What is the lesson in The Catcher in the Rye?
As its title indicates, the dominating theme of The Catcher in the Rye is the protection of innocence, especially of children. For most of the book, Holden sees this as a primary virtue. It is very closely related to his struggle against growing up.
Why is The Catcher in the Rye a banned book?
Not even its vulgar language or violence can stop teachers from teaching this American classic, and teenagers living the life of Holden Caulfield (“The Catcher in the Rye.”). It was banned for its profanity, sexual content, and violence by many schools from the 60’s to the present.
Is The Catcher in the Rye difficult to read?
CATCHER is hard to read for some people. This may be in part because of the narrative voice and the confining first-person point of view. Another reason is the lack of a clear plot line. There’s no antagonist or clear goal that the protagonist is striving toward.
What is wrong with Holden Caulfield?
Holden Caulfield suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. The fictional cause is the death of his beloved little brother, Allie. The reason that The Catcher in the Rye is so powerful is that it is a true book (I don’t say that it is a true story). Salinger, himself, and Holden’s PTSD is Salinger’s PTSD.
Why is Catcher in the Rye so famous?
Salinger’s novel has been wildly popular since it came out in 1951. It’s been lauded as changing the course of post-Second World War writing—at least American writing—as much as Ernest Hemingway’s more extensive work did after the first war.
What is the first line of Catcher in the Rye?
First Sentences: “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, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to …
What does the catcher in the rye symbolize?
The title of The Catcher in the Rye is a reference to “Comin’ Thro the Rye,” a Robert Burns poem and a symbol for the main character’s longing to preserve the innocence of childhood. “If a body catch a body coming through the rye.”
Is The Catcher in the Rye sad?
The Catcher in the Rye examines the fine line between everyday teenage angst and serious depression or unhappiness. Throughout the novel, Holden refers to himself as a “madman,” calls himself crazy, and frequently declares that he is depressed.
Is Holden Caulfield in a mental hospital?
Holden (despite the confusion of the Harcourt Brace executive) is not crazy; he tells his story from a sanatorium (where he has gone because of a fear that he has t.b.), not a mental hospital.
Why is Holden depressed in Catcher in the Rye?
His past traumas and current issues have led him to depression. In the beginning, Holden tells readers about the two deaths he experienced. His younger brother, Allie, died of leukemia three years prior, which greatly impacted him emotionally. The entire novel, Holden struggles to come to terms with growing up.
Who died in Catcher in the Rye?
Allie
Why is Holden lonely?
Loneliness. Because Holden depends on his isolation to preserve his detachment from the world and to maintain a level of self-protection, he often sabotages his own attempts to end his loneliness. For example, his conversation with Carl Luce and his date with Sally Hayes are made unbearable by his rude behavior.
Why does Holden talk to Allie when he is depressed?
He talks to his deceased brother named Allie since he never dealt with his death properly. Holden buried his sadness of his brother’s, who was also his best friend, death causing him to feel like he can talk to his brother.
What does Holden do when he is depressed?
When Holden gets very depressed, he sometimes talks “sort of out loud” to his younger brother. He does so after Sunny leaves. His communication with Allie is almost religious, a confession of Holden’s boyhood lack of consideration for the kid.
How many times does Holden say he’s depressed?
(Click the themes infographic to download.) Let’s do some word counting: variations of “depressed” or “depressing” occur 41 times in Catcher in the Rye.
Why is Holden so angry?
Holden is angry because Stradlater had just returned from a date with Jane Gallagher, the girl Holden is in love with. He also spent his evening doing Stradlater’s homework. Holden attempts to find out what went on during their date and suspects that Stradlater had sexual relations with Jane.
Does Holden Caulfield have anxiety?
While Salinger never provides a specific diagnosis, references to Holden’s mental instability are clear throughout the novel, and the reader could easily make the connection that Holden suffers from some combination of depression, anxiety, and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Is Holden from Catcher in the Rye a sociopath?
Antisocial Personality Disorder In The Catcher In The Rye By JD Salinger. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, this problem is bestowed to sixteen-year old Holden Caulfield, who struggles with mental and social issues in New York after being kicked out of his school, Pencey Prep.
What is Holden Caulfield afraid of?
The most significant of Holden’s fears are the fears of growing up, intimacy, and human interactions. Even though Holden never follows through with his intimate acts he constantly searches for new relationships. Holden’s last crucial fear is social interactions.
Why is Holden so obsessed with innocence?
He wanted children to stay children and preserve their innocence because he doesn’t want them to fall in the corrupted and complicated world of adulthood. Holden tries to protect the children from reading the swear word that could poison their mind. The red hunting hat is another symbolism of innocence in the novel.
Why is Holden a hypocrite?
Holden Caulfield is a hypocrite because he is constantly putting people into boxes, claiming that they are phony; this has caused him to become extremely isolated from others, so he thirsts for intimacy from strangers.
Is Holden guilty of being a phony?
Based on definition number one, Holden Caulfield is a phony because when he introduces himself to people he does not know, he gives himself a different name as well as tells them false stories of his life and past. Hence, him being “fake” and “not real.” Holden Caulfield is the biggest white liar I’ve ever known.
How does Holden contradict himself?
Even though Holden enjoys to see himself beaten up, he contradicts himself by proclaiming he is a peaceful person. Salinger utilizes these contradictions to reveal how unreliable Holden’s observations are. Salinger also depicts Holden’s immaturity through the judgment of his peers and elders.
Who does Holden consider phony?
Holden expands his definition of phony to include anyone who is not 100% genuine at all times or that he doesn’t like. People who are charismatic, wealthy, attractive, friendly to others, or superficial are phonies according to Holden. The word ‘phony’ appears in The Catcher in the Rye about 35 times.