Loneliness In J. D. Salinger's Catcher In The Rye

The Catcher in the Rye is one of J. D. Salinger's world-famous books about the disgruntled youth. Holden Caulfield is the main character and he is a seventeen- year-old dropout who has just been kicked out of his fourth school. Navigating his way through the challenges of growing up, Holden separates the “phony” aspects of society, and the “phonies” themselves. Some of these “phony” people in his life are the headmaster whose friendliness depends on the wealth of the parents, and his roommate who scores with girls using sickly-sweet affection. This book deals with the complex issues of identity, belonging, connection, and alienation. Holden senses these feelings most of the time and is guilty about many things in

When Holden was younger, his brother died of Leukemia. Even though Holden was older than his brother, he idolized him because he was a sensitive, intelligent, and lovely kid. However there is a deeper meaning to the adulation. Holden venerated Allie because he was young and innocent, furthermore, he was not perverted by the world of sex and adults. The allegory of Allie is critical to the novel because it gradually becomes clear that Allie’s demise was one of the most distressing experiences of Holden’s life and plays a key role in his current

In J. D Salinger 's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden, goes through many hardships in his journey to self-knowledge. In the beginning, Holden has to deal with being kicked out of school and not having any place to call home. He is also struggling with the unfortunate tragedy of the death of his beloved younger brother Allie. At the same time, Holden is trying to deal with growing up and accepting the adult world. Throughout the novel Salinger addresses the conflicts faced by a young man struggling with the trials and tribulations of growing up while also confronting personal loss and loneliness along the way.

Allie, his younger brother, died of leukemia when he was eleven and when Holden was thirteen. Holden reminisces about many memories spent with him before his passing throughout many chapters in the book. It is evident that there is pain and sorrow in Holden’s flashbacks. He tells the reader about Allie’s baseball mitt, how he missed his funeral, and how he sometimes talks aloud to him. Holden was so distraught that on the night he found out of Allie’s passing, he smashed all the windows in his garage and was hospitalized the day of the funeral. When Holden talks about Allie, he feels guilty and misses his presence. He even says, “What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed.” This displays the increase for the longing for his brother. Holden also talks about his younger ten year old sister, Phoebe, numerous times throughout the book. He mentions that she is bright, pretty, mature beyond her years, and his most trusted link to family. Holden even contemplates calling her first when he leaves school. This shows the bond between them is close and strong. Phoebe is Holden's emotional anchor; for, with his sister there is no need for pretense or embarrassment.The more and more he mentions her, the more he wants to see her, which he ends up doing towards the end of the story. It is noticeable that as he recounts his story, Holden gives more

Yet another issue Holden endures throughout this novel is loneliness . There are many reasons that he is very lonely all throughout the novel. The biggest reason he doesn't talk to anybody is because he is afraid he is going to get hurt emotionally. For example he is scared to call Jane and is scared to let her in his heart because he doesn't want to loose another person he loves, like his deceased brother Allie. Another example of his loneliness is when he meets the prostitute in the hotel. Holden knows that he can have the comfort of another human for a little while, but he doesn't want to do anything with her because he knows she will just leave after they are done having sex. In a way he is looking for something that will last longer, like a relationship, but he is too scared of being hurt . Although, “loneliness is difficult to fess up

Holden Caulfield, a name synonymous with rebellion, alienation, and cynicism, is the protagonist in J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Throughout such novel, many problems plague Holden, one of the largest being his inability to reach closure over the death of his younger brother, Allie. To Holden, Allie represents an ideal persona that he subconsciously looks for in people. Allie was an intelligent, enthusiastic young boy who Holden admired, in a way. When Holden talks about Allie, he only ever has positives, heaping praise upon his brother. All to mention that he had died of Leukemia at a young age. Holden responded at first, saying, “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just

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.

Holden experiences extreme difficulty accepting his current realities and one of the main factors causing this is the lasting negative impact his brother Allies death had on his life. Firstly, when Holden decides to leave his school, he tells readers , “I don’t care if it’s a sad goodbye or a bad goodbye, but when I leave a place, I like to know I’m leaving it. If you don’t, you feel even worse” (Salinger, 4). Holden’s need for closure is evident in this quote. When Allie died, it was very unexpected and he was not prepared to let him go, resulting in his denial that his brother is actually

Throughout the book The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, Holden experiences loneliness and longs for intimacy with other human beings. As we follow Holden on his “trip” away from his school “Pencey Prep”. We experience some of the different attempts he made to be intimate with others. We learn about the struggles Holden had to face over the few days we followed him on his journey.

Jerome David Salinger’s only novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is based on the life events shaping main character, Holden Caulfield, into the troubled teen that is telling the story in 1950. The theme of the story is one of emotional disconnection felt by the alienated teenagers of this time period. The quote, “ I didn’t know anyone there that was splendid and clear thinking and all” (Salinger 4) sets the tone that Holden cannot find a connection with anyone around him and that he is on a lonely endeavor in pursuit of identity, acceptance and legitimacy. The trials and failures that Holden faces on his journey to find himself in total shed light on Holden’s archenemy, himself.

Secondly, most teenagers have struggles grieving for the loss of of their loved ones. Holden struggles multiples of times to grief for the death of his younger brother, Allie, who died at the age of 11 due to leukemia. Holden writes about Allie for Stradlater’s english homework and tells the reader, “He was terrifically intelligent. His teachers were always writing letters to my mother, telling her what a pleasure it was having a boy like Allie in their class...But it wasn’t just that he as the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest, in lots of ways. He never got mad at anyone...I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because i broke all the windows in the garage. I don 't blame them. I really don 't. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the

Coping with loneliness is crippling feeling. Whether it is a character dealing with in a story, such as The catcher in the rye, by J.D. Salinger, or loneliness in real life,loneliness is significant and complex. Loneliness is becoming increasingly more apperarent in teengers. Loneliness negatively affcts teengers  relationships, health, and attiutde To begin with, loneliness is seen in the The Catcher in the Rye when Holden Caulfield tries to go home after being kick out of Pencey Prep: “ I didn’t want to go home or anything till they got it and thoroughly digest it all, i didn't want to be around when they first got it’’

One of the hardships Holden must cope with is his inability to come to terms with death, in particular that of his younger brother, Allie. Holden seems to have experienced a

The death of Holden’s brother Allie at a young age adds to Holden’s negativity as well as stopping Holden from accepting inevitable change. Allie dies immaturely of leukemia. “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it” (p. 39). Holden is in the hospital because he broke his fist, and he was unable to attend Allie’s funeral. Holden has trouble accepting Allie’s death because he never said goodbye to Allie. His relationship with Allie is similar to his maturity. Just as Holden is unable to accept his brother’s death, Holden is not able to accept that

In the beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger brings up the motif of loneliness and depression which Holden reveals to the reader while at Pencey Prep. For example while writing a essay for Stradlater, he reflects on how after Allie, Holden's brother died, Holden "slept in the garage, the night he died and [he] broke all the god damn window." (39). This reaction to inflict pain on himself is evidence that the loss triggered severe emotional disturbances. Holden isolates himself after a tragic event proving Allie's death is the cause for his loneliness. Also, while alone in his dorm at Pencey writing a composition for Stradlater his roommate, Holden " couldn't think of a room or a house to describe… [he] wrote about [his] brother Allie's