remember Holden Caulfield‚ the angsty‚ depressed 1950s teenager who you read about in your 10th grade English class. But did you like Holden‚ or did you hate him? “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger is a well-known novel that has been read in English classes across America since the 1950s. Holden Caulfield is the main character in this novel‚ but it is controversial whether or not his story is still relevant to society today. Ultimately‚ Holden is more relevant to teenagers in 2018 than they
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In the novel‚ The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger‚ Holden reacts strongly to the song "Comin Thro’ the Rye”. Upon hearing it on a sidewalk in New York‚ his interpretation of this song provides a deeper understanding of his mental state that ties in his values. Holden first hears this song through a young boy. Holden recalls‚ “he was walking in the street‚ instead of the sidewalk‚ but right next to the curb” (115). The little boy’s positioning near the sidewalk subconsciously stands out to Holden
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The Catcher in the Rye Summary Holden Caulfield‚ the narrator of The Catcher in the Rye‚ begins with an authoritative statement that he does not intend the novel to serve as his life story. Currently in psychiatric care‚ this teenager recalls what happened to him last Christmas. This story forms the basis for his narrative. At the beginning of his story‚ Holden is a student at Pencey Prep School‚ irresponsible and immature. Having been expelled for failing four out of his five classes‚ Holden goes
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sell-out” and the ultimate definition of phony. Holden does not want the children to lose that innocence‚ because that would mean that they would become phony as well. Entering the adult world‚ and facing the challenges of growing up becomes Holden’s main conflict throughout the novel as he tries to preserve innocent. Even though‚ Holden despises the phony adults‚ ironically he behaves in a confident and bold manner around them‚ while he is uneasy and apprehensive around kids his age. Holden‚ categorizes
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the happiness of both partners. However‚ a faulty relationship between a male and a female will not benefit themselves or society. A lack of acceptance‚ respect‚ and care leads to no meaning in a relationship and‚ eventually‚ will end it. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger explores what a trivial relationship and what a genuine relationship consists of through Holden’s experiences with Sunny‚ Sally‚ and Jane. The novel believes that in genuine male-female relationships‚
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Banning The Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger should not be banned in schools based solely on the fact that it is a controversial book that uses harsh language and sexual references. This book is J.D. Salinger’s freedom of speech‚ and it is a violation of the first amendment for schools to ban this book. This book is only offering an inside look into what teenagers go through in some point of their lives. According to the Los Angeles Times‚ The Catcher in the Rye’s‚ “…
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Everybody feels depressed at some time or another in his or her lives. However‚ it becomes a problem when depression is so much a part of a person’s life that he or she can no longer experience happiness. In Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye‚ the author develops the theme of Holden’s depression because it fully portrays Holden’s outlook on the ‘real’ world and life itself. The cause of Holden’s depression can be seen as his lack of personal motivation‚ his inability to self-reflect and his stubbornness
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Innocence in The Catcher in the Rye Not too many people in this world can be labeled as truly innocent. Nowadays‚ there is always something wrong with people. Some try to keep their innocence; however‚ innocence cannot be kept. In The Catcher in the Rye‚ Holden Caulfield does not want to realize that everyone has to grow up. J.D. Salinger writes a beautiful novel by using several literary and rhetorical devices to convey the theme of innocence. For example‚ Holden wants to stay young and never grow
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middle of the night‚ and is offered advice on life and a place to sleep. Mr. Antolini tells Holden that it is the mark of the mature man to live humbly for a cause‚ rather than die nobly for it. This is at odds with Holden’s ideas of becoming a "catcher in the rye‚" a heroic figure who symbolically saves children from "falling off a crazy cliff" and being exposed to the evils of adulthood. During the speech on life‚ Mr. Antolini has a number of "highballs‚" referring to a cocktail served in a highball
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students cannot receive a full education. Their view of the world is imbalanced. There can be no true discussion of the issues” (Ai Weiwei). Censorship regulates and sets standards for children’s literature. Restriction on literature such as “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger‚ prevents exposure to all types of literature which neutralizes society’s plan for increasing the all around rates of reading in students. Increasing these rates will benefit students with improvement on comprehension‚ interpretation
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