PlanetPapers.com RSS Feedhttps://www.planetpapers.com/ Holden Caufield and his shitty coping mechanisms Diana {Insert my last name here} 12 November 2012 English III Holden’s Desire to Escape his Problems and How It Reflects His State Of Mind In the animal kingdom, the average lifespan rarely passes 10 years. There are few exceptions to this, one being the lifespan of humans. The current average life span for humans is between 70 and 80 years. In both the animal kingdom and in modern society, maturity is meant to come quickly if you are to survive. However, Holden Caulfield from The Catcher In the Rye by J. D. Salinger cannot accept that maturing is a natural and necessary part of every person’s life. Holden uses physical distance, judgmental tendencies, and comfort escapism to protect the innocence of himself and others, which are reflective of his desire to mentally escape his problems. Holden copes with his problems by running away from places and starting anew. An example of this would be when he left Pencey. Holden had many issues with school there, but the simplest is that he could not grow up like the rest of his school. Holden did not have the responsibility of handling grades, social changes, and everything else that an average 17-year-old would experience. After getting kicked out for failing almost every subject, Holden had a few more days before he had to leave school; with nothing to do, he decides to go to New York for a few days. “...I yelled at the top of my goddamn voice ‘Sleep tight, ya morons!’ I’ll bet I woke up every bastard on the whole floor. Then I got the hell out.” (Salinger 54). Holden escaped from Pencey, all of the people whom he disliked and all of the problems he was convinced it caused him, so he would not have to deal with them. Another example of how Holden does this is when he addresses his idea to run away with Sally. He thinks this because Holden strongly dislikes what he thinks society is, which in turn causes him to hate living. This idea leads to Holden conceptualizing the idea of running away to Vermont or Massachusetts with Sally. “It’s beautiful as hell up here, it really is.” (Salinger 132). Up north, everything is pristine and disattached from society, which acts as an asylum for holden. Holden wants to go to this place because he does not want to have to face his problems, and for Holden, 2013-12-19T00:58:42.477-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holden-Caufield-and-his-shitty-coping-mechanisms-6915.aspx Holden’s Trouble Growing Up In Catcher in the Rye Throughout the entire book Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield experiences a lot of trouble while struggling with the boundary between adolescence and adulthood. Holden’s basic problem in life is that he is unable to accept adulthood and grow up because he is not mature enough to handle a “complex” world. He likes to see things “frozen” because this way things are always the same so he doesn’t have to worry about it. He would rather recede into a false, fantasy world he created than face what the true reality was. As a way of “protecting” himself from the real world, Holden self-ostracizes himself to isolate him from the others around him. As he is growing up Holden cannot understand his surroundings and therefore criticizes them and then alienates himself so that he cannot be criticized or judged. Holden summarizes adults as fake, hypercritical, and superficial while children are everything but this—they are pure, innocent, and virtuous. Therefore, Holden thinks he must protect the children from the traps of adulthood though he is really the one who needs to be saved. Holden’s insecurity and immaturity is noticeable throughout the entire book as he constantly tries to oversimplify everything down to what he can understand while hiding in his own fantasy world away from everyone else, trapped between adolescence and adulthood. Holden’s obsession with keeping things “frozen” throughout the book is brought out during his visit to the Museum of Natural History. Holden’s fascination with keeping things the same stems from the fact that he cannot cope with a changing lifestyle. He fears change because he cannot grasp any new complexities. Throughout the story Holden has shown us that he cannot deal with conflict, confusion, and change, because of his immature mind so he finds refuge in the museum which is always “there for him”. Holden is fascinated by the museum because “everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move…Nobody’d be different.” (Page 121), no matter how many times he went to the museum it was always something safe and reliable he could fall back onto instead of facing the real world. Though Holden does not come out and say it directly, the museum is really Holden’s visualization of what he wishes the entire world was like. Holden says “certain things they should 2004-06-12T03:48:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holden’s-Trouble-Growing-Up-In-Catcher-in-the-Rye-5698.aspx The catcher in the rye “The Catcher in the Rye” By Christine Cameron Hypothesis: How does the writer create a believable main character in Holden? “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger was first published in America and Britain in 1951 but the British version had some minor changes. For example, certain swear words and slang words were removed. It was also banned from schools. This made the book more appealing to me because I wanted to see what all the controversy was about. On reading the book, I found it interesting how the writer managed to create a believable main character in Holden. This is done in a number of different ways using different techniques, all of which fascinated me. From the start of the novel, Holden is portrayed by Salinger as an individual, which makes him more believable as a character. This is done by giving him an individual voice using the first person narrative. The character is the narrator for the whole of the book, slanting the novel entirely from Holden’s point of view. This gives us a better insight into his character and the feelings and views demonstrated by him make him seem more realistic in the eyes of the reader. At the beginning of the novel, Holden’s informal language speaks directly to readers by addressing them as “you” and by the end of the novel, the readers feel as if they know Holden personally, hence contributing towards a believable character. Characters often seem more realistic to the reader if they are shown to have habits. In his speech, Holden has a number of phrases that are repeated time and time again throughout the novel. For example he often says “that kills me” to show that something amuses him. These are traits unique to Holden an individual and make him believable as a character. Another technique that is often used to create Holden as a realistic and believable character is to make him do things that a normal person would do. For example, he often changes the subject whilst having a conversation or jumps from one topic to the next. Holden has a habit of digressing when conversing with people, as normal people do. I feel this is an attempt by the writer to add to the sense of realism. Another aspect that Salinger uses to make Holden’s character more believable is through patterns in his behaviour. Characters can seem more individual 2004-04-06T15:18:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-catcher-in-the-rye-5561.aspx Analysis of Phoebe Siblings are never meant to get along. They yell and bicker over everything and are never able to have a friendly relationship. Very rarely do I see a pleasant relationship between a brother and a sister, who actually are able to communicate without killing each other. When I see siblings that are nice to each other, I admire them because it takes a lot to be nice to their siblings, especially if there is a seven year difference between them, like Holden and Phoebe. In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Phoebe Caulfield, one of the major characters in the novel, loves and thinks highly of her brother, Holden, the protagonist. Phoebe is a ten year old neat, intelligent girl, who looks up to his brother and respects him. She knows Holden inside and out and wants the best for him. It is through Phoebe that we see Holden as a child who never wants to grow up. Phoebe has a great influence both on the reader and Holden, and is one of the few people in the novel who understands what is happening to Holden. Phoebe has a great affect on Holden. Throughout the book Holden feels depressed and lonely. It is only the thought of Phoebe that makes him happy and less lonesome. He thinks about all the fun they had together. When he is around her he does not feel depressed, but joyful. “I certainly felt like talking to her [Phoebe] on the phone. Somebody with some sense and all.” (Salinger, 66) When he feels lonely and wants to call someone, one of the people he always thinks of calling is Phoebe. He feels very close to Phoebe, who actually listens to him. Phoebe is a very smart girl, whom Holden enjoys talking to. He thinks of Phoebe as his equal; someone that he can share things with and talk to, without feeling like he is talking to a “phony”. Another reason Phoebe is important to Holden is the fact that both love each other. “She [Phoebe] likes me a lot. I mean she’s quite fond of me. She really is.” (Salinger, 159) Throughout the novel Holden is having trouble finding someone that truly feels for him and loves him, but Phoebe is the only person that not only understands, but loves 2004-02-25T22:30:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Phoebe-5476.aspx Holden Caulfields Look at Life Haulden Caulfields Look at Life Can be being phony possibly hinder an attempt to accomplish a task to fully function mentally? Can phony delay an individuals maturing period? In J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Holden's "phony phobia" restricts him from becoming a fully matured adult. In Holden's attempted journey in becoming a fully matured adult, he encounters many scenarios involving friendships, personal opinions, and his love of children. His journey is an unpleasant and difficult one with many lessons learned along the way. Holden possesses abnormal relationships with some of the characters in Catcher in the Rye. Many of his friends and those he talks highly about are young children. He does not make any negative comments about these companions, and there is no mention whatsoever of phony. Holden has a strong relationship with Phoebee, his younger sister. Holden vocalizes about the fact Phoebee can visit him anytime in the summer, "What I'd do, I'd let old Phoebee came out and visit me in the summertime and on Christmas vacation and Easter vacation" (205). Holden shows a solid liking to his sister and is always wanting her by his side. He finds a hard time associating with older, mature individuals. Also, a strong relationship with Allie his deceased younger brother, is apparent due to the twenty references in the novel. In fact, most of Holden's fondest memories are of those times with his younger siblings. His comments of innocence help establish this connection. Someone who is trying to learn the stages of developing into a mature adult would not develop as soon, or as fully when spending their time solely with those who are five to seven years of age. They would not experience the guidance from older adults to correct wrong behaviour. The guidance of an elder isn't present and they need to learn by themselves. Harrison Smith has defined Holden's friendships quite clearly "What was wrong with Holden was his moral revulsion against anything that was ugly, evil, cruel, or what he called ‘phony' and his acute responsiveness to beauty and innocence, especially the innocence of the very young." (Smith 1). Holden sees the world as a evil, cruel place where everyone is out to get him. He reacts to the people of the world as the ones creating these feelings of grief for him so he distances himself from these characters. As he shuts himself away from 2003-11-18T20:20:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holden-Caulfields-Look-at-Life-5266.aspx Maturity Through Phonyism What does phony mean to you? Do you consider it something that is not what it really seems? Or even something or someone that isn't normal in all ways or just in some? Phony is one of the words in the English literature that can have an endless amount of interpretations. Can be being phony possibly hinder an attempt to accomplish a task to fully function mentally? Can phony delay an individuals maturing period? In J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Holden's "phony phobia" restricts him from becoming a fully matured adult. In Holden's attempted journey in becoming a fully matured adult, he encounters many scenarios involving friendships, personal opinions, and his love of children. His journey is an unpleasant and difficult one with many lessons learned along the way. Holden possesses abnormal relationships with some of the characters in Catcher in the Rye. Many of his friends and those he talks highly about are young children. He does not make any negative comments about these companions, and there is no mention whatsoever of phony. Holden has a strong relationship with Phoebee, his younger sister. Holden vocalizes about the fact Phoebee can visit him anytime in the summer, "What I'd do, I'd let old Phoebee came out and visit me in the summertime and on Christmas vacation and Easter vacation" (205). Holden shows a solid liking to his sister and is always wanting her by his side. He finds a hard time associating with older, mature individuals. Also, a strong relationship with Allie his deceased younger brother, is apparent due to the twenty references in the novel. In fact, most of Holden's fondest memories are of those times with his younger siblings. His comments of innocence help establish this connection. Someone who is trying to learn the stages of developing into a mature adult would not develop as soon, or as fully when spending their time solely with those who are five to seven years of age. They would not experience the guidance from older adults to correct wrong behaviour. The guidance of an elder isn't present and they need to learn by themselves. Harrison Smith has defined Holden's friendships quite clearly "What was wrong with Holden was his moral revulsion against anything that was ugly, evil, cruel, or what he called ‘phony' and his acute responsiveness to beauty and innocence, especially the innocence of the very young." (Smith 1). 2003-11-16T22:07:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Maturity-Through-Phonyism-5260.aspx Holden Caulfield and King Arthur: A Linking Essay Holden Caulfield and King Arthur are not characters, but symbols the reader identifies with to substitute himself into the plot. In The Catcher in the Rye and The Acts of King Arthur and his Nobel Knights, the reader identifies with the language, the view, and the symbols associated with their central characters. Language gives insight into character. In The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger presents the interior monologue of a character that every reader is or has been—a teenager, Holden Caulfield. Salinger captures Holden’s typical teenage thought with rambling expressions; when Mr Spencer gives Holden a lecture about life being a game that must be played “according to the rules”, Holden replies: Yes sire, I know it is. I know it.” Game, my ass. Some game. Here, Holden conceals his true voice; he releases it in a silent scorn that only he and the reader can hear. Salinger streams Holden’s thought exclusively toward the reader—this allows the reader to substitute himself into Holden’s mind and use it as a vehicle to drive through the plot. Whereas Salinger produces a character to which the reader can identify, In The Acts of King Arthur and his Nobel Knights, author John Steinbeck produces a character to which the reader wants to identify. Steinbeck presents a hero: King Arthur. “Then King Arthur put his army of twenty thousand in motion, and to prevent spies from knowing his movements, he sent advance guards ahead to challenge and capture anyone who could not produce the king’s seal and token.” Steinbeck uses forceful verbs—produce, challenge, capture—as a means of glorifying Arthur’s image. The simple, story-teller voice delivers a medieval undertone that coaxes the reader into the plot, encouraging him to assume the role of Arthur. Further, a character's point of view will persuade the reader to become more involved with the plot. The reader feels empathy toward Holden’s belief that he is a victim to “phonies”—the stupid, the pretentious, and the superficial. Thus when Holden rebels against his phoney society, the reader supports him personally; this enables the reader to identify with Holden and become more involved in his journey. When Holden says his brother prostitutes himself by writing for Hollywood, for example, the reader will take in this point of view rather than question its morality. Arthur holds high regard toward Merlin, for Merlin’s prophecy is a safety net for his future. After Arthur retrieves the Excalibur 2002-11-24T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holden-Caulfield-and-King-Arthur-A-Linking-Essay-5184.aspx Rebel against society In J.D. Salinger’s, The Catcher in the Rye, the novel tries to capture the adolescent life in a hyper-sensitive form, dramatizing Holden Caulfield as the main character who is known to be a “rebel against society.” Holden Caulfield, a seventeen-year-old boy, believes in protecting the innocent. He strongly believes in saving the innocence of children who yet not know adulthood. Especially the innocence of his little sister because he lost his brother who he believes lost his innocence when he died. Holden wants the innocence of children to be frozen behind that glass just like the figures in the exhibit are preserved in the museum where he goes to find his little sister Phoebe. He tries to play the role of a hero trying to protect the citizens (children) from the monster (adult). Holden doesn’t want to grow up yet because he believes that once you grow up, you become “phony”, a word that Holden uses constantly throughout the book in describing adults and people who are prejudice, hypocrites or insincere, but at the same time he is moving to adulthood yet he doesn’t want to except reality. For example, when Holden shows two boys where the Egyptian section in the museum is located, he finds that he is walking down a dark hallway. The two boys are afraid and run back but Holden continues forward. This represents how Holden is moving forward from childhood into adulthood but the two little boys are not yet ready to make such a move. He’s against the adult world in which he forcefully has to live in and that is why he rebels against the adult world, and society. For trying to make children grow up and for all the “phony” things that surround him. Even if it’s friends, parents, adults, etc. Holden Caulfield is portrayed as a typical teenager who rebels against society, parents, teachers, school, and other adults. Trying to be independent and act like an adult, but adults restrict him. Adults tell teenagers what to do and how to act which Holden doesn’t approve of. Holden rejects the ideas and values that the society sets. Adults in society always place a great emphasis on education, but Holden does not think it is important. As a result, he rebels and does not do his work: They kicked me out. I wasn't supposed to come back after Christmas vacation, on account of I 2002-05-20T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rebel-against-society-4774.aspx Holden's Eyes The Catcher in the Rye has truly earned its place among great classic works. J. D. Salinger created a literary piece that was completely unique. The entire novel was written in the first person view of the 17-year-old, Holden Caulfield. The majority of the story is compiled of Holden's rudimentary monologue of 'complexly simple' thoughts, the rest utilizing his relay of previous dialogue. That and the use of unique punctuation, digressing explanations, and complex characterization, transformed the simple plot into the complex literary classic. The novel's dialogue and monologue alike, manage to relay the feel of natural speaking such as: "I mean you'd be different in some way - I can't explain what I mean." The contractions; you'd and can't - since they are common in everyday language - establish a very common and simple tone. Stress on the first syllable of "different," reinforces the tone by demonstrating how typically they speak, just as in reality. He uses dashes for pauses and signaling associative digressions. Instead of signaling pauses, commas are used mostly where mechanically required, for instance: "So all of a sudden, I ran like a madman across the street - I damn near got myself killed doing it, if you want to know the truth - and went in this stationary store and bought a pad and pencil." Holden Caulfield creates a thought provoking point of view. On the surface many of his thought patterns seem unrelated and straying from the topic. His association of topic with digression is used almost constantly throughout the novel. However, realizing that these digressions are very relevant and even crucial to the topic allow the reader to gain true insight to the character. His statements about his sister's intelligence, followed by explanations of how well she listens, reveals Holden's associations of intelligence with being quiet and observant. Another example would be his tension around the nuns. Even though he enjoyed the conversation, he worried about being asked if he was Catholic. He stated they "...would have liked it better if he were Catholic." This gives insight to his discomfort with being judged morally, and to his association of people of morals looking down on those who don't share them. In Holden's descriptions and thoughts, Salinger accomplished the most unique aspect of the story's point-of-view. Instead of using the popular - however overrated - style of well refined thoughts and flowery descriptions, Salinger describes things as 2002-04-08T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holden-s-Eyes-4620.aspx How Exhibitionism and Rebellion Prevent Healthy Relationships in Holden Caulfield <H2>Introduction</H2> There are certain behaviours that prevent healthy relationships. Exhibitionism is a behaviour that can prevent healthy relationships between people. Rebellion is another behaviour that keeps one from having a strong relationship. These behaviours, common in teenagers, can be seen in J.D. Salinger’s popular character, Holden Caulfield. Exhibitionism and rebellion prevent Holden from developing good relationships with people. The purpose of this report is to show how exhibitionism and rebellion keep Holden Caulfield from establishing healthy relationships with other people. Behaviours that Prevent Healthy Relationships How Exhibitionism Prevents Healthy Relationships Exhibitionism is a behaviour that can prevent healthy relationships between people. Exhibitionism is a tendency to call attention to oneself or show off (Webster’s New World Dictionary 125). Adolescence is a time when exhibitionism is most common. People who show exhibitionism call attention to themselves in many ways. They act foolishly, disrupt others, wear outrageous clothing, and have a tendency to raise their voices (“Adolescent Behaviour” 1). These acts are a nuisance and can be extremely annoying (Personal Interview). People regard exhibitionists as those who cannot control their own actions or those who attract negative attention toward themselves because they cannot attract positive attention. “I can’t stand people that just act out in class or something. They make you turn and look, but it’s for the wrong reasons” (Personal Interview). Exhibitionism is a behaviour that prevents one from having healthy relationships because it bothers other people. <H2>How Rebellion Prevents Healthy Relationships</H2> In addition to exhibitionism, rebellion is another behaviour that prevents healthy relationships. Rebellion is the defiance of authority or the refusal to accept authority (Webster’s New World Dictionary 318). People who rebel prevent healthy relationships with the people they are rebelling against (“Teenage Rebellion” 2). They tend to cause difficulties against authority because of a difference of opinion (“The World of Adolescence” 3). Rebellion is a common behaviour seen among teenagers. Often, they rebel against parents or teachers because they do not want to conform to rules. Teenagers use abusive language, use illegal substances such as drugs or alcohol (See Appendix A), break curfews, refuse to do homework, or vandalize buildings (“Teenage Rebellion” 2). This upsets the authority figures and causes tension between the adolescents and the authority figures. Common to adolescence, rebellion prevents people from developing healthy relationships with authority figures. <H2>Exhibitionism in Adolescents</H2> Exhibitionism is a common behaviour displayed by adolescents. Exhibitionism is the extravagant and conspicuous behaviour intended to attract attention 2001-12-29T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Exhibitionism-and-Rebellion-Prevent-Healthy-Relationships-in-Holden-Caulfield-4189.aspx The Catcher in the Rye In 1964, J.D. Salinger composed a novel titled The Catcher in the Rye that became quite controversial and was banned from several schools because of inappropriate content. The story is pretty dramatic, but it has many comical incidents. The book is trying to project the idea that you can run from your problems as much as you want; however it is inevitable that you face them. You can’t run forever! If this were a scary movie, the evil laughter would start now. Our main character Holden Caulfield at first appears to be having a conflict with society, but, upon closer examination, we see he is truly only at war with himself. Our story starts with Holden being kicked out of yet another school, this time Pencey Prep, for failing four classes. He is supposed to go home at Christmas Break and not return, however, things don’t work out like that. A situation progresses into a first fight when Holden finds out that his roommate had sex with a girl named Jane Gallagher, who it becomes apparent that Holden loves. Holden loses the fight and grabs his bags and hunting hat and heads for the train station a few days early. One conflict is Holden deciding how to tell his parents that he was kicked out of Pencey. Another less obvious conflict is Holden dealing with the people around him without getting the urge to blow up a building. He is completely convinced that everyone in the world is a phony, except for his little sister Phoebe, Jane, and himself. Throughout the story, he is plagued by phony people. These two problems connect when Holden is attempting to plan his future away from such phonies and do it without his parents finding out about Pencey. After he leaves Pencey, Holden takes a train to New York, where his only plans are to plan to make plans. He meets all sorts of people in New York, including a ditsy blonde named Bernice at the Lavender Room. He buys a hooker named Sunny from a guy named Maurice, but pays her just for talking. There’s a mix-up about the payment, so Maurice beats him bloody. He goes to see a show with a girl named Sally Hayes and wants to run away with her, then decides she’s phony, so he leaves her at a diner. He meets an old friend named Luce for drinks and ends 2001-12-18T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Catcher-in-the-Rye-4172.aspx The Catcher In The Rye In 1964, J.D. Salinger composed a novel titled The Catcher in the Rye that became quite controversial and was banned from several schools because of inappropriate content. The story is pretty dramatic, but it has many comical incidents. The book is trying to project the idea that you can run from your problems as much as you want; however it is inevitable that you face them. You can’t run forever! If this were a scary movie, the evil laughter would start now. Our main character Holden Caulfield at first appears to be having a conflict with society, but, upon closer examination, we see he is truly only at war with himself. Our story starts with Holden being kicked out of yet another school, this time Pencey Prep, for failing four classes. He is supposed to go home at Christmas Break and not return, however, things don’t work out like that. A situation progresses into a first fight when Holden finds out that his roommate had sex with a girl named Jane Gallagher, who it becomes apparent that Holden loves. Holden loses the fight and grabs his bags and hunting hat and heads for the train station a few days early. One conflict is Holden deciding how to tell his parents that he was kicked out of Pencey. Another less obvious conflict is Holden dealing with the people around him without getting the urge to blow up a building. He is completely convinced that everyone in the world is a phony, except for his little sister Phoebe, Jane, and himself. Throughout the story, he is plagued by phony people. These two problems connect when Holden is attempting to plan his future away from such phonies and do it without his parents finding out about Pencey. After he leaves Pencey, Holden takes a train to New York, where his only plans are to plan to make plans. He meets all sorts of people in New York, including a ditsy blonde named Bernice at the Lavender Room. He buys a hooker named Sunny from a guy named Maurice, but pays her just for talking. There’s a mix-up about the payment, so Maurice beats him bloody. He goes to see a show with a girl named Sally Hayes and wants to run away with her, then decides she’s phony, so he leaves her at a diner. He meets an old friend named Luce for drinks and ends 2001-03-17T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Catcher-In-The-Rye-3036.aspx The Catcher In The Rye - The Etymology and Symbolism of Characters' Names Catcher in the Rye’s pallid cover, adorned only with seven multicolored bands in its upper-left corner, is not what one would call eye-catching. Its reverse side lacks criticisms or reviews of any sort; in fact, it is bare of anything except a copyright date. Human beings are advised not to judge books by their covers, rather that they should look further than the obvious and try to apprehend the implied meaning. The world has peered past Catcher in the Rye’s cover, cracked its pure, uniform shell of cardboard and discovered the novel of a decade, a story that has now made the name “Holden Caulfield” synonymous with “cynical adolescent.” Within the novel, however, there are more “books” into which we can read a bit more deeply - the characters. It seems quite obvious that their personalities correspond with the root meanings of their names. Would brilliant author J.D. Salinger pick the name “Holden” for the protagonist without reason? Analysis uncovers connections between themes and mannerisms that are far too relevant to have been coincidental. Holden Caulfield, his younger sister Phoebe, and a cast of minor characters such as Ackley, James Castle, Carl Luce, Faith Cavendish, and Sally Hayes are several characters whose names display these connections. As the novel opens, Holden Caulfield stands poised on a hill separating him from the rest of his school at the annual football game. He is both isolated from and above the level of his peers, watching the big game from a distance. His position is a metaphor for his views on life. The phoniness of life disgusts him, and he longs to live in a world free of the tainted hypocrisy he is seeing more and more of as he grows older. He sees the game as a collection of the “phonies” he detests, and is avoiding joining them. He is “Holden” back, not allowing himself to become a part of the ugliness he sees in virtually everyone. Chains of contempt for the world act as manacles that secure his superior attitude and ensure he will not become what he hates. The name “Holden” flawlessly portrays his inability to join society because of his high ideals for it. Caulfield, his last name, relates to recurring theme of childhood innocence. A “caul” is defined as a part of the amnion, one of the membranes enveloping the fetus, which sometimes is around the head of 2001-02-10T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Catcher-In-The-Rye-The-Etymology-and-Symbolism-of-Characters-Names-2861.aspx The Catcher in the Rye Some may say that the main character of J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, is merely the average teenager, although he seems to think about sex and women quite a lot for his age of sixteen. This point can be easily argued in many ways, one example being the time Holden called a perfect stranger, Faith Cavendish, to get together at an unruly time of night. Another example of the main character’s perversion is when he hired a prostitute named Sunny, and never actually accomplished anything. One last example could be Caulfield’s overall impression and cockiness when it comes to sex and women. In conclusion Holden Caulfield is engrossed in sexual thought. The protagonist’s fixation with members of the opposite sex can first be argued when he phone’s a girl who’s number he received from a guy he meet once at a party; he said that the girl was “not exactly a whore or anything but didn’t mind doing it once in a while”. After Holden had spent a good amount of time trying to persuade her to meet him, because he was “feeling pretty horny”, the girl, Faith Cavendish, finally got him to register the answer of no into his brain. At this point Faith asked the main character if he would like to meet for drinks the next day, but he declined, because the next day he may not be feeling horny anymore. Obviously, the main character was so determined to do something sexy that night he turned down a friendly invitation, which proves that Holden Caulfield is fascinated by sex and women. Over all because the protagonist called an unknown woman for sex, then refused her proposal for a get together the next day; Holden is obviously fixated with both sex and women. Second, another example of Holden’s perversion is when he hires a prostitute named Sunny from the elevator man at his hotel. Although some may say that calling a stranger in the middle of the night, like Holden did with Faith, is normal, but hiring a prostitute when one is sixteen years old is far from average. After the prostitute, Sunny, arrived in Holden’s room and had stripped off her dress Holden lied to her saying that he had an injured “clavichord” so that he could back out of doing the deed, instead of admitting that he didn’t want to; this caused 2000-12-03T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Catcher-in-the-Rye-2621.aspx 5 paragragh essay: The Catcher in the Rye From the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the youthful protagonist Holden Caufield, employs the word “phony” to describe the behavior of a number of characters including Mr. Spencer and Ossenburger, however it is not them who are“phony”, it is the young main character. First, Mr. Spencer, Holden’s ex- history teacher, is not described as phony, but according to the adolescent, his choice of words are. Secondly, according to our main character, Ossenburger is not the generous philanthropist he portrays himself to be, but rather a greedy undertaker. Lastly, the protagonist could quite possibly be the authentic phony. All in all, the main character’s use to describe many other characters in the book is with the single word phony, when in fact the word phony would be the most probable word to describe the lead character. Illustrating Mr. Spencer as phony because of his vocabulary, is when Holden leaves Pencey Prep permanently, and goes to say good-bye to the ex-history teacher. The depicted fake tells the ex-Pencey student “I had the privilege of meeting your mother and dad when they had their little chat with Dr. Thurmer some weeks ago. They’re grand people”. The ex-Pencey student immediately impugns Mr. Spencer’s use of the word “grand”, and tells the reader: “Grand. There’s a word I hate. It’s a phony. I could puke every time I heard it.” To sum up, Holden disgusts Mr. Spencer’s utilization of the word “grand” and thinks it is fraudulent. Also, Caufield, describes Ossenbuger as phony because of what Holden perceived he did for a living. The wing where the central character lived at Pencey was called the “Ossenbuger Memorial Wing” named after a men who went to Pencey and later donated a substantial amount of money to the school. Ossenburger makes this income by the “business of undertaking”. Next, according to our youthful character, Ossenburger is phony because “he probably just shoves the dead bodies in a bag and throws them in the river”. As a result, Caufield feels that Ossenburger is phony because of his profession in undertaking. While observing the discription of many other characters in the novel as phony, it is safe to say that the phony character is indeed the protagonist. For example, the false character when lying to Mr. Spencer about going to the gym to clear everything out before leaving, is Holden. Once again we see this falsehood, when he tries to hit 2000-12-02T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/5-paragragh-essay-The-Catcher-in-the-Rye-2613.aspx A Moment of Revelation In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s innocence is taken away through a twisted chain of events. The novel opens up with Holden depresses after fluking out of Penecy, the suicide of a classmate, and the death of his brother, Allie. Because if these tragic events, Holden tries to preserve his innocence and the purity of the children around him. Holden wants to “catch” all of the naïve children who are falling off the cliff into adulthood. As a result of Holden coming across his sister Phoebe and the “fuck you” on the wall of the school, Holden’s dreams of becoming the catcher in the rye disappear. He finally realizes that all children must fall into adulthood, just as he has. While walking through the bust streets of New York, Holden notices a lighthearted little boy who is walking and humming “if a body catch a body coming through the rye” (43). Holden finds it humorous that the child can hum so nonchalantly as the cars on the bust street honk at him. Despite the fast-moving cars, which represent the average “phonies” in the world, the child pays no attention to them. When Holden sees that the little boy will not allow himself to be pulled into the average crowd of people, he realizes that not everyone wishes to fall from their simple childhood into adulthood. From Holden’s encounter with this little boy, he wants to become the “catcher in the rye.” He says to Phoebe: I kept picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I am standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff. I mean if they’re running and they don’t look they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. (173) By saying that he wants to catch all the children that are running and not looking where they’re going, Holden is saying that he wants to save all the little children from the fake behavior of the adults in the world. He wants to prevent the children from making the mistake of becoming phony. Holden’s outlook, of wanting to save the children from adulthood, begins to change after he sees the “fuck you” on 2000-11-09T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Moment-of-Revelation-2468.aspx Holden Caulfield's Attempt Into Maturity Through Phony What does phony mean to you? Do you consider it something that is not what it really seems? Or even something or someone that isn't normal in all ways or just in some? Phony is one of the words in the English literature that can have an endless amount of interpretations. Can be being phony possibly hinder an attempt to accomplish a task to fully function mentally? Can phony delay an individuals maturing period? In J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Holden's "phony phobia" restricts him from becoming a fully matured adult. In Holden's attempted journey in becoming a fully matured adult, he encounters many scenarios involving friendships, personal opinions, and his love of children. His journey is an unpleasant and difficult one with many lessons learned along the way. Holden possesses abnormal relationships with some of the characters in Catcher in the Rye. Many of his friends and those he talks highly about are young children. He does not make any negative comments about these companions, and there is no mention whatsoever of phony. Holden has a strong relationship with Phoebee, his younger sister. Holden vocalizes about the fact Phoebee can visit him anytime in the summer, "What I'd do, I'd let old Phoebee came out and visit me in the summertime and on Christmas vacation and Easter vacation" (205). Holden shows a solid liking to his sister and is always wanting her by his side. He finds a hard time associating with older, mature individuals. Also, a strong relationship with Allie his deceased younger brother, is apparent due to the twenty references in the novel. In fact, most of Holden's fondest memories are of those times with his younger siblings. His comments of innocence help establish this connection. Someone who is trying to learn the stages of developing into a mature adult would not develop as soon, or as fully when spending their time solely with those who are five to seven years of age. They would not experience the guidance from older adults to correct wrong behaviour. The guidance of an elder isn't present and they need to learn by themselves. Harrison Smith has defined Holden's friendships quite clearly "What was wrong with Holden was his moral revulsion against anything that was ugly, evil, cruel, or what he called ‘phony' and his acute responsiveness to beauty and innocence, especially the innocence of the very young." (Smith 1). 2000-06-11T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holden-Caulfield-s-Attempt-Into-Maturity-Through-Phony-2091.aspx Holden Caulfield In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield views the world as an evil and corrupt place where there is no peace. "His anger turned to relentlessly unforgiving social scorn." (Coles)This perception of the world does not change significantly through the novel. However as the novel progresses, Holden gradually comes to the realization that he is powerless to change this. "Holden Caulfield had much going for him--a comfortable suburban life and a privileged educational background in a private school." (Coles) During the short period of Holden's life covered in this book. Shortly after Holden leaves Pencey Prep, he checks in to the Edmont Hotel. This is " what Holden Caulfield would call ‘the phony world’." (French) Holden spends the following evening in the hotel which was "full of perverts and morons. [There were] screwballs all over the place."(Salinger 61) His situation only deteriorates from this point on as the more he looks around this world, the more depressing life seems. Around every corner Holden sees corruption. He looks out on a world which appears completely immoral and unscrupulous. In those three days the novel places a distressed Holden in the vicinity of Manhattan. The city is decked with decorations and holiday splendor, yet, much to Holden's despair seldom yields any occasions of peace, charity or even genuine merriment. Holden is surrounded by what he views as drunks, perverts, morons and screwballs. These convictions which Holden holds waver very momentarily during only one particular scene in the book. The scene is that with Mr. Antolini. After Mr. Antolini patted Holden on the head while he was sleeping, Holden jumped up and ran out thinking that Mr. Antolini was a pervert as well. This is the only time during the novel where Holden thinks twice about considering someone as a pervert. After reviewing Mr. Antolini, Holden finally concludes that maybe he wasn't making a "flitty" pass at him. Maybe he just like patting guys heads as they sleep. This is really the only time in the novel where Holden actually considers a positive side. But this was a major let down for him. Mr. Antolini was what Holden had thought of as a father type figure but it turns out Mr. Antolini ruined the sense of trust between them. This event does not constitute a significant change. As Holden himself says, "It's not too bad when the sun's out, but the sun only comes 2000-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holden-Caulfield-1596.aspx Through Holden's Eyes The Catcher in the Rye has truly earned it's place among great classic works. J. D. Salinger created a literary piece that was completely unique. The entire novel was written in the first person view of the 17-year-old, Holden Caulfield. The majority of the story is compiled of Holden's rudimentary monologue of 'complexly simple' thoughts, the rest utilizing his relay of previous dialogue. That and the use of unique punctuation, digressing explanations, and complex characterization, transformed the simple plot into the complex literary classic. The novel's dialogue and monologue alike, manage to relay the feel of natural speaking such as: "I mean you'd be different in some way - I can't explain what I mean." The contractions; you'd and can't - since they are common in everyday language - establish a very common and simple tone. Stress on the first syllable of "different," reinforces the tone by demonstrating how typically they speak, just as in reality. He uses dashes for pauses and signaling associative digressions. Instead of signaling pauses, commas are used mostly where mechanically required, for instance: "So all of a sudden, I ran like a madman across the street - I damn near got myself killed doing it, if you want to know the truth - and went in this stationary store and bought a pad and pencil." Holden Caulfield creates a thought provoking point of view. On the surface many of his thought patterns seem unrelated and straying from the topic. His association of topic with digression is used almost constantly throughout the novel. However, realizing that these digressions are very relevant and even crucial to the topic allow the reader to gain true insight to the character. His statements about his sister's intelligence, followed by explanations of how well she listens, reveals Holden's associations of intelligence with being quiet and observant. Another example would be his tension around the nuns. Even though he enjoyed the conversation, he worried about being asked if he was Catholic. He stated they "...would have liked it better if he were Catholic." This gives insight to his discomfort with being judged morally, and to his association of people of morals looking down on those who don't share them. In Holden's descriptions and thoughts, Salinger accomplished the most unique aspect of the story's point-of-view. Instead of using the popular - however overrated - style of well refined thoughts and flowery descriptions, Salinger describes things as they are 1999-11-25T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Through-Holden-s-Eyes-1296.aspx Understanding Holden In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the first person narration is critical in helping the reader to know and understand the main character, Holden Caulfield. Holden, in his narration, relates a flashback of a significant period of his life, three days and nights on his own in New York City. Through his narration, Holden discloses to the reader his innermost thoughts and feelings. He thus provides the reader not only with information of what occurred, but also how he felt about what happened. Holden's thoughts and ideas reveal many of his character traits. One late Saturday night, four days before the beginning of school vacation, Holden is alone, bored and restless, wondering what to do. He decides to leave Pencey, his school, at once and travels to New York by train. He decides that, once in New York, he will stay in a cheap motel until Wednesday, when he is to return home. His plan shows the reader how very impetuous he is and how he acts on a whim. He is unrealistic, thinking that he has a foolproof plan, even though the extent of his plans are to "take a room in a hotel.., and just take it easy till Wednesday." Holden's excessive thoughts on death are not typical of most adolescents. His near obsession with death might come from having experienced two deaths in his early life. He constantly dwells on Allie, his brother's, death. From Holden's thoughts, it is obvious that he loves and misses Allie. In order to hold on to his brother and to minimize the pain of his loss, Holden brings Allie's baseball mitt along with him where ever he goes. The mitt has additional meaning and significance for Holden because Allie had written poetry, which Holden reads, on the baseball mitt. Holden's preoccupation with death can be seen in his contemplation of a dead classmate, James Castle. It tells the reader something about Holden that he lends his turtleneck sweater to this classmate, with whom he is not at all close. Holden's feelings about people reveal more of his positive traits. He constantly calls people phonies, even his brother, D.B., who " has sold out to Hollywood." Although insulting, his seemingly negative feelings show that Holden is a thinking and analyzing, outspoken individual who values honesty and sincerity. He is unimpressed with people who try to look good in other's eyes. Therefore, 1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understanding-Holden-1238.aspx A Psychological Profile of Holden Caufield <b>Thesis:</b> Holden Caufield is a hostile, negatively charged character that suffers from depression which stems from a desire not to grow up and a lack of closure in his brothers death. "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like . . . "(pg. 1) These first words that Holden Caufield communicates during his tell of events that brought him to his breakdown, show the pent up hostility that still lingers. This pattern of speech, the constant expression of negativity, is a character trait of Holden that shows his inner anguish. Holden also feels a continual need for affirmation of what he just said with phrases such as, "He really would."(pg. 25) or "It really isn't." (Pg. 89) This continual need for approval shows a lowered level of self-assurance. This lowered self-assurance probably stems from his self-awareness that he is an unreliable source. The reason he is unreliable is due to his deceitful narrative of occurrences. This is seen repeatedly as Holden builds an individual up as good or righteous such as Stradlater, (pg. 25) then tears him down later. (pg 43) This inability to give truthful accounts of individuals could stem from his constant digression from the point at hand. Holden freely admits to this trait on page 183 when he says "The trouble with me is, I like it when somebody digresses. It's more interesting and all." "Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone."(pg. 122) This phrase Holden made while discussing how things were different each time he went to the museum, stems from an inability to accept that he must grow up. The thought of growing up has driven Holden into bouts of depression as inhis discussion on page 133, " It'd be entirely different. I said. I was getting depressed as hell again." This nonconformist desire has led Holden to have illusions of grandeur as a fictional savior, "The Catcher in the Rye."(pg. 173) The catcher in the rye is undoubtedly a metaphor, for keeping children from falling into the same norm as adults. The inability of Holden to accept growing up and the depression caused by it has made Holden suicidal, "what I really felt like, 1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Psychological-Profile-of-Holden-Caufield-1165.aspx Catcher in the Rye In JD Salingers' Catcher in the Rye, a troubled teenager named Holden Caufield struggles with the fact that everyone has to grow up. The book gets its title from Holden's constant concern with the loss of innocence. He did not want children to grow up because he felt that adults are corrupt. This is seen when Holden tries to erase naughty words from the walls of an elementary school where his younger sister Phoebe attended. "While I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy. Somebody'd written 'Fuck you' on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they'd wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them- all cockeyed, naturally- what it meant, and how they'd all think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days. I kept wanting to kill whoever'd written it. I figured it was some perverty bum that'd sneaked in the school late at night to take a leak or something and then wrote it on the wall. I kept picturing myself catching him at it, and how I'd smash his head on the stone steps till hew as good and goddam dead and bloody." (201) His deep concern with impeccability caused him to create stereotypes of a hooligan that would try to corrupt the children of an elementary school. Holden believed that children were innocent because they viewed the world and society without any bias. When Phoebe asked him to name something that he would like to be when he grew up, the only thing he would have liked to be was a "catcher in the rye." He invented an illusion for himself of a strange fantasy. He stated that he would like to follow a poem by Robert Burns: "If a body catch a body comin' through the rye." He kept "picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around- nobody big, I mean- except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out 1999-09-28T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Catcher-in-the-Rye-1016.aspx The Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, is what I believe to be one of the most well-developed characters which I have read about. He has many characteristics that are all his own, such as the way he views the world, his friends and his family. One of the main things that characterizes Holden, is that way that he thinks the entire world is "phony." Holden's view of the world as "phony" is a very strong one, and in most cases, is correct. Holden thinks that the majority of the people in the world are putting on some sort of an act to impress or befriend people. In a way, Holden is probably correct in thinking that most of the people he came in contact with are "phony," such as his roommate at Pencey, Ward Stradlater. In one instance, Holden refers to Stradlater as a "secret slob." He describes how Stradlater always tries to be neat and tidy on the outside so as to impress people, but how he is not when you get to know him. In the scene where Holden and Stradlater are in the "can," and Stradlater is getting ready for a date, Holden describes Stradlater's razor as "rusty as hell and full of lather and hair and crap." Another of Holden's run-ins with "phonies," came to him while he was in New York City. He was lonely and looking for someone to keep him company, so he calls a girl named Faith Cavendish. He was told about Faith by a friend of his who went to Princeton, Eddie Birdsell. When he calls Faith, she has no desire to talk to him whatsoever, and she makes that quite clear, until Holden drops the name of Eddie, and she instantly perks up at the thought that Holden might be an important person. She asks Holden where he's calling from, and he replies "a phone booth," and he tells her that he has no money, and she then tells Holden that she has no time. The way that Faith changes her mind so quickly when she finds that Holden has no money is a prime example of the "phonies" Holden encounters. Another general example of what Holden thinks is "phony" is actors. He talks about how D.B. took Phoebe and him to see "Hamlet," and he talks about Sir Laurence Olivier, and how the 1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Catcher-in-the-Rye-734.aspx Catcher in the Rye "There's far more to the censorship issue than a ban on sex and four-letter words. I sometimes think that those of us who need to be the most clearheaded about these matters are planting the very trees that obscure our view of the forest," says Dorothy Briley. According to Briley, a vast amount more is needed than simply vulgar language and suggestive material to censor a novel. But this is the very reason why J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is frequently being banned from high schools. To the teenage readers, who are at the transition from childhood to adulthood, the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, who has not quite reached the brink of manhood, becomes the reader's hero. The adolescent mind that Salinger portrays so accurately in his novel is one with which most teenagers and readers, at one time or another, could identify. The Catcher in the Rye also contains universal themes that, for teenagers about to shift into adulthood, help young adults better understand the world and other people. Although it does contain abusive language and sexual connotations, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger should not be censored in high schools because it provides insightful information and relevance to the life of young adults through its realistic situations and themes of acceptance and materialism. The reader can relate to the realistic situations, such as the scene at the Lunts play, present in the novel. Salinger portrays "real life while he "She saw some jerk she knew on the other side of the lobby. Some guy in one of those very dark gray flannel suits and one of those checkered vests. Strictly Ivy League. Big Deal...The worst part was, the jerk had one of those very phony, Ivy League voices, one of those very tired, snobby voices" (127, 128). The theme of materialism also gives insight to the average teenage reader. Salinger uses clever mockery to illustrate to the reader how inane teenagers act over materialistic objects. This is particularly evident when Holden elaborates about suitcases: The thing is, it's really hard to be roommates with people if your suitcases are much better than theirs - if yours are really good ones and theirs aren't. You think if they're intelligent and all, the other person, and have a good sense of humor, that they don't give a damn whose 1999-03-12T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Catcher-in-the-Rye-601.aspx Catcher in the Rye Jerome David Salinger, born in New York City on January 1, 1919, may not have written many novels in which he is recognized for. Although, he did write one novel, which brought him fame. In many of Salinger's short stories and especially his most well-known novel he writes about how the main character falls from his or her own innocence then rises to face their challenges. In J.D. Salinger's , Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield goes through a fall from his innocence throughout his journey to his safe haven, home. One example of when Holden fell from his own innocence is when he is in the room with Phoebe and he can't name anything he likes. Holden reacts to this question by saying, "Boy, she was depressing me"(Salinger 169). The only three things he can name that he liked were Allie, James Castle, and sitting there chewing the fat with Phoebe. The reason this is a time when Holden falls is because he gets really depressed when he can barely think of anything he liked. The reason I think Holden gets so depressed is because two of the people he names are dead. That's why he is so lonely all the time. Holden finds things in common with Allie and James Castle and since they're both dead he feels, in the back of his mind, that he should also be dead which makes him depressed. Another example of a fall for Holden is when he realizes he can't erase even half the "fuck you's" in the world. This doesn't sound very important, but it is symbolic because he realizes that he can not be the catcher in the rye. His dream of shielding all the innocent children from society's harsh elements has been ruined by this one statement. Now because of this realization he comes to the conclusion that he can not shield everybody, not even half of everybody. An example of Holden trying to be the catcher in the rye is when Holden first sees the "fuck you" on the wall. Holden said, "It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other kids would see it, and how they'd wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them- all cockeyed, naturally what it meant, and how they'd think about it even worry about it for a couple of days. 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Catcher-in-the-Rye-65.aspx