I'm So Tired

Preservation of Innocence "People never notice anything." This quote is the epitome of Holden Caulfield, the fictional teenage protagonist and narrator of author J. D. Salinger's 1951 novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Holden ¨gets the ax” as he puts it, for getting kicked out of Pencey Prep. Holden roams around the streets of New York City, and try’s to take care of himself and hoping his parents get the letter, stating that he got kicked out, before he comes home for the holidays. Holden’s…

development of snow to demonstrate that particular mindset. When Holden wants to throw the snowball on a car, he debates with himself as to whether or not to throw it. He finally makes the decision to not hurl the snowball at the car, for the snow “looked so nice and white” (5.20). As the bus driver attempts to force Holden to get rid of the snowball, Holden tells the driver that he “wasn’t going to chuck it at anybody” (5.20). The snow, being all white and clean, represents purity, for it is…

Allie’s passing reveals Holden’s doubtfulness of society and everyone around him. Holden essentially shuts down, forcing himself to lose all attachments to people so as to never be hurt again. He repeatedly mentions how important it is to not get attached to anyone, since it would lead to missing them once they are gone. He was not over the death of his closest friend and he did not allow himself to fit in anywhere…

opened the floodgate to so that future books can be inspired and can talk about the more “forbidden” subjects. Despite this it sold close to a quarter million copies over…

isolation becomes more present but his desperation for real human interaction increased greatly. “The first thing I did when I got off at Penne Station, I went into this phone booth. I felt like giving somebody a buzz. I left my bags right outside the booth so that I could watch them, but as soon as I was inside, I couldn’t think of anybody to call up.” (Salinger pg. 66) He does not have one friend to call, probably because they are all in school or preoccupied with teenage activates. This shows…

If there’s one thing Holden Caulfield hates most, it’s phonies. Throughout the whole novel, Holden points out when someone is being phony or being fake, being precise with every detail. Most people he comes across happen to be “phony” or doing phony things. Regardless of what Holden may say or think about others, he is also a phony. Everytime he speaks to someone a lie comes out and he’s often portrayed doing phony things. By calling others phonies, it makes it easier for him to deal with…

This quote was interesting because it revealed a more childish and curious side to Holden’s typical angsty character. Salinger uses the ducks in the pack as a metaphor to represent change, something Holden fears, due to them migrating during different seasons. Holden question of where will the ducks go, is actually a question for his future after running away from Pencey. This resonates with since I share the same question of “What will happen to me in the future” due to college being just…

out. He writes about his deceased brother’s baseball glove, and the poetry written on it. The roommate was upset at the work because it didn't match the assignment and they get in a fight. Holden then leaves to go back to New York a few days early so he had time to himself and to give…

In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the author uses symbolic images that the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, encounters. Holden in the novel goes through several life obstacles and tries to find acceptance to adulthood. Throughout the novel, Holden often acts the opposite of society and wishes for the present day to have more of the nostalgia he had in the past. The Catcher in the Rye illustrates how Holden tries to find stability and acceptance in a broken society full of phonies…

want to just fall into the crowd and be just like “the whole school.” He tries to avoid appearing like every other person, so instead he outcasts himself to become different from the rest of them. He is trying to find out what actually is meaningful to him and what he does enjoy. Although Holden’s inquiring to become different from everyone else is what leads him to become so alone he has the right mind set of escaping the stereotypical ways to find a more adequate…