The Catcher In The Rye Essays (718 words) - Fiction, Literature

The Catcher In The Rye The Catcher in the Rye 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, since it is obvious that Holden is bright, the reason for his flunking out of school would seem to be from a lack of interest. Holden has strong feelings of love towards children as evidenced through his caring for Phoebe, his little sister. He is protective of her, erasing bad words from the walls in her school and in a museum, in order that she not learn from the graffiti. His fondness for children can be inferred when he tells her that, at some time in the future, he wants to be the only grown-up with all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. He'll stand on the edge of a cliff and catch anybody who starts to fall off the edge of the cliff. He got this image from his misinterpretation of a line from the Robert Burns poem, if a body catch a body comin' through the rye. When situations are described, in person or in a book, they are influenced by the one who describes them, and by his or her perceptions and experiences. Through Holden's expressions of his thoughts and feelings, the reader sees a youth, sensitive to his surroundings, who chooses to deal with life in unique ways. Holden is candid, spontaneous, analytical, thoughtful, and sensitive, as evidenced by his narration. Like most adolescents, feelings about people and relationships are often on his mind. Unfortunately, in Holden's case, he seems to expect the worst, believing that the result of getting close to people is pain. Pain when others reject you or pain when they leave you, such as when a friend walks off or a beloved brother dies. It would not have been possible to feel Holden's feelings or understand his thoughts nearly

American History essays

Automotive/American History essays How the Automobile Both Paralleled History As Well As Shaped Society As American Culture has evolved, inventions have paralleled its alterations. From the automobiles humble beginnings as a horseless carriage in the late 1800s, Henry Ford made the coach for the everyday man (Tshimanga). Because of this invention, the generations in the 20th century were put into motion, literally. Through the years, the automobile has evolved to become what we know today. From designing the Model T, to the Thunderbird and the Tiburon, the automobile industry has responded to meet cultural trends as well as to meet cutting edge technologies. Some examples of the trends that the industry paralleled are: the Art Deco movement during the American Great Depression, Americas space program in the 1960s, the gas crisis in the 1970s, and the growing computer world in the present day. The car also has shaped society through associations such as NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing), NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) drag racing, and the loyal following of car collectors and enthusiasts. For the more popular music has used cars as a symbol, and marketers have fueled the influence cars have on pop culture. Cars define the character of an American more than that of any other country in the world. From the massive tail-wings of the Cadillacs, borrowed from the space program, to the massive size and intimidation of the SUVs of today, cars also lend in the development of Americans personalities. A person who wants to display power or to intimidate may drive a Ford Excursion or a Suburban because of its grandeur. The automobile reflects fame, fortune, power, and who we are. The automobile plays a prominent role in American media; the automobile is on TV in races, in movies, in advertisements, and in general programming. Many celebrities are defined or recognized by the cars they d...