catcher in the rye :: essays research papers

In J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, a young piece of music named Holden Caulfield goes through many misadventures during a three day stay in New York. Holden acts like a c areless teenager but the lector gets the feeling that he cared once and wishes that he could again. He has what is almost an infantile fixation with death and is constantly dwelling on the death of his blood brother Allie, who died of leukemia. He carries Allies baseball mitt with him wherever he goes. He was apparently very disturbed by Allies death as he broke all the windows in his garage with his bare fist with such(prenominal) force that his hand is still messed up. His feelings toward people and relationships tend to lean toward the prejudicious side. He usually expects the worst, part of that seems to be issues he has from the loss of his brother Allie. One of the words he uses often through expose the novel is phony. He values honesty and sincerity, and cant stand people who gauge to make them selves look better in the eyes of others. He flunks out of every school that his parents send him to including Pency, his current school. He seems to be slightly intelligent and the reader gets a sense that his problems in school are the result of lack of motivation. He isolates himself from those around him and seems to be afraid of change always assuming it will be for the worst. He seems to have a great deal of love and respect for his sister Phoebe and his assassinated brother Allie. Holden is a very complex character and is difficult to understand.The study begins on top of a hill overlooking the football scene of action at Pency. Holden stands alone on top of the hill watching the biz because he didnt want to go down into the stadium with everybody else. This is a good beginning as it shows Holdens tendency to isolate himself from others and his world-wide dislike of people. He has flunked out of Pency, and is not supposed to return later on Christmas vacation. Christma s vacation starts in three days but Holden gets fed up with his classmates and school in general and leaves to go to New York and get a hotel room. He doesnt go home because he wants his parents to get the garner informing them of his expulsion before he comes home.