J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye follows Holden Caulfield as he wanders 1950s New York City battling his need to connect to the adult world while wanting to disregard adults as “phony”. The story begins after Holden is expelled from his school, Pencey Academy. That night Holden decides to leave Pencey after he becomes infuriated by his roommate Stradlater’s date with Holden’s former sweetheart, Jane. Holden chooses to remain in Manhattan until his parents receive the news of his expulsion. At his hotel, Holden witnesses an assortment of bizarre adults and denies the advances of a prostitute. These encounters both excite and mystify Holden. After an unsuccessful date with his former fling Sally, Holden decides to run away and tells his sister Phoebe of his plan. Phoebe is furious and resolves to join him on his journey. To calm her down, Holden purchases her a ticket to go riding on the carousel.
As Holden stands in the rain watching Phoebe, he is truly happy for the first time. Holden is admitted into a mental hospital to cope with his conflicting emotions. Despite this, he remains optimistic about his upcoming school year.
II. THEME
In …show more content…
Because Holden feels so isolated from the world around him, the author uses his own narration to express his emotions and the development of the plot. For example, after Holden has breakfast at the diner he states, “it was only around noon, and I wasn’t meeting old Sally till two o’clock, so I started taking this long walk. I couldn’t stop thinking about those two nuns. I kept thinking about that beat-up old straw basket they went around collecting money with” (148). Holden’s difficulty connecting with others makes it clearer for the author to use narrative to move the plot forward. Holden both explains his travels and enlightens the reader to his emotions. He also keeps the narrative slow, mirroring his desire for time to leave him
As Holden stands in the rain watching Phoebe, he is truly happy for the first time. Holden is admitted into a mental hospital to cope with his conflicting emotions. Despite this, he remains optimistic about his upcoming school year.
II. THEME
In …show more content…
Because Holden feels so isolated from the world around him, the author uses his own narration to express his emotions and the development of the plot. For example, after Holden has breakfast at the diner he states, “it was only around noon, and I wasn’t meeting old Sally till two o’clock, so I started taking this long walk. I couldn’t stop thinking about those two nuns. I kept thinking about that beat-up old straw basket they went around collecting money with” (148). Holden’s difficulty connecting with others makes it clearer for the author to use narrative to move the plot forward. Holden both explains his travels and enlightens the reader to his emotions. He also keeps the narrative slow, mirroring his desire for time to leave him