Summary Of Holden Caulfield: A Fictional Narrative

I read the book and watched the John Lennon assassination video and the million dollar question is Mark David Chapman Holden Caulfield? I have to say no he isn’t. I will explain why I came to this conclusion. On the day of the killing, he carried two things with him when he shot and killed John Lennon at the Dakota apartments in Manhattan. He had a handgun and a copy of The Catcher in the Rye book.

Adolescence, this is a time where you figure out who you truly are. This soul searching leads to self realization. Holden Caulfield from The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger, has trouble accepting himself. Throughout his days he would put on a cap just to be someone else. It is his get away place, a place of isolation. A way for him to seclude from the world and become someone he isn’t. This is relatable to numerous teens. Though Holden could be described using numerous adjectives, Holden's character can be perfectly described as ignorant, a liar, and a slacker. He is ignorant because he does not learn from his mistakes. He is a compulsive liar. Finally, he is a slacker because he avoids work. Holden is just like countless people out there who do not apply themselves. You see, Holden could be smart. He could be successful. He just doesn’t have the motivation or ambition to do so.

J.D. Salinger, the author of the Catcher in the Rye, was a skilled writer. Salinger wrote about a wide variety of characters throughout this novel, many of these characters had a complex personality. Holden Caulfield is the main character in the Catcher in the rye. Holden is a unique character and he shares very little traits with the other people he encounters throughout the novel besides his younger sister, Phoebe. Holden and Phoebe Caulfield have two very different personalities but they share some distinct similarities. Holden is a gloomy, pessimistic, and unstable teenager. Phoebe, on the other hand, is a lively, optimistic, and innocent child. Throughout the novel Holden spends his time trying to act mature while Phoebe is living out the childhood he never had. Phoebe and Holden have very different personalities and outlooks on life. While the two have such opposing traits, they have a similar background and upbringing.

Holden Caulfield the protagonist of the story. He writes story away from home where he was sent for a therapy. He didn’t talk about his childhood, he mentioned brother D. B. who is a Hollywood writer. He dislike him because D. B. has sold out to Hollywood, chose a career in literature to make wealth in the film industry. He begins to tell about his breakdown, it started when he departed from Pencey Prep, a famous school he attended in Agerstown, Pennsylvania.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a story about the trials of life and the toll it can take on the psyche. I believe that Holden Caulfield is an under credited hero. He is a teenager forced to grow up in a time of turmoil with severe emotional handicaps placed upon him by family, friends and life in general.

In J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the character of Holden Caulfield does not convincingly embody a compassionate and caring character. Holden, after having a difficult year at school, finds comfort in his memories of his brother Allie. Another instance of Holden finding comfort, is when he spends time with Phoebe. In the same way, Phoebe is supportive when spending time with Holden. However, this takes a turn for the worse, as Holden reveals to Phoebe that he is leaving. Holden finds comfort and love through his memories of Allie, his experiences with Phoebe and the support from he receives from her.

In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield’s life is composed of a great amount of contempt; he perceives society through pessimistic lenses, continuously dismissing its ways. Trying to veer off his path to adulthood, Holden often holds people accountable for their “phony” ways. He aims to “save” the children from such an outcome that he makes it his responsibility. The pivotal moment of which he transcends to maturity occurs is when he witnesses the children reach for the gold ring. Rather than blindly believing that he can save the children from sinking into the “evils” of the world and maintain their innocence, he ultimately decides to let them make their own decisions and grow up.

Holden Caulfield: An unlikely hero For me a hero is someone who inspires change, who is not afraid to sing the unsung tunes of society and most importantly, who I can identify with. This description of a hero is best suited for the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield. The book was assigned to us in high school and I immediately identified with the character because of my age. In my research I will explore why I was able to relate to this character and how it continues to influence my decisions.

When thinking about heroes in American literature, reader's many times think about people who go out of their way to help other people and put their needs above their own. The thing with Holden is he does not do these things. He is the exact opposite, honestly, but he is someone that most teenagers can relate to, so that makes him a hero in American Literature. He does embody many of the qualities that people relate with Americans. Because he has a very negative view of everything, he makes more of a legitimate critique of American society because he does not sugar coat anything.

In many novels, a character's journey can call upon as an escape from conflicts or social issues. In many novels, the journey itself can provide more problems helping the character grow as a person. In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield, embarks on a spiritual journey together come to terms with himself and the world. Salinger describes Holden's emotional and physical journey through Holden’s thoughts and opinions of others, his own opinion on life, and how life is truly seen.

New gadgets like televisions, automobiles, washers, dryers, dishwashers, radios, and vacuums just to name a few were being produced by giant businesses which created several jobs for American citizens. Successful middle to high class Americans were able to fill their new homes with all of these housewife-friendly items. Holden Caulfield references in the first chapter that his brother D.B., a famous Hollywood writer, was going to pick him up from the facility he was in in his new $4000 Jaguar. Holden states that his brother was a normal and regular writer before moving to Hollywood and refers to him as “prostitute” of Hollywood now that D.B. is successful and making money, again showing his immaturity. Holden even makes reference to Mr. Antolini

Phoebe Caulfield is Holden Caulfield’s 10-year-old sister who is the voice of reason throughout this novel in Holden’s thoughts and in the advice she gives him in person. Holden’s stubborn character and emotional maturity seem foolish and less charming once we meet Phoebe. Through her thoughts and opinions as well as through Holden’s indirect characterization of her, Phoebe’s character is revealed, which has an impact on the theme of childhood innocence, challenges Holden’s view of the world, and her perspective allows us to better understand Holden’s true character.

Throughout J.D. Salinger’s novel, “The Catcher in the Rye,” protagonist Holden Caulfield undergoes a difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. Holden’s fear of growing up is revealed during a trip to the museum where he expresses feeling numb upon realizing that “he changed, but the museum remained the same.” Distraught by the thought of adulthood, Holden wishes “[c]ertain things” in life to remain unchanged like the Eskimos, deer and bird statues at the museum. Holden’s wish for life to remain unchanged roots from his negative outlook towards adulthood. According to him, the adult world is filled with “phoniness” since adults are hypocrites who constantly lie about themselves.

This novel involves understanding the main character, Holden Caulfield's anxiety at becoming a young adult.

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.