Harry J. Anslinger

As a young male growing up, there are often mixed emotions about sex and love. In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger, a young boy displays his uncertainty and constant thoughts about sex and love. In the film Ordinary People, another young boy is caught in a similar situation and shares his opinions about sex and love as well. Holden Caulfield and Conrad Jarrett both go through troubling experiences, but Conrad approaches them in a healthier manner compared to Holden.…

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger is centered around a young boy who thinks he fully understands the world around him. He begins his journey of finding himself and reaching a point of real maturity throughout the novel. It is clear throughout the novel that Holden’s character is dynamic and shifts from an immature teenager to one who is more accepting of himself and his true limit of his knowledge of the world. Although it is evident that Holden tries to grow up extremely quickly, the…

The innocence of childhood is eventually lost and cannot be protected forever. In life, everyone has a fall from innocence, after which no one remains the same. In J.D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the novel wants to desperately hold on to the innocence in children. Because Holden is often faced with the harsh realities of adulthood and the world, he is compelled to preserve innocence. These feelings come from the loss of his younger brother Allie who died…

Corruption of Society Through the thoughts, actions, and experiences of Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger is able to portray the corruption of society that is present in the world. Throughout the novel Holden attempts to sway innocent children away from the dangers that society presents, and to keep them contained in their endless happiness. Holden is severely distraught from reality, his retelling of events which make up the story come from when he is in a mental institute. During the time of…

Growing up requires one to go through The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger perfectly portrays how hard it is to overcome the adolescent stage in life. Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel, can be seen progressively coming to terms with the fact that it is unavoidable to lose one’s innocence. The elementary school, the cliffs, and Phoebe, all demonstrate how the loss of innocence is inevitable. The elementary school is a symbol that the loss of innocence is inevitable…

It Ended with a Sting The infamous bee is known for attacking people with its sharp stinger. The bee does not purposefully try to sting or attack anyone; it will not sting, unless the bee has been aggravated. Catcher in the Rye’s narrator, Holden Caulfield is the epitome of the bee, but in the form of an adolescent boy. Holden, just like the bee, goes on living his life, stinging people one at a time. Holden seems to do the impossible, ruining relationships left and right. He destructs in…

“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” Italo Calvino. This quote describes how a classic book will always be relatable and relevant. In the coming-of-age fiction novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, a mentally unstable young man, named Holden Caulfield, goes on a journey in New York whilst trying to find himself as well as trying to become an adult. The quote by Italo Calvino relates to the novel as conveyed through the themes because they are…

“Post-Traumatic Stress Injury isn't a disease. It's a wound to the soul that never heals” Tom Glenn. The short story A Perfect day for Bananafish is a story about a war veteran named Seymour who is having a hard time adjusting to his new normal life. Throughout the story, Seymour does things that show he is struggling with PTSD and the loss of his innocence. We can learn that war can change people and they may never be the same. The story starts out with Muriel on the phone with her mother in…

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…

Author J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye features Holden Caulfield, a young man who struggles through getting kicked out of multiple private boys schools, society’s expectations, and depression. The lense this book is being analyzed under is psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic theory is the concept of the unconscious part of the human brain contains biological motivators and conditioning from past experiences. The specific part of psychoanalytic theory that is being used is the idea of…