Preview

Holden Caulfield Reflection

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
I recently finished the book "The Catcher in the Rye" where I found myself very intrigued by the main character and narrator Holden Caulfield. Meeting him would be an amazing challenge due to the fact that as I read the book, I realized that he did not know as much about his life and mindset as I did. I would even consider that condition to be "innocent-eye narration". I would love to question him about his past, his relationship with his siblings, especially his little brother Allie, and why is he not willing to let them go? As I read through the pages, more questions sparked in my mind, and if I were to meet Holden Caulfield, I would try to help him understand why he is feeling and reacting the way he is, and why everything in his past has

Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Character Analysis: Holden Caulfield
    • 122 Words
    • 1 Page

    Character Analysis: Holden Caulfield

    Holden Caulfield is J.D. Salinger’s main character in The Catcher in the Rye. We learn several interesting things about Holden, however, while learning the these we are not experiencing or seeing what Holden is. We learn about it through Holden’s perspective throughout the entire story like, for example, the death of his younger brother, Allie or the time James Castle committed suicide by jumping out of the school window. Most of these experiences have a significant meaning behind them and we find these out by reading the book. We get to know Holden in a personal way. While reading, comprehending, and understanding Holden’s emotions towards the encounters he has with the characters in this book, which makes it very interesting.…

    • 122 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Holden Caulfield Sympathetic Character
    • 225 Words
    • 1 Page

    Holden Caulfield Sympathetic Character

    Holden Caulfield--a character from Catcher in the Rye--can only be described as a sympathetic character. Although Holden acts in a way sometimes that will make you feel unsympathetic towards him, we know he has mental problems causing him to end up in a hospital. Holden tends to lose his temper occasionally giving him the feel of an unsympathetic character; when you find out his condition it makes you feel otherwise.…

    • 225 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Holden Caulfield's Symbols
    • 212 Words
    • 1 Page

    Holden Caulfield's Symbols

    Holden has been through many difficult times in his life, especially after he lost his little brother Allie Caulfield who had pneumonia, but there are these main symbols that describes Holden as a person, his past and most importantly these symbols gives special meaning to his life. In the Catcher of the Rye, J.D Salinger highlights Holden’s journey of growing up by showing the three symbols and they are the lake, Carossel and the red hunting hat.…

    • 212 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Holden Caulfield Contradictions
    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Holden Caulfield Contradictions

    When someone is young, they tend to have innocence about them. As children grow up, they no longer possess this natural innocence. Exposure to all of the hatred in the world causes this loss. Holden Caulfield realizes this simple fact, as he himself grows up, and has a difficult time with the change. He experiences problems with communication as well as his school work. A common theme used throughout The Catcher in the Rye has to do with contradictions Holden makes. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, first person point of view is used to highlight contradictions Holden makes throughout the novel.…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Holden's Character Change
    • 947 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Holden's Character Change

    Holden, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye spends his whole life with his family until his younger brother Allie died. After that his family becomes broken with grief after losing their youngest son. His parents send Holden to boarding school in hopes that he would be in a better environment. The school only makes things worse, by leading him to alcohol smoking and isolation. Despite his age, he turns to substances to numb the pain. Smoking becomes a regular habit of escapism for him. Holden always looks for someone to love him but at the same time never wants anyone to get close, fearing that they may reject him and he will be hurt. He continues to isolate himself from anyone that could potentially help him and continues to smoke and drink attempting to find solution in that. When Holden arrives at Penn Station he wants to talk to someone but never does: “So I ended up not calling anybody. I came out of the booth, after about twenty minutes or so.” (Salinger, 91) Holden is looking for help but doesn't have the courage to actually go and ask someone for help. Fear of rejection and being hurt again holds him back from asking for the help he needs. He also doesn't have a very strong group of friends or family a key support system to help overcome a loss. He always wants to call his friend Jane to seek comfort, but he never does because he is too worried that she will reject…

    • 947 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Character Analysis Of Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger
    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Character Analysis Of Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

    In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger portrays the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, from two very different sides. On one hand, Holden is passionate about the protection of innocence, and he attempts to shelter all kids, especially his younger sister Phoebe, from any knowledge which might compromise their innocence. On the other hand, Holden is repeatedly revealed to be experienced and knowledgeable in society. He constantly swears, drinks, and smokes, sharply criticizes everyone he sees, and generally does not conform to society. Because Holden lost his own innocence so early in his life, he becomes fascinated with the idea of guarding it in others. Salinger shows Holden protecting the innocence of people many times throughout the novel. Some examples include Holden’s anxiety about Jane, Holden’s protection of Phoebe, and Holden’s general frustration…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Holden Caulfield - Catcher In The Rye
    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Holden Caulfield - Catcher In The Rye

    Holden Caulfield is a typical anti-hero from the 20th century who features as the main character from the novel, Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger. The young teenage boy says that he wants to be the one who stands at the bottom of the cliff and catch the children that are playing in the Rye that may run off the edge accidently. This is a dream, not reality however it indicates that Holden is desperate to preserve childhood. Holden is an anti-hero because he lacks heroic qualities. In the novel, he often refers to himself as a yellow character. He wants to hit someone but he won’t because he is too much of a coward and he knows this. Holden talks negatively about most people, often referring to them as “phonies.” Phonies are people whose surface behavior distort or disguise their inner feelings. Holden can be a phony himself and believes if he puts society down, then he can’t be disappointed. He does however, cherish family, more so his siblings rather than his parents. He is very lonely and tends to push people away. Holden has been suspended from four schools. He underachieves, has a habit of being able to lie easily and has a fragile, mental state that ends up leading to a breakdown where he ends up in an asylum.…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Holden Caulfield Character Analysis
    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Holden Caulfield Character Analysis

    In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger writes about a troubled teen named Holden Caulfield who undergoes failing school and travels through New York City at night. Salinger depicts Holden as someone with uncontrollable anger, many anxieties, extreme loneliness, powerful love, and numerous fears. All of this molds Holden into a complex person with an unusual personality and unique traits that make him different and unable to accept most of the people around him. In addition, there seems to be a deep connection between many of the things that he did and his own personality traits. The most prominent traits of Holden Caulfield, displayed through his speech, actions, and thoughts, are that he is judgmental, lonely, and depressed.…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Essay On Holden Caulfield Absent Character
    • 1227 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On Holden Caulfield Absent Character

    Often times, who one surrounds themselves with, even for a short period of time affect a person’s life for years to come. In Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger captures the story of Holden Caulfield, who throughout his travels to New York, is compelled by his thoughts of characters who are never introduced to readers. The absent characters are as impressed upon him as much as he is affected by those who are among him in the city. The situations in which the characters are introduced are often when Holden is faced with uncomfortable or adult situations. He reminds himself of those who once surrounded him, while recollecting the memories, Holden is affected by the innocence of the situation. This allows for the theme of innocence and his somewhat childish actions across the events of the novel.…

    • 1227 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Holden Caulfield Phony Analysis
    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Holden Caulfield Phony Analysis

    Holden Caulfield is a phony. Even though the story is being told from his point of view we can conclude that he is fake. Not only is he an impulsive liar but he is a great hypocrite. He has no remorse about any of his actions towards people, and everything and everyone he meets is a phony in his eyes. Holden Caulfield can never say anything truly good about anyone, he always has something to bring them down. Even little things upsets him, like when Mr. Spencer, Holden’s old teacher at Pencey Prep, “started going into this nodding routine”, he said “You never saw anyone nod as much in your life as Old…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Holden Caulfield In The Catcher In The Rye
    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Holden Caulfield In The Catcher In The Rye

    Holden Caulfield, the novel’s protagonist, is a pivotal character in The Catcher in the Rye. Holden is characterized as an innocent, apathetic, naive teen who is seeking knowledge of life and the meaning of becoming an adult. Holden’s struggle with seeing the genuine nature of people is something that acts as a barrier for him throughout the novel. Holden is troubled and burdened throughout the story, which causes him to have a warped view on an array of subjects. Holden passes strict judgement on everyone, as he struggles to transition from adolescence to adulthood. Holden appears to be stunned when he sees how different the life of an adult is comparison to that of children. His views on topics such as, life, his future, and sex. Holden approaches each of these subjects with strict views, and feels dejected when he realizes there are more multiple perspectives to these topics.…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Diagnosing Holden Caulfield
    • 948 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Diagnosing Holden Caulfield

    In the book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, has strange tendencies that could be diagnosed as a mental disorder or multiple disorders. Thinking like a psychiatrist, this book has plenty to dissect. Reading a classic, such as Catcher, can really draw the reader into the story and make them feel like they are a part of that world. Holden Caulfield’s world has a lot going on.…

    • 948 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Level 2
    • 2416 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Level 2

    1. Complete the table below with descriptions of at least two different features of a telephone system and how / when they would be used.…

    • 2416 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Holden Caulfield Symbolism
    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Holden Caulfield Symbolism

    There are a few things that define one as an adult: maturity, responsibility, and integrity. Does Holden Caulfield have any of these? J.D. Salinger’s novel, “The Catcher in the Rye,” follows the life of Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old protagonist, who is on the road to becoming an adult and is trying to find all of the three terms above. Holden is living in a world with people that he classifies as morons or phonies. The self realization that he cannot save children from becoming morons or phonies is the key to becoming an adult in Holden’s case, yet there are still symbols that Holden encounters that slowly but surely matures him, makes him responsible and helps him obtain integrity.…

    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A Psychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield
    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Psychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield

    The admission of this patient has proven to be yet another impulsive action made by desperate parents. This patient, although exhibiting many symptoms of depression and grief caused by the death of a loved one, is not showing any signs of serious mental illness or instability. He is obviously an independent individual, rebellious as well. He is not hesitant to make known his opinions and thoughts. He seems to be a very cynical individual, most likely resulting from previous events that have occurred in his life. Though he doesn’t mention it much, he seems to be deeply affected by the death of his brother Allie Caulfield. He seems to miss him greatly, which could be the cause of the contemptuous attitude shown in his behavior. In addition, he witnessed the suicide of a fellow classmate a few years ago. Although they were not close, this is still a very traumatic event and can deeply influence one’s life, especially when witnessed at a young age. The patient does not seem to be at all motivated by anything except for his family. He especially seems unmotivated about school. This may be the result of seeing the death of a classmate caused by torment at school. Seeing an extreme negative result of school may have caused a similarly negative attitude toward it. Caulfield doesn’t speak much about any friends that he has, though he mentions some of his old roommates and classmates from previous school years occasionally. While Caulfield exhibits behavior that may be interpreted as depression by many concerned parents, it is nothing more than the typical effect of teenage hormones. The patient may seem like he has some sort of mental instability, but this impulsive and reactive behavior is simply a product of pubescent hormones mixed with his natural rebellious actions and attitude.…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics