Assignment 02: The Catcher In The Rye
ASSIGNMENT 02 – Topic: (a) The Catcher in the Rye
In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden hears a little boy singing, “If a body catch a body coming through the rye.” He responds, “It made me feel not so depressed any more” (Salinger, 2010:125). The poem which the novel’s title is derived from may be the conclusion of Holden’s greatest dream – to rescue Phoebe, all children and himself from being corrupted and from death; his longing to rescue Jane from Stradlater’s sexual harassment is also evident in the novel (Byrne, D., Kalua, F.
& Scheepers, R, 2012:63-4). Holden pictures a field of rye on a huge cliff, full of children who are playing and having fun
(SparkNotes, 2014). He says he would like to protect the children from falling …show more content…
His childish ideals seem to emphasise his immature way of thinking and he constantly tells lies to shield himself from others getting too close. His poor self-image causes him to view both himself and others in a negative light. Sally makes a statement, “I don’t know what you’re even talking about […] You jump from one –“ (Salinger,
2010:141); this implies that Holden’s conversation is disjointed and he cannot make up his mind. Holden tells Sally, “…I’m in lousy shape” and he then pleads with her to run away with him (Salinger, 2010:142-3); he also says, “I swear to God I’m a madman” which is a sign that he is beginning to lose his mind (Salinger, 2010:145).
Holden goes to the museum – the novel reads, “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move” (Salinger, 2010:130) – this perhaps emphasises Holden’s search for permanency and a feeling of belonging. The museum is a safe haven; it is his “catcher in the rye” world where everything stays the same and is uncomplicated – he fears challenges that he has no ability to confront or control (SparkNotes, …show more content…
He genuinely cares for Jane Gallagher
(including others) and he loves Allie and Phoebe deeply – these qualities are heroic (English, 2012). Holden wishes he could prevent people from being victims of corruption and dishonesty which he detests (Byrne et al., 2012:68).
Holden watches Phoebe as she rides the carrousel. The text reads, “I felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. I was damn near bawling […] God, I wish you could have been there” (Salinger, 2010:229) – he is ecstatic as he watches Phoebe enjoying herself freely. Holden’s understanding is enlightened – even if they part for a short while, they will be re-united; he will get older but he will not lose touch with his sister and he finally realises that though Allie is dead, he will always be with him in spirit (Byrne et al., 2012:71). Though Holden desires to be the catcher in the rye, he realises that his obsession with protecting Phoebe and all children like her has been exaggerated; they must experience life’s perils on their own (Byrne et al., 2012:71). There are times when they may experience heartache but it
In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden hears a little boy singing, “If a body catch a body coming through the rye.” He responds, “It made me feel not so depressed any more” (Salinger, 2010:125). The poem which the novel’s title is derived from may be the conclusion of Holden’s greatest dream – to rescue Phoebe, all children and himself from being corrupted and from death; his longing to rescue Jane from Stradlater’s sexual harassment is also evident in the novel (Byrne, D., Kalua, F.
& Scheepers, R, 2012:63-4). Holden pictures a field of rye on a huge cliff, full of children who are playing and having fun
(SparkNotes, 2014). He says he would like to protect the children from falling …show more content…
His childish ideals seem to emphasise his immature way of thinking and he constantly tells lies to shield himself from others getting too close. His poor self-image causes him to view both himself and others in a negative light. Sally makes a statement, “I don’t know what you’re even talking about […] You jump from one –“ (Salinger,
2010:141); this implies that Holden’s conversation is disjointed and he cannot make up his mind. Holden tells Sally, “…I’m in lousy shape” and he then pleads with her to run away with him (Salinger, 2010:142-3); he also says, “I swear to God I’m a madman” which is a sign that he is beginning to lose his mind (Salinger, 2010:145).
Holden goes to the museum – the novel reads, “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move” (Salinger, 2010:130) – this perhaps emphasises Holden’s search for permanency and a feeling of belonging. The museum is a safe haven; it is his “catcher in the rye” world where everything stays the same and is uncomplicated – he fears challenges that he has no ability to confront or control (SparkNotes, …show more content…
He genuinely cares for Jane Gallagher
(including others) and he loves Allie and Phoebe deeply – these qualities are heroic (English, 2012). Holden wishes he could prevent people from being victims of corruption and dishonesty which he detests (Byrne et al., 2012:68).
Holden watches Phoebe as she rides the carrousel. The text reads, “I felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. I was damn near bawling […] God, I wish you could have been there” (Salinger, 2010:229) – he is ecstatic as he watches Phoebe enjoying herself freely. Holden’s understanding is enlightened – even if they part for a short while, they will be re-united; he will get older but he will not lose touch with his sister and he finally realises that though Allie is dead, he will always be with him in spirit (Byrne et al., 2012:71). Though Holden desires to be the catcher in the rye, he realises that his obsession with protecting Phoebe and all children like her has been exaggerated; they must experience life’s perils on their own (Byrne et al., 2012:71). There are times when they may experience heartache but it