Catcher In The Rye Essay Prompts

Catcher In The Rye Phoebe Analysis
Catcher in the Rye Essay(Prompt 2) In the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Phoebe, despite not
appearing in the book as often as other characters, serves as the confidante for Holden in order to
bring out his true character and reveal his true emotions and thoughts. She brings out his emotions of
depressed thoughts, guilt, happiness, and how he values authenticity.
First, Phoebe acts as a confidante for Holden by showing the reader Holden's true emotions and
thoughts. Phoebe reveals his moods of happiness and depression and why he feels the way he does.
When Phoebe is on the carousel, Holden "felt so damn happy all of sudden[because] the way old
Phoebe kept going around and around.[Holden]was damn near bawling, [He] felt so damn...show
more content...
This further develops Holden's character to vent over the death of Allie and reinforce his moral
code. When Phoebe is with Holden, Holden mentions Allie when he snaps and explains that, "[He]
know he's dead!" He then says "I can still like him, though, can't I? Just because somebody's dead,
you don't just stop liking them. [...] Especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the
people you know that're alive." This allows Holden to vent his frustration allowing him to move
along the stages of grief. (Salinger Chapter 22) Phoebe's character also heavily complies with
Holden's moral values. Holden values a attentive and authentic persona rather than the fake and
passive persona that he perceives many people to possess. When he was younger he noticed
"When[he talked to] Allie[...]old Phoebe'd be listening. Sometimes you'd forget she was around,
because she was such a little kid, but she'd let you know. She'd interrupt you all the time. She'd
give [Holden and Allie a] push or something, and say, Who? Who said that? Bobby or the lady?
And [they'd] tell her who said it, and she'd say, Oh, and go right on listening and all. She killed
Allie, too. He liked her, too. She's ten now, and not such a tiny little kid anymore[...] Anyway, she
was somebody you always felt like talking to on the phone. " (Salinger Chapter 10) This reveals how
he value the authenticity and attentiveness of Phoebe and he strongly relates and connects with his
siblings. This evidently reveals that Phoebe works as a confidant for
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Catcher In The Rye
Hi, my name is Justine Money and over the summer I read catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger.
Catcher in the
2This book is set in the 1940's
3Catcher in the Rye is about a teen boy, holden Caulfield, who wants to make a connection with
other people, and every scene shows him trying to do this, but every time he fails.
4Holden is a 16 year old boy from New York, and has recently been expelled from many boarding
schools.
5He is found wandering the streets of new york city because he doesn't want to tell his parents about
what had happened.
6I really liked this book because it was written in 1st person past tense, with holden being the
narrator.
7Holden is a fictional character from .J.D. Salinger's, "Catcher in the Rye". Holden Caulfield,

Catcher In The Rye: Chapter Analysis
As I read the book, I sectioned the book into three parts. This part will be about chapters 1–8. This
first section was very engaging. The point of view is first person singular; this means that the
whole story is told from the main character's point of view. In this case, the view of Holden
Caulfield, a man in his adolescence age. Adolescence is the stage in life when a child is becoming
an adult; it is the time when children gain their independence. In the first eight chapters I learned
much about Holden's personality. The author, J. D. Salinger, starts the story so it is like a story
inside a story. In the story, Holden is telling the reader about a time in his life where he leaves the
preparatory school that he is attending. In the 1940s,

Rye Essay Prompts
ENG 3U1 – The Catcher in the Rye Essay Outline Assignment
Task: Pick one of the essay prompts below. Your answer to the prompt will be the thesis of your
essay. Thoughtfully and carefully craft an essay outline to develop and defend your thesis. Be
concise and to the point, this is only an outline!
You may consult your agenda, previous notes and our class for essay writing tips. Be sure to use
text–based evidence to support your thesis.
Essay Prompts
Throughout the novel, Holden is a tormented adolescent. He feels alienated and isolated at Pencey
Prep, he is belittled and dismissed by women he wants to impress, he is beaten up twice, he dreams
of escape from the world he lives in and he even considers suicide. Yet, despite these hardships,
...show more content...
He escapes his life by living another. All of these are showing how he is not healthy at all and
needs help. Holden tries not to think about these issues in his life, so he choses to make jokes about
them
Proof: The humour was used to point out all the flaws in nature.
Analysis: The one thing that Holden hated most was phonies. He constantly ranted about how he
hated these so called people. Salinger used Holden as a way of speaking his mind. about his subject
without going out publicly about it himself. He was able to speak his mind behind the disguise of a
character. In Chapter 22 Holden says that adults are inevitably phonies and the worst part is that they
can't see their own phoniness.
Proof: The larger meaning of the story is that childhood can never remain, meaning you can't stay a
child forever.
Analysis: Holden's humour shows the childish–like qualities that he possess within him. He switches
moods very often. When with the women or out on the town, he has a very grown up personality
then he would have a child–like quality while doing something else. Overall, although Holden acts
older then his age, but wants to preserve his youth, he will never get his way, it's just impossible.
Supporting Argument 3
How would the story be different if humour wasn't used? Humour is an important aspect in this

The Catcher in the Rye Essay
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger. It is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a cynical
teenager who recently got expelled from his fourth school. Though Holden is the narrator and
main character of the story, the focus of Salinger's tale is not on Caulfield, but of the world in
which we live. The Catcher in the Rye is an insatiable account of the realities we face daily seen
through the eyes of a bright young man whose visions of the world are painfully truthful, if not a bit
jaded. Salinger's book is a must–read because its relatable symbolism draws on the reader's emotions
and can easily keep the attention of anyone. Salinger's full use of symbolism goes unnoticed until
his novel is read a second or third time. Most of it...show more content...
This character is going to tell it like it is, and he does. The most powerful emotional standpoint in
the story is when Holden goes to his sister's elementary school to deliver her a note. While he is
there, he discovers two words scribbled on the wall. "Fuck you." Most people would look at that
and think nothing of it. Some would bow their heads in shame at the person who thought it was
funny. Others might laugh. Not Holden. He did not think about the normal persons response to the
note. He thought about the child's response. About how a little kid is going to see that seemingly
meaningless phrase and wonder what it means; about how some dirty kid would explain what it
meant; and about the person who wrote it and how they are destroying the childhood of everyone
who reads the 'harmless' graffiti. This section takes the reader to the door of Holden's mind. It is at
this point that one truly understands his emotions. As previously mentioned, it is obvious of
Holden's intentions from the first chapter. The reader learns that they are not going to be following
the life story of some random kid; they are going to read about the introversive thoughts and
assumptions everyone makes at some point of their lives. Throughout the tale, it is obvious that
Caulfield is depressed and as the story progresses, he seems to lose himself in the real world. As he
moves

Catcher In The Rye Outline
The Catcher in the Rye begins with the character named Holden Caulfield. Holden is the main
character and the narrator of this book. He has been kicked out from Pencey Prep, a boarding school
in rural Pennsylvania. He further tells us that he has gone to two other schools. Holden is sixteen
years old and a junior at Pencey. He has a few days left before the winter break, so he decides to
hang out in Pencey for a week. He stops by one of his favorite teacher named Old Spencer. Old
Spencer was his history teacher so he reads aloud his essay and asks him why he was kicked out
from two other schools. So he makes excuses to leave. Also his parent does not know he was failing
most of the class and has been kicked out from his school. Holden returns...show more content...
Holden calls her that she is the greatest girl that he ever met. Also, Holden thinks that she is very
smart .She has gone to the same elementary School that Holden has been to. Sometimes she writes
small stories when she is free. He says that " You'd like her. I mean if you tell old Phoebe
something, she knows exactly what the hell you're talking about. I mean you can even take her
anywhere with you. If you take her to a lousy movie, for instance, she knows it's a lousy movie. If
you take her to a pretty good movie, she knows it's a pretty good movie.

Catcher in the Rye
ENG 4U1 June 12, 2012 Catcher In The Rye Essay A role model can be can classified as one of
many things, but what is it exactly that distinguishes a good one from a bad? The novel, The
Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger is utilized to present the character Holden Caulfield as
an unsuitable role model. Firstly, Holden relies on drugs for a way out of his problems instead of
facing them. Also, he cannot find his place in the world, which arises, from his natural inclination
to lie and is a problem he can't seem to avoid. Lastly, his view on the world is tainted with
carelessness and failure. Holden's drug usage throughout the novel can be related to the effect that
his family has on him; he is unable to find that comfort...show more content...
Holden believes this is all just a phase," I'm just going through a phase right now. Everybody goes
through phases and all, don't they?" (Salinger 15), as the novel progresses further, he realizes it's
more than a phase, it would be his future. However, Holden didn't believe in his future, "I feel
some concern for my future...but not too much" (Salinger 184). Living in a suburban life, there
are not many problems to worry about. Exposed to the world, he came out broken and left out,
thus unsuitable to be considered a role model altogether. The novel, The Catcher in the Rye,
written by J.D Salinger serves the purpose of proposing Holden Caulfield as an ineffective role
model for teenagers. First, he turns to drugs to present a solution to his problems. Also, he cannot
find any connection to reality because of his dependant nature built on lies. Finally, Holden does
not express any care for anyone and continually fails in life. With no belief left of a future, Holden
has no motives or goals for life explaining why he is so lost in his own ideal world. Instead of
being a role model, he seems to be in need of one. Bibliography 1. Shmoop Editorial Team.
"Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov.
2008. Web. 11 Jul. 2012. 2. Salinger, Jerome David. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown
and Company, 1951. 3. "The Catcher in the Rye." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 11 July 2012.
4.

Catcher In The Rye Essay Outline
The Catcher in the Rye is a book that's written by J.D. Salinger and narrated by a sixteen years old
teenager named Holden Caulfield. At the beginning, Holden has just been kicked out of Pencey
Prep because he's failing his classes, and it's not the first time or first school. He went to say
goodbye to his teacher, Mr. Spencer. Then, he tells us about his brother Allie and how he died,
and this is the reason behind Holden's problems. Holden's roommate is dating a girl Holden
knows, Jane Gallagher. After, Holden and his roommate got into a fight. A three days before
returning home for Christmas break, Holden decides to go to NYC. In NYC, Holden gets to
explore more people that he calls them phonies. Also, he gets to go on a date with his old

The Catcher In The Rye
The Catcher In the Rye, a magnificent and extraordinary for the time being novel written by J. D.
Salinger contains multiple symbols, the pivotal one being the title itself. In this essay I am going to
explain the meaning and impact of the title as a scheming representation of Holden's (the book's
protagonist) motives and philosophy. For most of the plot, the story takes place in a vast, yet gloomy
setting of New York City in the 1950's. The The author, portraits the eccentric, in times sinister side
of humans, through the eyes of the book's main character, who cannot find acceptance in the obscure
world around him. Holden's lack of reception results in him distancing himself from the surrounding,
wanting to become "The Catcher in the Rye"....show more content...
In the book, though, the poem doesn't appear itself, instead we come across the song adaptation,
which was popular amongst kids in that time. Holden, hears a child humming the song, when he
walks on the sidewalk and it immediately becomes stuck in his head. But in order to understand the
impact it had on his later motives, we need to understand the meaning of the song itself and
Holden's misconception of it. Originally, the poem, is about a girl named Jenny, who walks through
a field of rye, then has casual sex with someone – "Gin a body meet a body Coming thro' the rye".
("If a body meet a body coming through the rye" in the modern song version) Holden, on the other
hand, mishears the part as "if a body catch a body coming through the Rye" which creates a
completely different story in his mindset. On the contrary to the original, Holden imagines children
playing in a field of rye, near the edge of a cliff, and him catching them when they start to fall

An Essay On The Catcher In The Rye
I have broken down in tears in despair and have been unable to contain my own laughter countless
times. I will undoubtedly do so another countless number of times the rest of my life. Of course, the
reasons for my despondency and gaiety have evolved with time from not getting a cookie to not
being able to go Trick or Treating and from hearing a funny joke to getting to spend time with friends
after a stressful week of finals. And I am the product of the accumulation of all those moments. All
that pain. All that happiness. In a world centered around the present and the prospects of the future,
it is difficult to remember that there exists something arguably more important: the past, and more
importantly, childhood – the days of what seems like a life–time ago. But our childhood is actually
probably closer to us than anything else. With a little provocation, the dam constructed of our
current burdens is breached and all the childhood memories flood us with nostalgia. And that is
precisely what childhood is: a constant reminder of the past and its everlasting impact on us. Time is
unmerciful and makes aging a painful but ultimately inevitable process. But no matter how old we
For instance, after a troubling day, he recalls a museum that he often visited when he was younger
and decides to visit it in hopes of finding consolation there like he once did. To Holden, the
museum is the symbol of his childhood and his fantasy of a world that he could forever live in
which would preserve the simplicity of those days. However, Holden realizes the unfortunate brevity
of youth and decides to become a guardian angel for the unsuspecting victims of aging, helping them
retain their innocence so when in time of need, they can be better solaced by their

Argument For The Catcher In The Rye
Holden Caulfield, a boy who struggles with his mental health, starts his story by saying, "I'm not
going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. I'll just tell you about this madman
stuff that happened to me around last Christmas" (Salinger 3). Published in 1951, The Catcher in the
Rye by J.D. Salinger depicts a three–day journey of Holden as he tries to find out more about
himself. Through his struggle, Holden experiences many obstacles and events, such as depression and
profanity, that take place in most teenager's lives, making the book a primary target for banning due
to offensive language, suicidal tendencies, sexual content, violence, and outright negativity
(Information). Though The Catcher in the Rye contains controversial topics, such as depression,
vulgar language, and sexual discrimination, the novel is still relevant and relatable to teens today;
therefore, the story should remain an option for students to read.
The Catcher in the Rye features a multitude of examples in which Holden is overwhelmingly suicidal
and represents undesirable viewpoints. At one point in the novel, Holden admits, "what I really felt
like though, was committing suicide" (Salinger 116). His pessimistic attitude and outlook on life
can have a negative effect on the reader. "[The book] has been banned on the lighter premises of
using profanities and being sexually explicit/suggestive, while it has also been banned for darker
interpretations of the book, such as being part of a Communist plot, anti–religious, and promotive of
homosexuality and perversion" (Bohan). The supports for banning are prevalent throughout the
book, with no doubt that they are factual reasons. Nevertheless, the literary value and representation
of adolescents in any time period overwhelm the reasons for banning the book.
Though Holden focuses on his depression, he represents a large part of the United States'
population. On several occasions, he describes his desolation. Mentally lost and lonely in New
York City, Holden finds himself with a headache and the inability to sleep, saying, "I think I was
more depressed than I ever was in my whole life" (Salinger 214). Relatively, the highest rate of
depression occurs from ages 12–17 (Pratt)

Catcher In The Rye
For my book talk I read The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. It is a fictional novel that is 277
pages long. I choose this book because... The Catcher in the Rye is about Holden Caulfield, a
sixteen year old boy retelling the events of his life that have put him into the state he is currently
in. He begins his retelling right after he is kicked out of Pencey Preparatory School, the fourth
school that he has flunked out of. A few days before is supposed to go home, he becomes agitated
after his teacher tries to confront him about his poor academic performance. He is further upset by
his roommate who is taking out a girl who Holden was close with and is still attached to. This all
leads to him leaving the school that night, with plans

Outline For The Catcher In The Rye
Holden starts out as a state of falling from the beginning. For example, in the beginning of the
book, Holden mentions that he has been kicked out multiple times from his prep school, his
family, his friend Jane have all separated him from their lives. Holden has never had a close and
strong bond with someone he loves and appreciates in his life. His troubled state of mind has
never ended up making a quality relationship with anyone. Whenever he has tried to get close to
someone, he gets too close, and then, therefore gets rejected. Whenever someone else tries to
make a relationship with Holden, he rejects them. Holden is so desperate for friends that he is
even willing to go places with people he does not like. A normal teenager does not do that.
Another example of that is when Holden calls Sally to plan a date. Shockingly, Holden asks Sally
if she would like to "get away" with him, and maybe even "get married" (132). Holden just wants
someone to spend his life and not worry about making friends. Once again, he is trying to make
friends with someone but his desperation and troubled state of mind gets the better of him every
time. Holden has so many things in his mind that he does not know what to say and when to say it.
Holden...show more content...
He wants to be a savior of all children falling off the cliff of childhood. For example, the title of
the book refers to Holden wanting to be a "catcher in the rye" who rescues children from falling off
the cliff (173). He wants to save kids from falling into the corrupt adulthood. He wants to save them
from a world of materialism, sex, phoniness. He wants these kids to be like what his dead brother
Allie was. In Holden's perfect world, children would forever remain innocent, un–fallen and free of
guilt, shame, and sin. The irony behind this is that Holden himself needs someone to save him off
the cliff. However, he needs to realize that those kids and he must fall and enter as no one can avoid
the

Catcher In The Rye Essay example
From the Outside, Looking In
Despite the debate that may wage on regarding the status to be afforded J. D. Salinger's writings, the
author's books have not quietly faded into obscurity. Although published almost a half–century ago,
the author's most famous work, Catcher in the Rye, enjoys almost as healthy and devoted a
following today as the book did when it was first published. Because of a self–imposed exile that
began almost at the same time the Salinger's career was just taking off, much of the substance of the
writer's lifeВ—his thoughts, ideals, writing objectivesВ—remain shrouded in mystery. The few
writings Salinger did offer up for public consumption, though, provide his audience cryptic clues into
his inner most thoughts and...show more content...
Perhaps the reason the author has become such a recluse is because it is only by withdrawing from
society that Salinger has been able to resolve his personal conflicts with the workings and objectives
of the society in which he lives. Take religion for example. If his writings truly do offer some insight
into the private thoughts and beliefs of the author, J. D. Salinger is a God–fearing man who has the
utmost respect for his Creator. It is not the reverence of a divine being that causes Salinger
difficulty; it is the mind–numbing customs and practices that cause parishioners to lose focus on
the basic reason they engage in religious worship that compels the writer to speak out. The formal
practice of religion at times places a greater emphasis on conformance with rituals than it does on
fostering a better understanding and appreciation of the basic notions upon which a religion is
based. In Salinger's mind, some religious practices have run so far afield of the original premise
upon which the religion was based that he questions whether the customs today can even loosely be
tied to actual religious worship. Salinger's most noteworthy character, Holden Caulfield, struggles
with how society has lost sight of the foundations upon which Christianity was organized. The
setting for Salinger's novel, Catcher in the Rye, is the Christmas season in New York City.
ChristmasВ—the time–honored tradition by which Christians pause to reflect on the birth of their

Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye "Is The Catcher in the Rye, as a work of literature still relevant for today's
youth?" Name: Sara Sigurdson Course: English A1 Supervisor: Mr. Peter Steadman Word count:
3851 Candidate number: 00136022 Table of Contents ContentPage Number Abstract3 Introduction4
The Actual Catcher in the Rye4 The Sexual Matter5 The Caulfield Family6 Narrator and
Protagonist8 Role Model9 Mr. Antolini10 Targeted Audience10 Guidance12 It is not Criticism13
Exposing Culture13 Conclusion – Fall of Innocence15 Works Cited List17 Abstract This essay is a
detailed analysis about The Catcher in the Rye investigating whether it is relevant for youth and
In his dream, Holden gets to play a guardian, saving the pure and innocent from falling over the
edge, a topic that plays very well on why this novel is appropriate for youth in our society today.
Just like in the 1950's when the book was written, this example stands for the hope of protecting a
juvenile teenager's innocence all through the step towards becoming an adult. Salinger enlightens us
of that the beauty of keeping purity – in this case the children growing up too fast – is important to
everyone, everywhere. (Aldridge, 128) There is also symbolism to be found in Holden's name
(Hold on), about him holding on to his childhood. "Hold on" works as a symbol for how Holden
expresses the theme of keeping innocence in his life as he personally acts as the catcher in the rye.
The sexual matter The same pattern of guarding purity is found in the sexual matter of this novel.
When it comes to the theme of sexuality it is easy to find a relationship between what the society
looked like in the 1950's and what our society looks like today. Sexual revelation is a constantly
growing pattern through different media, and The Catcher in the Rye acts like guidance for
misplaced and confused teenagers growing up in this continuous

Catcher In The Rye Theme Essay
Have you ever had this feeling of being so stressed out that you would escape to hopeless dreams,
causing you to withdraw yourself from others? Among many themes that J.D. Salinger expresses in
his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, there is one that fits that type of feeling perfectly. That theme is:
isolation is a product of the individual's reaction to the environment and often leads to downfalls and
other negative consequences. This is clearly demonstrated through the influence of the allusions and
symbols that Salinger uses to subtly apply the theme mentioned above. Allusion is seen multiple
times throughout the book. Holden makes these allusions towards many famous poets and novels
during that time. For instance, Holden himself agrees...show more content...
Modernism basically moves away from the romanticism trend to focus more on the individual in
the story, which is seen throughout the story. For example, "If you really want to hear about it,
the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was
like..." (Salinger 1). That quote is exactly how the story starts off, so a couple of things are already
clear: The story is in a first–person point of view and the tone is that of an average attitude–filled
teenager. On top of this, while the entire story is being narrated by Holden, the reader doesn't get the
chance to be able to interact with him and vice versa. Thus, creating a type of mood that makes it
seem as though the reader is stuck in Holden's head, but the upside of this is that the reader is able to
read and understand the character and his values much better. In conclusion, Salinger portrays
isolation being the product to an individual's reaction to the environment, often leading to downfalls
and other negative consequences. By choosing to use different allusions and symbols in the story,
ranging from the red hunting hat to the shared similarities between one character and another,
having a tinge of influence from the modernism trend that was happening during that literary time,
not to mention the influence that Salinger himself on Holden, for they were very similar, Salinger
got his point

The Importance of Language in The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has
captured the spirit of adolescence, dramatizing Holden Caulfield's vulgar language and melodramatic
reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep school student named
Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye deals with material that is socially scandalous for the time
(Gwynn, 1958). As an emotional, intelligent, and sensitive young man, Holden puts his inner world
to the test through the sexual mores of his peers and elders, the teachings of his education, and his
own emerging sense of self. Throughout the years, the language of the story has startled readers.
Salinger's control of Holden's easy,...show more content...
Another colloquialism can be seen in the last two examples. Holden has a habit of ending his
descriptions with tag phrases such as "and all" or "or anything." (Salzman, 1991). Not only does
Holden speak like this in the beginning of the novel, but throughout the book, making this pattern
a part of his character. One could imagine Holden frequently ending his sentences with "and all,"
and realize it is a character trait of his, since not all teenagers used that phrase. Therefore, the "and
all" tag to Holden's speech served to make his speech authentic and individual. (Salzman, 1991).
Salinger intentionally used such speech patterns to individualize Holden but also to make him a
believable teenager of the early 1950's. Another example of how Holden's speech helped define
his character is his constant need to confirm his own affirmations, as if even he did not quite
believe himself. These confirmations include phrases such as "...if you want to know the truth," or
"...it really does." Holden repeats the first phrase several times throughout the novel: "I have no
wind, if you want to know the truth," "I'm pacifist, if you want to know the truth," and a variation:
"She had a lot of sex appeal, too, if you really want to know." In each of the above instances,
Holden makes a statement and then feels compelled to clarify that is he is not making it

Catcher In The Rye Critical Lens Essay
The Catcher In The Rye Essay Prompt: Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized
literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional
society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds
to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot. In The Catcher in the Rye by
J.D. Salinger the protagonist in the story in the Holden is placed in a society where he feels he
does not fit in. He is constantly pushed to accept the standards of the the society he lives in but he
refuses to abide to rules. Holden also responds to society by identifying all the flaws he doesn't
approve and complains of how "phony" everything and everybody is. Due to the external pressures
of society and his internal beliefs Holden is caught between expecting the standards of society or his
He raised in a upper income family that was able to afford for him to go to a accredited
prestigious boy's academy. Being from a higher income family it was expected he would do
something productive in his life and career. He was expected to pass his classes and go to college
and then from there he pursue a career and thrive in his adulthood. Also as an adolescent in his
late teens he was also expected to emerge from his childish behavior such as and adapt the role as
a man. He even admitted in chapter two that he even acts childish, "Boy!" I said. I also say
"Boy!" quite a lot. Partly because I have a lousy vocabulary and partly because I act quite young
for my age sometimes. I was sixteen then, and I'm seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I'm
about thirteen. It's really ironical, because I'm six foot two and a half and I have gray hair". Also
society expected him to act as man should act such as taking control of his future and take action to
get where he need to go in

The Catcher in the Rye
The novel The Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, contains many complex symbols, many of the
symbols in the book are interconnected. A symbol is an object represents an idea that is important
to the novel. I believe the most important symbol in this novel is Holden 's idea of being the
"catcher in the rye". Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel, is not the typical sixteen year
old boy. Holden has many characteristics that aren 't typical of anyone that I know. Holden is very
afraid of growing up. He feels the adult world is "phony", everyone in it, and everything associated
with it. Holden never actually states that he is afraid of growing up, or that he hates the idea of it,
instead he expresses his resistance to become...show more content...
How would you know you weren 't being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldn 't." This is
displayed when he is talking to Phoebe and she is talking about a boy in her class who probably
likes her but she doesn 't want him to, she tells Holden that she put ink on his jacket and Holden
responds to that by saying, "That isn 't nice. What are you–a child, for God 's sake?" Holden likes
getting reactions from people to reassure himself of his actions. This is a parallel to what all
teenagers must go through at one point in their life, the line between should I do this to please
my parents, or should I do what I want to do? Holden represents every teenagers struggle for
independence. Holden tells Phoebe that what he actually wants to do when he 's older is he
wants to be the "catcher in the rye". He tells Phoebe the lyrics to the song that the boy was
singing, "If a body, catch a body, coming through the rye." Phoebe corrects him telling him that
the song he is referring to is actually a poem, and the correct lyrics are "If a body, meet a body,
coming through the rye." He acknowledges her, but he believes he is right, being as he 's the older
brother and all. Using the lyrics that he believes are right as his inspiration he creates a fantasy
world, making himself the

The Catcher in the Rye Essay
This paper proposes to delineate the characteristics of Holden Caulfield, the adolescent protagonist
hero of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye and illuminate the reasons as to why this prototype of
brooding adolescence, displaying a rather uber–cool style of disaffection, disenchantment and
disillusionment became an indispensable figure of interest, in literary circles as well as popular
culture. The paper seeks to take issue with the wider dimensions attached to the 'incapacitation and
debilitation' Holden is often accused of and address Salinger's vision behind etching Caulfield
precisely the way he is. The paper also wishes to foreground the socio–political implications that
reverberate within the rubric of the novel, Holden's...show more content...
The sales figures of the book evince the case of its popularity. Needless to point out, the immense
popularity of The Catcher in the Rye can be attributed to Salinger's ingenious creation– Holden
Caulfield. Holden Caulfield is the primary reason of the novel's sustained readership.
Anyone even remotely familiar with the text can point out that the protagonist who uses 'crazy'
verbatim and mentions the cognates of that word over fifty times, has been alleged to be a
misanthropist, a human "who dislikes everything." Christopher Parker contends, "Holden likes
the only things really worth liking...because he is sincere and he won't settle for less." Several
critics in the recent past have concurred with Parker's line of thought. They have dismissed the
initial response to the 'incessant rant of Holden Caulfield" as adolescent babble as a misreading
of the text, and instead placed the novel in its rightful place as a text that seriously engages in the
exploration of the picaresque, an acute intensity of longing and yearning for the shared tenets of
authenticity and innocence. While Holden's choice of being the 'catcher in the rye' clearly depicts
his yearning for a bygone era, the innocent experience, his choice is rooted at once in his fate of
being both beloved and banned, as is that of his narrative The Catcher in the Rye, in its character of

Catcher In The Rye Essay Prompts

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Catcher In The Rye Essay Prompts