan represent the elite social class of society where despite their problems and failures they are always protected and immune by their wealth. Tom refers to Gatsby as ‘Mr Nobody from nowhere” and a “common swindler who would have to steal the ring he put on her finger” as he boasts about his hereditary wealth compared to the other distinct elite group of society who acquire their wealth through business deals, which are sometimes corrupt. Although Fitzgerald mainly attacks the rich, by making them look judgemental, superior and selfish, evidently the lower class of society are vulnerable within American society. This is shown where so many, like Myrtle,

As the famous Brazilian scholar, Paulo Freire said, anyone can be dehumanized because “dehumanization, although a concrete historical fact, is not a given destiny but the result of an unjust order that engenders violence in the oppressors, which in turn dehumanizes the oppressed.” In the book Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, upper class Victorians enforce their staunch values upon the lower class, engendering violent dehumanization against both the oppressors and the oppressed. In Great Expectations, Dickens uses Pip’s relationships with Estella, Mrs. Joe, and Joe to showcase how Victorians over value superiority, money, and self worth, and how those values trickle down through society to dehumanize people. Dickens questions the value of the Victorian class system by pointing out that lower class Victorians have upper class values instilled in them and internalize those immoral values, dehumanizing themselves in doing so.

Society has always been separated into classes; the aristocracy and the peasants, the rich and the poor, ruler and the ruled. To the common man, it seems as if the wealthy live happy and prominent lives fill with success and joy. However, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Charles Dickens portray completely different views with their novels. In both Great Expectations and The Great Gatsby, the differences in social classes are evident through the trials that the characters endure, various symbols, and underlying themes. F. Scott Fitzgerald and Charles Dickens both portray the idea that in order to be truly happy, one must reject superficial things, such as one’s position in the hierarchy of classes, and pursue one’s true desires.

The 1920’s of the U.S. was a booming era, this allowed people to attain large amounts of wealth and luxury. People became happier, and were able to live their wildest dreams. But, as those living in the lap of luxury continued to climb higher, others were envious to catch a ride to the top. For those who were not as wealthy, the riches were hard to avoid. Many had wealth dangling in their faces, just out of reach. Which made them all more envious to succeed. The Modernist Movement in American Literature has showcased a social breakdown between these people. This was especially shown in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The narrator of the story explains stories of those who have a higher social class than him, and it showcases how those

The ones who seem to be most affected by society’s beliefs about class and social order are Pip, his family, and his friends, who would definitely fall under the “lower” part of the socio-economic ladder. Throughout the novel, the “lower” characters have a heightened and even a bit unhealthy obsession with