Research Paper On Catcher In The Rye
Reagan Yancey
Mrs. Shamel
Composition II
26 April 2017
Innocence Lost “I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be” (93). On January 1, 1919, in New York, J.D. Salinger was born. He would grow to be a literary virtuoso, notwithstanding having few works and living a tranquil life. The Catcher in the Rye set a new path for writing in America after WWII and made Salinger well known. In The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, our protagonist, Holden, tells of his journey from Pencey Prep School in Pennsylvania to New York City from a mental hospital in California in the 1950s. The Catcher in the Rye is a powerful novel that uses adolescence and innocence to relate to the reader, …show more content…
making it far more relatable and memorable. The plot of the book is very interesting and almost comical, as it follows a teen boy’s stream of thought- the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. We open the novel in 1950, with Holden starting off saying that he’s writing from a mental institution, and that he is going to tell us his story. He starts off when he was just expelled for failing, and Mr. Spencer, his history teacher, attempts to motivate Holden to “play by the rules” and be responsible. His attempt fails though, as Holden thinks he is a phony. “If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it's a game, all right—I'll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren't any hot-shots, then what's a game about it? Nothing. No game” (5). Holden is not a person to take life as fun and games. His cynicism makes him take life more seriously. Holden rejects the guidelines forced by society and adulthood since he feels like an outcast. He has an inclination that he isn't on the "winner’s side." Mr. Spencer's friendliness shows that Holden is a decent kid, though. Holden also doesn't put forth any effort since he doesn't want the things that scholastic achievement brings. If the grown-up world is fake, then scholastic achievement will simply bring him into that falsity. Later, Holden’s roommate, Stradlater, is about to take Holden’s crush, Jane, on a date.
Holden thinks of Jane as innocent, which makes her dating Stradlater wrong. When Stradlater asks Holden to write his essay, Holden writes about his dead brother, Allie’s, old baseball mitt. Allie's passing in adolescence absolutely makes it feel as though life's "rules" are brutal, and gives clarification to Holden's obsession with youth. Since the essay isn’t even relevant, Stradlater is furious, and won’t talk about the date. Holden attacks him and Stradlater punches him. Holden obviously detests the possibility that anything sexual may have occurred amongst Stradlater and Jane. His defeat here symbolizes the bigger battle he will lose against growing up. Holden's sadness about Jane possibly being sexual with Stradlater makes him want to leave Pencey, isolating himself in New York. He starts acting funny. He wears a red hunting hat, asks the cab drivers what ducks do in winter, and hits on girls he claims to hate. He’s acting childish, and doing things that are simply inappropriate. When Holden accepts the offer of the prostitute, he does so out of loneliness, and the craving to be more grown-up. Be that as it may, he isn't a grown-up, and is horrified of human touch, and he has second thoughts. Even though the
prostitute, Sunny, is in an “adult” job, Holden, rather than having sex, wants to talk. Instead of helping him, the grown-up world tries to endeavor him. Later, he sets up a date with Sally. He wants to go see the Museum, and hopes to run into Phoebe. He likes stagnant things, like a museum. “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move” (65). Just like how Allie's passing keeps Allie a child, because Holden never saw him any other way. He then takes a cab to meet Sally Hayes, and the date does not go well. The play annoys Holden, Sally talks to a boy Holden thinks is phony, and Holden asks Sally to run away with him to New England, to which she refuses and asks him to stop shouting, which shows he is past sad, he has lost control. Sally is a rule follower, which infuriates Holden. He insults her, makes her cry, and leaves, then decides to go home to see Phoebe. He sneaks into his family's apartment, wakes Phoebe, and tells her that he's leaving to live on a ranch in Colorado. She realizes he has been expelled, and asks him what he wants in life. He says that he'd like to be a catcher in the rye, rescuing children. “What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff’ (93). This is a metaphor, he really wants to save himself from adulthood. Holden goes to visit Mr. Antolini, who warns him to be less stiff and critical, as he believes it will lead to a “fall.” “The man falling isn't permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling” (101). Mr. Antolini comprehends that Holden considers achievement fake, so he demonstrates the impacts that Holden's solitude and too high standards have on his mind. Holden listens, but he is so tired that he falls asleep. He later awakens when he feels Mr. Antolini's hand stroking his head. This creeps him out because he thinks it’s perverted, so he leaves. Since Holden has been uncomfortable with homosexuality from the beginning, it makes it hard to tell if he really was right or not. He wants to say bye to Phoebe, so he meets her at the Museum of Art, where she begs him to take her. He won’t, but he also promises to stay. He takes her to the zoo, and watches her ride the carousel, a picture of innocence. She gives him his red hat, just as the rain starts. Phoebe and the hat help keep Holden from his depression and growing up. “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them” (114). Though he is still imperfect, the end hints to him getting better. The scene then shifts back to the hospital, and he says he wishes he hadn't told so many people his story, as it makes him miss everyone. Does this mean he is rejoining society? He is quite a contradiction, and his next steps are totally up to him. This story was an absolute treat and is very relatable for the reader, taking them back to the teen years.
Holden still clings onto his youth, scared of what adulthood may entail. His difficulties with accepting change make his character dynamic and complex, changing with each occurrence. Holden is sixteen, 6’2.5,” half gray-haired crew cut, and lanky. He is a heavy smoker and drinker and doesn’t exercise. He is constantly saying how he is lonely, but won’t reach out. He is extremely passive, not seeming to even realize people use him. Even though he is so judgemental, he just wants a friend! He has a terrible attitude, thinking the worst of everyone, particularly, that everyone is “phony.” He uses this to keep himself from getting hurt when he is rejected. He is very affected by his brother Allie’s death, obviously, and also by his classmate’s suicide. Sometimes, he is scared of death, sometimes indifferent, and sometimes longing. According to NPR, Holden is a representation of America after we dropped the atom bomb and lost innocence. Holden is disgusted by the idea that life goes on. He dwells on trauma. Holden is also confused sexually/ He feels that he has to either fulfill his sexual urges with girls he doesn't care about, or not fulfill them at all, as his desires are “crumby.” There’s also the theory that he is gay. He talks about Stradlater’s body a little excessively, sees homosexual come-ons where they aren’t, and he's not comfortable having sex with a woman. Holden understands people, and he doesn’t like it. He is very emotionally mature. Holden’s dreams are too big, he’s obsessed with innocence, and he hates social constructs. According to Cliffnotes, “Holden’s acceptance of Phoebe's need to "grab for the gold ring" indicates that he sees her as a maturing individual who must be allowed to live her own life and take her own risks. At this point, he finally sees that children have to do this, and adults must let them.”
In this novel, the theme of protecting innocence is evident throughout the story. Holden sees kids as beautiful, innocent, and perfect people, and innocence as a primary virtue. He despises cruelty and falsity, and almost everyone that he loves or admires are representations or even protectors of innocence. For example, he sees Jane Gallagher as a girl he grew up playing games with, and it deeply irks him that her drunk stepfather or Stradlater may be trying to sexualize her. Salinger uses the metaphor of the catcher in the rye to enhance the theme. He wants to save kids from death, which translates to saving innocence from ending. Towards the end of the book, he realizes that kids must figure things out for themselves, taking their own risks. “I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them” (93). This metaphor helps us to see the desperation he feels to stay youthful. The theme of this novel is impactful since the reader is relating to holding on to innocence, It was a thoroughly enjoyable book in every aspect.
This novel is very striking, relating to the reader through innocence and youth. Anyone who has ever been a teen, or on the brink of adulthood will understand the bittersweet loss of innocence, ignorance, and naivety. The transition from adolescence to adulthood relates to readers of many schematas. This story will always resonate, withstanding time.
Mrs. Shamel
Composition II
26 April 2017
Innocence Lost “I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be” (93). On January 1, 1919, in New York, J.D. Salinger was born. He would grow to be a literary virtuoso, notwithstanding having few works and living a tranquil life. The Catcher in the Rye set a new path for writing in America after WWII and made Salinger well known. In The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, our protagonist, Holden, tells of his journey from Pencey Prep School in Pennsylvania to New York City from a mental hospital in California in the 1950s. The Catcher in the Rye is a powerful novel that uses adolescence and innocence to relate to the reader, …show more content…
making it far more relatable and memorable. The plot of the book is very interesting and almost comical, as it follows a teen boy’s stream of thought- the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. We open the novel in 1950, with Holden starting off saying that he’s writing from a mental institution, and that he is going to tell us his story. He starts off when he was just expelled for failing, and Mr. Spencer, his history teacher, attempts to motivate Holden to “play by the rules” and be responsible. His attempt fails though, as Holden thinks he is a phony. “If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it's a game, all right—I'll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren't any hot-shots, then what's a game about it? Nothing. No game” (5). Holden is not a person to take life as fun and games. His cynicism makes him take life more seriously. Holden rejects the guidelines forced by society and adulthood since he feels like an outcast. He has an inclination that he isn't on the "winner’s side." Mr. Spencer's friendliness shows that Holden is a decent kid, though. Holden also doesn't put forth any effort since he doesn't want the things that scholastic achievement brings. If the grown-up world is fake, then scholastic achievement will simply bring him into that falsity. Later, Holden’s roommate, Stradlater, is about to take Holden’s crush, Jane, on a date.
Holden thinks of Jane as innocent, which makes her dating Stradlater wrong. When Stradlater asks Holden to write his essay, Holden writes about his dead brother, Allie’s, old baseball mitt. Allie's passing in adolescence absolutely makes it feel as though life's "rules" are brutal, and gives clarification to Holden's obsession with youth. Since the essay isn’t even relevant, Stradlater is furious, and won’t talk about the date. Holden attacks him and Stradlater punches him. Holden obviously detests the possibility that anything sexual may have occurred amongst Stradlater and Jane. His defeat here symbolizes the bigger battle he will lose against growing up. Holden's sadness about Jane possibly being sexual with Stradlater makes him want to leave Pencey, isolating himself in New York. He starts acting funny. He wears a red hunting hat, asks the cab drivers what ducks do in winter, and hits on girls he claims to hate. He’s acting childish, and doing things that are simply inappropriate. When Holden accepts the offer of the prostitute, he does so out of loneliness, and the craving to be more grown-up. Be that as it may, he isn't a grown-up, and is horrified of human touch, and he has second thoughts. Even though the
prostitute, Sunny, is in an “adult” job, Holden, rather than having sex, wants to talk. Instead of helping him, the grown-up world tries to endeavor him. Later, he sets up a date with Sally. He wants to go see the Museum, and hopes to run into Phoebe. He likes stagnant things, like a museum. “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move” (65). Just like how Allie's passing keeps Allie a child, because Holden never saw him any other way. He then takes a cab to meet Sally Hayes, and the date does not go well. The play annoys Holden, Sally talks to a boy Holden thinks is phony, and Holden asks Sally to run away with him to New England, to which she refuses and asks him to stop shouting, which shows he is past sad, he has lost control. Sally is a rule follower, which infuriates Holden. He insults her, makes her cry, and leaves, then decides to go home to see Phoebe. He sneaks into his family's apartment, wakes Phoebe, and tells her that he's leaving to live on a ranch in Colorado. She realizes he has been expelled, and asks him what he wants in life. He says that he'd like to be a catcher in the rye, rescuing children. “What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff’ (93). This is a metaphor, he really wants to save himself from adulthood. Holden goes to visit Mr. Antolini, who warns him to be less stiff and critical, as he believes it will lead to a “fall.” “The man falling isn't permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling” (101). Mr. Antolini comprehends that Holden considers achievement fake, so he demonstrates the impacts that Holden's solitude and too high standards have on his mind. Holden listens, but he is so tired that he falls asleep. He later awakens when he feels Mr. Antolini's hand stroking his head. This creeps him out because he thinks it’s perverted, so he leaves. Since Holden has been uncomfortable with homosexuality from the beginning, it makes it hard to tell if he really was right or not. He wants to say bye to Phoebe, so he meets her at the Museum of Art, where she begs him to take her. He won’t, but he also promises to stay. He takes her to the zoo, and watches her ride the carousel, a picture of innocence. She gives him his red hat, just as the rain starts. Phoebe and the hat help keep Holden from his depression and growing up. “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them” (114). Though he is still imperfect, the end hints to him getting better. The scene then shifts back to the hospital, and he says he wishes he hadn't told so many people his story, as it makes him miss everyone. Does this mean he is rejoining society? He is quite a contradiction, and his next steps are totally up to him. This story was an absolute treat and is very relatable for the reader, taking them back to the teen years.
Holden still clings onto his youth, scared of what adulthood may entail. His difficulties with accepting change make his character dynamic and complex, changing with each occurrence. Holden is sixteen, 6’2.5,” half gray-haired crew cut, and lanky. He is a heavy smoker and drinker and doesn’t exercise. He is constantly saying how he is lonely, but won’t reach out. He is extremely passive, not seeming to even realize people use him. Even though he is so judgemental, he just wants a friend! He has a terrible attitude, thinking the worst of everyone, particularly, that everyone is “phony.” He uses this to keep himself from getting hurt when he is rejected. He is very affected by his brother Allie’s death, obviously, and also by his classmate’s suicide. Sometimes, he is scared of death, sometimes indifferent, and sometimes longing. According to NPR, Holden is a representation of America after we dropped the atom bomb and lost innocence. Holden is disgusted by the idea that life goes on. He dwells on trauma. Holden is also confused sexually/ He feels that he has to either fulfill his sexual urges with girls he doesn't care about, or not fulfill them at all, as his desires are “crumby.” There’s also the theory that he is gay. He talks about Stradlater’s body a little excessively, sees homosexual come-ons where they aren’t, and he's not comfortable having sex with a woman. Holden understands people, and he doesn’t like it. He is very emotionally mature. Holden’s dreams are too big, he’s obsessed with innocence, and he hates social constructs. According to Cliffnotes, “Holden’s acceptance of Phoebe's need to "grab for the gold ring" indicates that he sees her as a maturing individual who must be allowed to live her own life and take her own risks. At this point, he finally sees that children have to do this, and adults must let them.”
In this novel, the theme of protecting innocence is evident throughout the story. Holden sees kids as beautiful, innocent, and perfect people, and innocence as a primary virtue. He despises cruelty and falsity, and almost everyone that he loves or admires are representations or even protectors of innocence. For example, he sees Jane Gallagher as a girl he grew up playing games with, and it deeply irks him that her drunk stepfather or Stradlater may be trying to sexualize her. Salinger uses the metaphor of the catcher in the rye to enhance the theme. He wants to save kids from death, which translates to saving innocence from ending. Towards the end of the book, he realizes that kids must figure things out for themselves, taking their own risks. “I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them” (93). This metaphor helps us to see the desperation he feels to stay youthful. The theme of this novel is impactful since the reader is relating to holding on to innocence, It was a thoroughly enjoyable book in every aspect.
This novel is very striking, relating to the reader through innocence and youth. Anyone who has ever been a teen, or on the brink of adulthood will understand the bittersweet loss of innocence, ignorance, and naivety. The transition from adolescence to adulthood relates to readers of many schematas. This story will always resonate, withstanding time.