These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Holden Caulfield in Chapter 5. 13.2 Why does Holden say, "I'd rather push a guy out the window or chop his head off with an ax than sock him in the jaw?" Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are. The more alienated and lonely Holden becomes, the more he recedes into his own fantasies, yet he recognizes that seeking pleasure through this kind of imagination is just crazy, not an authentic way to temper the pain he feels. Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." The Catcher in the Rye study guide contains a biography of J.D. Therefore, Holden hates phonies because they represent everything he fears or fights against, such as adulthood, conformity, and commercialism. J. D. Salingers anti-hero could be psychoanalyzed for hours. The obvious reason Holden leaves Pencey is that hes flunking out. . . If you don't, you feel even worse. The baseball glove reminds him of the kind of person his brother was: smart, friendly and inventive. I think maybe I'm just partly yellow and partly the type that doesn't give much of a damn if they lose their gloves. Ross, J.J.. Soman Chainani and Adam Kissel, October 10, 2008 and ed. Holden characterizes phonies as people who are dishonest or fake about who they really are, or people who play a part just to fit into a society that Holden questions. The Catcher in the Rye essays are academic essays for citation. You shouldve seen the way they said hello. Therefore, Holden hates phonies because they represent everything he fears or fights against, such as I Holden says that he hates fist fights, he doesn't "mind" getting hit, but what scares him most is the the guy's face. This is probably the most famous passage in Salinger's novel, being the source of its title. Phoebe reminds Holden of Allie in physical Holden said he felt like committing suicide. What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by. 4) Does Holden have sex with Sunny, the prostitute? Holden Caulfield is a character many, many people hate. That's why so many high school kids are so resistant and resentful about the books they've been assigned to read by their teachers. to of and a in " 's that for on is The was with said as at it by from be have he has his are an ) not ( will who I had their -- were they but been this which more or its would about : after up $ one than also 't out her you year when It two people - all can over last first But into ' He A we In she other new years could there ? c. He didnt want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at him all gory. Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Worry, however, is about something other than the present reality; for him it seems to be involved with the neuroses and fantasies which plague him and lead him in search of some greater fulfillment in life. 13) Why is Holden obsessed with the ducks at the Central Park Lagoon? Try it sometime. I even have to go to the bathroom when I worry about something. What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. In Chapter Ten, Holden describes his family in more detail in the course of this chapter. Compare Phoebe with both Holden and Allie. Take, for example, Holdens internal dialogue: Grand. This is not something he would advise, however, because the closeness and trust involved in this genuine act not only will one day be lost, but also will show that one does not have this closeness or trust with others. Holden Caulfield's favorite insult, an old way of saying poser. When he leaves Pencey, he wants to at least feel a sense of vindication, triumph, or at least sadness or regret. They can drive you crazy. Why? Holden Caulfield and Daniel Issacson: Much in Common? The Catcher in the Rye Quotes What really knocks me out is a book that, when youre all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. Reading is rarely fun when it's being forced upon you. They do not need to look where they are going during their game so long as there is someone to catch them at the edge. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. A single pretty thing launches fantasies of love. It's no fun to be yellow. Maybe I'm not all yellow. He does not worry like the phonies, he feels; for him, the worry is all-consuming. "The Catcher in the Rye Quotes and Analysis". Girls. A dictionary file. He feels guilty that he, who lives because he is not sick like Allie was, is stupid and inferior. Catcher in the Rye: A History of Censorship, Read the Study Guide for The Catcher in the Rye, The Etymology and Symbolism of Characters' Names, The Maturation of Holden Caulfield and Henry Fleming, Holden Caulfield's Character Presented in the Novel. 1) What is a catcher in the rye and why does Holden want to be one? Holden picks up on the usual critique of consumerism and greed: money corrupts and does not in itself buy happiness. The intensity of his raging adolescent hormones makes him think that somehow sex would be joined with that same depth of love for a another person, though in reality sex comes all too easily with money rather than authentic feeling. More broadly, his entire journey is an attempt to reconnect with feelings and emotions long buried, to get all the goodbyes out of the way and clear his troubles so that he can finally move on after Allies death. . I'm too worried to go. Its a phony. 3) Why does Holden run away from Pencey? I wanted to hit him in the face for at least a hundred pages. Even though a teen's joband high school is essentially that: a jobinvolves reading some of the greatest works in the history of literature, teens gripe and moan like they're child laborers in a coal mine. I probably would've done it, too, if I'd been sure somebody'd cover me up as soon Holden hates Spencer's advice and hates it evenmore when he yells "good luck". I don't even know what I was running for--I guess I just felt like it. Salinger. Holden cannot understand why his brother Allie who was much cleverer than him died. This is a telling statement about Holdens orientation toward his present life. Goddam money. For a more detailed version, see the section-by-section summary of Normal People by Sally Rooney.Or, for the quick version: Quick Summary Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron are teenagers living in Ireland. But he's a character that, for some strange reason, resonates with thousands of people. His own experience shows that he has not spent his money on things that have brought relief of his pain, and whatever hope he had at the time of spending is dashed in the realization that it has not made him feel better. Don't ever tell anybody anything. Holden appears to have a rich mental life, but it often debilitates him. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. Moreover, they do not know he is there to watch over them, godlike, unless they really need his help at the last moment. That's all I do all day. In my mind, I'm probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw. His stories appeared in many magazines, most notably The New Yorker.Between 1951 and 1963 he produced four book-length works of fiction: The Catcher in the Rye; Nine Stories; Franny and Zooey; and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour--An Introduction. What does this tell the reader about Holden's character? Holden lives in such pain, having given himself to his brother and then watched him die, that he cannot bear to open up to anyone again because of the thought of loss, having to lose something that meant everything. I don't want to interrupt my worrying to go. His own experience shows that he has not spent his money on things that have brought relief of his pain, and whatever hope he had at the time of spending is dashed in the realization that it has not made him feel better. One of Holden's greatest internal quandaries regards how to resolve the paradox of love and sex. When he says that there are enough phonies in the Wicker Bar to make a person hate everybody in the world, the reader can see his misanthropic tendencies, which encourage him to alienate himself from the people around him. In his mind, Holden suggests, he is fantasizing constantly about sex, and his friend suggests that the typical Caulfield conversation is preoccupied with sex. Mental Health in the Mid-Twentieth Century. Meanwhile, Connell is attractive and popular, but of a lower socio-economic status. Marianne is smart and wealthy, but unpopular. Here Holden acknowledges some of his cowardice. He is portrayed by Tyler Blackburn. Salinger, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 11) How does Allies death affect Holden? When I really worry about something, I don't just fool around. It attests to Holden's desire to play the rescuer to all the children who might suffer in their lives. I don't care if it's a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I'm leaving it. I mean I've left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving them. He thinks the well-wishing implies that he's going to need good luck in the future. He seems to feel little or nothing, however, reinforcing how disconnected he feels from himself. If you do, you start missing everybody. Holden picks up on the usual critique of consumerism and greed: money corrupts and does not in itself buy happiness. . Caleb Rivers is one of the main characters in the television series Pretty Little Liars on Freeform. Hanging around, he is hoping to get to the feeling of goodbye. 2) Does Mr. Antolini really make a pass at Holden? He was the main protagonist of the spin-off series, Ravenswood. I felt like jumping out the window. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. When he is choosing to avoid authentic human interaction in order to avoid the future pain of loss, it is more of an emotional choice than a rational comparison of one pain against another. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. WORDS.TXT - Free ebook download as Text File (.txt), PDF File (.pdf) or read book online for free. The funny part was, they probably met each other just once, at some phony party. Everywhere Holden goes, he distrusts the insincere intentions and phony actions of his peers as they navigate adulthood and try to fit into societys expectations. Holden characterizes phonies as people who are dishonest or fake about who they really are, or people who play a part just to fit into a society that Holden questions. Holden sees through phoniness while others accept it. Copyright 1999 - 2021 GradeSaver LLC. . At a deeper level, however, Holden realizes in this case that he has trouble getting to that feeling of closure; he has a hard time with feelings anymore. How is she similar to and/or different from her brothers, according to Holdens description of her? Only, I don't go. Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. Not affiliated with Harvard College. His sister Phoebe is the smartest little kid that he has ever met, and Holden himself is the only dumb one. Jesus Christ. All the worrying seems to be a defense against the pain of reality. Essaysanddissertationshelp.com is a legal online writing service established in the year 2000 by a group of Master and Ph.D. students who were then studying in UK. The Catcher in the Rye. Theres a word I really hate. They can continue along in their innocence doing what they like, and Holden will be there to make sure that the one deadly boundary is not crossed. This is Holden's fantasy because a catcher would have caught Allie or, failing that, would have caught Holden and saved him from his descent into loneliness and pain. The Question and Answer section for The Catcher in the Rye is a great Again, Holdens disdain for phonies brings itself to bear on his mood. 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 from somewhere and catch them. He is running from his feelings, often not for any conscious reason but to avoid what may happen if he stops long enough to examine them. View our essays for The Catcher in the Rye, View the lesson plan for The Catcher in the Rye, View Wikipedia Entries for The Catcher in the Rye. Many of the most famous lines in Salinger's novel begin with the word People. For Holden, the word marks Holden's attempt to separate himself from others. It takes an English sentence and breaks it into words to determine if it is a phrase or a clause. They really can. . I don't know. A troubled foster child with a complex past, Caleb initially befriended The Liars after he began a relationship with Hanna Marin. the , . He's a dick. It always ends up making you blue as hell.