¨Catcher in the Rye¨ by J.D. Salinger is a beloved American novel, it gives an inside look into the mind of an American teen who is dealing with struggles that lead into his quest to be recognized as an adult or a valuable member of society. In “Catcher In The Rye”, Holden faces the pain of dejection, grief over his beloved brother, unwelcome pressure into adulthood, and battles his own demons all while traveling the streets of New York on a quest of self-healing and exploration.
“When a character hits the road, we should start to pay attention, just to see if, you know, something’s going on there” (6, How to Read Literature Like A Professor), Holden does hit the road, but not in the manner that we're used to. Holden may have acknowledged that he will face some form of repercussion for not reaching the expectations his parents have set for him, and …show more content…
People are naturally drawn to warmth and light, Holden is part of this, but he is almost always caught in the torrential rain or chilling frost. The rain symbolizes his clouded brain which is constantly at work with his shroud of isolation and pain. The rain also represents Holden moving on from his brother Allie's death, it's a cleansing release of emotion that allows him mental freedom. Holden holds onto the thought of his brother, who had passed away, and this thought is one of the few things that have kept him mentally together. “Rain can be more mysterious, murkier, more isolating than most other weather conditions.” (71, How to Read Literature Like A Professor), while rain can be isolating or mysterious it can be cleansing. For Holden the rain represents both, he feels isolated in his pain all while being released from it as he accepts that the past is just the past. The ¨phony¨ and ¨lousy¨ attitude that he held against everyone, while not completely gone, is surely slipping away as he grows and allows himself
“When a character hits the road, we should start to pay attention, just to see if, you know, something’s going on there” (6, How to Read Literature Like A Professor), Holden does hit the road, but not in the manner that we're used to. Holden may have acknowledged that he will face some form of repercussion for not reaching the expectations his parents have set for him, and …show more content…
People are naturally drawn to warmth and light, Holden is part of this, but he is almost always caught in the torrential rain or chilling frost. The rain symbolizes his clouded brain which is constantly at work with his shroud of isolation and pain. The rain also represents Holden moving on from his brother Allie's death, it's a cleansing release of emotion that allows him mental freedom. Holden holds onto the thought of his brother, who had passed away, and this thought is one of the few things that have kept him mentally together. “Rain can be more mysterious, murkier, more isolating than most other weather conditions.” (71, How to Read Literature Like A Professor), while rain can be isolating or mysterious it can be cleansing. For Holden the rain represents both, he feels isolated in his pain all while being released from it as he accepts that the past is just the past. The ¨phony¨ and ¨lousy¨ attitude that he held against everyone, while not completely gone, is surely slipping away as he grows and allows himself