The Themes of The Catcher in the Rye - 840 Words

Considered one of the best novels of the 20th century, The Catcher in the Rye has affected readers around the globe since its publication in 1951. Its contemporary critics, however, gave the novel mixed reviews. Compared to the ideals of 1950s America, Holden Caulfield, the emotionally immature, extremely judgmental, teen-aged main character of â€Å"Catcher,† embodies the antithesis. Holden was an affront to the new social order, which demanded conformity and propagated the â€Å"father knows best† mentality. Americans, however, despite the postwar economic boom, remained suspicious of authority. In idyllic suburban neighborhoods across the country, while families huddled around their new television screens, people discussed their neighbors’ movements, made distrustful even of their closest friends by the â€Å"Red Scare†. The American Dream seemed like a golden ring just out of reach, leaving people feeling like they were going around in circles withou t a clear destination or purpose. With his sense of nostalgia for better times, his bleak perspective of the future, and his contradictory nature, Holden speaks directly to this sense of confusion at the world that Americans felt during the 1950s. The name of the novel is derived from what Holden describes as his â€Å"dream job.† Phoebe, Holden’s little sister, who has the uncanny ability to see right through his bravado and blasà © attitude, asks Holden to name one thing he likes enough to actually do (Salinger 92-93). After quite a bit ofShow MoreRelatedTheme Of The Catcher In The Rye976 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger there are several different themes portrayed that widely relate to current issues of teenagers and adults alike. While reading the novel several different themes were revealed creating a deep and meaningful story line. Three themes viewed within the novel are; the phoniness of the adult world, alien ation as a form of self-protection, and the painfulness of growing up. Each of these themes have large significance in character and plot developmentRead MoreThemes in the Catcher in the Rye926 Words   |  4 Pages One of the prominent themes in the novel The Catcher in the Rye and one of great interest to the narrator, Holden has dealt with major forces of trauma as a child, Holden fears the robbing of innocence, and Holden tries to hold on to ask much innocence as possible. To begin with, it is evident throughout the novel that the narrator has been traumatized by the loss of his younger brother Allie that died of leukemia four years before the story is told. One could support that Allie’s death influencedRead MoreThemes In Catcher In The Rye1150 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Catcher in the Rye† is a classic American novel written by J.D. Salinger. In this book Salinger uses multiple themes, in order to connect the reader to the main character, Holden Caulfield, and the story itself. Three of the themes he uses in the book are innocence vs. maturity, â€Å"phoniness†, and loneliness. These themes are great in this novel when they stand alone. However, when Salinger uses them to connect to the others, it becomes a story that will stay with you for a lifetime, and the readerRead MoreTheme Of Maturity In Catcher In The Rye1950 Words   |  8 Pageschildhood. J.D. Salinger displays this perfectly with his coming of age novel The Cat cher in the Rye. This coming of age novel has set the tone for many other novels of the like. The main crux of the novel focuses on maturity and how it affects the characters. This is very apparent with the main character Holden Caulfield, and Salinger uses this character to subtly create a commentary on maturity. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is not the only character who demonstrates this claim, but he is theRead MoreThe Theme Of Innocence In The Catcher In The Rye1222 Words   |  5 Pageswould not stand for these kinds of issues. Through Salinger’s use of symbolism and Holden’s views, he depicts the message of innocence. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s hypocritical character clearly illuminates the message of children always growing-up. Because Holden is the protector, the message of innocence in The Catcher in the Rye is reinforced. The theme about innocence is that everyone tries very hard to protect children from growing up but sooner or later all children grow up; it’s inevitableRead MoreTheme Of Paradoxes In Catcher In The Rye841 Words   |  4 PagesParadoxes, in literature, are often employed by writers to emphasize the themes. Their true nature could be rather confusing, as they could be used in many ways. However, when analyzed at their fundamental levels, it is noted that paradoxes convey more profound ideas. Similarly, in The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger’s use of Holden’s paradoxes that overarch the entire novel emphasizes the apparent theme of identity by pointing out Holden’s problems and struggles. Salinger attempts to evince societalRead MoreTheme Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye951 Words   |  4 PagesCorrupted Purity: A Look into the Loss of Innocence in the Catcher in the Rye Innocence is a beautiful thing to appreciate. Sadly, all people lose that innocence to the impurity of the world. In the novel, the Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, Salinger uses symbolism that is found throughout the novel to portray the theme that losing innocence is an inevitable process in the human development. He depicts this theme by adding hidden messages to things that the main character, Holden, interactsRead MoreAnalysis Of Characters And Themes Of The Catcher Rye 1537 Words   |  7 Pages Analysis of Characters and Themes in The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger was born in 1919 to a wealthy Manhattan family. He grew up in the same social conditions as Holden Caulfield does in The Catcher in the Rye. The last thing Salinger cared about was being a successful student because he was very lazy, without care for his responsibilities and tasks. Salinger flunked out of many prep schools, and his parents sent him to a military academy named Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, where he graduatedRead MoreTheme Of Character Names In Catcher In The Rye1612 Words   |  7 Pagesif I could, Im not sure Id feel like it†(Salinger 74). Once again Holden â€Å"holds† back from the reader to avoid saying too much about himself. Thus, to achieve the greatest knowledge of The Catcher in the Rye the reader must examine the connections between the symbolic character names and the recurring themes. From the major characters including Holden Caulfield to the minor characters such as Sally Hayes, Salinger creatively uses their names to portray their personalities. As the novel opens, HoldenRead MoreEssay on The Theme of Hypocrisy in The Catcher In The Rye488 Words   |  2 Pages The Theme of Hypocrisy in The Catcher In The Rye nbsp; nbsp; In the novel The Catcher In The Rye, the protagonist Holden Caulfield views his surroundings with hypocrisy and contempt in an attempt to avoid the corruption of adulthood. Holden places himself above the crowd because he believes everyone acts phony. In the process, Caulfield reveals his true problem: his refusal to change. nbsp; Holden fears adulthood because it brings responsibilities and trouble. He believes all