Theme Of Isolation In Catcher In The Rye

Holden's constantly telling that he is different from everyone else, who he defines as "phonies", wearing his hunting cap to make him standout in society, and inability to make a social contact with a Jane Gallagher, who he constantly brings up, are just a few lucid examples of his self-alienation of society. Holden feels and uses this alienation to protect himself from the harshness of society is this constant defense mechanism eventually leads to his

Holden’s immaturity causes him many problems throughout the story. Although he is physically mature, he acts more like a child. “All of a sudden I

As defined by Marian Webster Dictionary the word “isolate” means “to set apart from others”. In his novel Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card uses the state of isolation as the main factor contributing to the protagonist’s character development for good and bad. The protagonist, Ender, is able to grow in his studies and leadership, yet his childhood and self-esteem is affected through the separation from others.

He may still be a young boy but he is very independent and basically lives on his own for the entirety of the book, but his negative outlook transforms independence into isolation. He is incredibly lonely but also pushes people away when he has a chance to get close to them. Such as his date with Sally Hayes which was going very well until he pushed her away with his harsh words, “You give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth” (Ch. 17 pg. 173). Just because Sally wouldn’t run away with him and be independent with him he pushed her away. Holden may think he wants to be free and independent but his negative outlook just feeds his loneliness and

Isolation is the separation from others and/or society whether it be physically or emotionally. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, I believe that a central theme is that the isolation from family and society, especially at a time when one is faced with difficulty, can have a negative effect on a person. The main characters in the story, Victor Frankenstein and the monster, both experience the same suffering of being alone in different ways. The negative consequences are the death of their loved one and eventually the end of their own.

Because he believes himself to be good looking, his appearance is not an issue. However, he tends to push others away (probably unintentionally). Therefore, his peers avoid or ignore him. Peer rejection instigates low self-esteem in Holden, resulting in feelings of loneliness and depression in addition to social difficulties. Throughout the story, Holden frequently mentions feeling depressed and lonely. He also has problems getting along with people. Few outside his family desire him around. An example of this is occurs when Holden meets with Luce, an old prep school acquaintance, in a bar and is blatantly cast off.

    In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher In The Rye, Holden is excluded and isolated from the world, due to his confusion about life experiences, adult world curiosities, and his discontent with society. He says to Mr. Spencer that he feels trapped on "the other side, where there aren’t any hot shots"( Salinger 8). He always attempts to discover his way in the world in which he believes he doesn't belong in. He enjoys being the one that stands out and is distinct standing in an average crowd. He claims that "All morons hate it when you call them a moron"( Salinger 44). He is against most of the people in his life because he believes that they are selfish and stupid. He feels unique by being different from everyone and as the novel progresses, we begin to recognize that Holden's alienation is his method of protecting himself from the world. One example is the red hunting hat, which sponsors his

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

            Holden is quite skilled at citing exactly what is wrong with other people.  However he never acknowledges his own faults.  He was sure the entire world was out of step with him.  As Alan Stewart explains, ?Holden seemed to divide the world into two groups.  He was in one group, along with a few other people such as his little sister, Phoebe, and

As Holden begins his journey, he meets many possible companions in hope to fulfill the empty space in his heart, but is let down when he realizes it is not possible. While Holden is having a conversation with Mr. Spencer he thinks about how sometimes he is mature, but “people never notice anything” (Salinger 13). He wants to get close to others, but he feels as though everyone rejects him for who he is. This causes him to isolate himself from society and never take any chances. When he at the Ernie’s, he meets Lillian Simmons and the Navy guy, and has a conversation in which turns to be bad in the end. He then talks about how “people are always ruining things for you” (114). The idea of him generalizing society is the main reason

As humans we sometimes seek isolation rather than human interaction for fear of being overwhelmed emotionally. For some people, comfort comes with the knowledge that alone, they are the masters of their own emotions, free from the pain of the world's occasional bitterness and sting. In the coming-of-age tale "Catcher in the Rye," J.D. Salinger explores this phenomenon through the voice of the narrator, Holden Caulfield. Although Holden possesses a voice of intelligence, sensitivity and insight he is also bitter with the hypocrisy and ugliness that he perceives in the world around him. The vividness with which he expresses his discontent is seen manifested in the criticisms that Holden aims at various characters throughout the story. As the

Holden chooses to isolate himself many times throughout the storyline because of his sad past. Through the psychodynamic theory the reader can see that this trait (isolation and depression) is a defense mechanism that comes from the id. The emotional times where Holden gets depressed for instance when Holden gets depressed about two girls he danced with one night in Washington, clearly demonstrated in the quote “Some girl in an awful-looking hat for instance, comes all the way to New York-from Seattle, Washington, for God’s sake-and ends up getting up early in the morning to see the goddam first show at Radio City Music hall, it makes me depressed I can’t stand it” (Salinger 75) and later on in the novel Holden gets depressed because of watching some girls and wondering what would become of them in the future as depicted in the quote “In a way, it was sort of depressing, too, because you kept wondering what the hell would happen to all of them” (Salinger 123). During the times Holden gets depressed, he is using his id in the structure of his mind. He begins to feel emotional about many things and these come directly from his irrational thoughts that are located from the id in the mind. Because of Holden’s constant depression, he begins to isolate himself, which is also a defense mechanism that is common in teens. For instance, Holden can be seen isolating himself when

Salinger explores the theme of isolation in Catcher in the Rye. First, on pg 2 Salinger narrates “Anyway, it was the Saturday of the football game. I remember around three o'clock that afternoon I was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill. You could see the whole field from there, and you could see the two teams bashing each other all over the place. You could hear them all yelling.” Holden is isolated, aloof, and watching people instead of connecting with them. Next, on pg 153 Holden claims “When I finally got down off the radiator and went out to the hat-check room, I was crying and all. I don't know why, but I was. I guess it was because I was feeling so damn “depressed” and “lonesome”. Then, when I went out to the checkroom the hat-check girl was very nice.

Throughout the novel Holden is rejected and exploited by the society around him. As he is conflicted with himself to find a purpose in life he constantly tries to connect with a superficial society. The ongoing failure and fake personas he meets adds to his depression and cynicism. But instead of facing the problems by growing up and to move on Holden uses this negativity and isolation to protect him. Holden tries show that he is better than everybody else as this is the little stability he has left. When in reality Holden is just scared of the interaction of people because they just submerge him with complications he doesn 't know not yet how to deal with. Holden not being be able to cope with the idea of growing up adds to his loneliness which is the core of his pain. When his encounters first interaction in the novel, Holden Caulfield is an uncaring outcast who sees no motivation in life. As he says to Mr. Spencer, he feels trapped on “the other side of life” (Salinger). Holden constant attempt to fit into society is hidden because of his detachment to people. His only stability right now is to search for his own individuality and to face adulthood himself. That is why

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger discusses the ideas of alienation and isolation. He notes that if one is unable to keep up with society they lose touch. Salinger portrays alienation and isolation through literary devices such as symbolism. Some of the symbolic features use in the novel is Holden’s red hunting hat which shows Holden’s uncommon desire compared to society’s desires. Another significant symbolic feature is the catcher in the rye; this represents Holden’s idea of protecting children from maturing as adults and facing reality. Another literary device is tone, although Holden seems preoccupied, he constantly tries to seek companionship throughout the book. J.D. Salinger also portrays irony, it is ironic that Holden calls the people around him loners and phonies when he, himself is a loner and a phony that refuses to accept taking on responsibilities and growing up. The literary devices used in this novel, further support Salinger’s recurring theme of alienation and isolation.