Prompt: One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seek to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses their power struggles to enhance the meaning of the work. (2005 Form B) In the book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Salinger demonstrates the struggles of a boy Holden as he tries to battle his way though his high school years given all the obstacle and task he has to overcome to do as he pleases. The basis of the authors work is to show readers how alienation can be detrimental to one’s life. …show more content…
For instance when Holden decided to try and fight Stradlater he was in for a rude awakening. He threw the first punch but was the one ended up with a bloody nose. In this situation power was demonstrated in a physical state but in other scenarios such as when Holden was in New York and he wasn’t able to call Jane due to the face that he didn’t know what to say. He simply didn’t have enough emotional power to hold conversation with her at the time. After roaming the streets of New York and smoking cigarettes, he came down with TB and went to a TB rest home. While in the rest home he was encouraged to write a story about all his experiences. By him writing this was one of the first times that he was able to empower himself and be free; he was one with the pen and paper. This is one thing that seemed to helped Holden become more of a outgoing person, and free himself as a person. In sum The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, explains how isolation and lack of power can affect someone’s life greatly. Holden went through a lot that made him how he was and he simply just seemed to have a different approach on life. Personally there are still questions that are still unanswered and that leave readers in suspense. So the real question that remains for readers is, why aren’t you isolated if you’ve went through a lot in your life? What made you different from