One Last Breath

In both novels, The Catcher In The Rye and We Need Names the three themes isolation, identity, and disorientation are very prominent. In J.D. Salinger's novel “The Catcher in the Rye” the main character Holden Caulfield he experiences all three of those themes. The main character in NoViolet Bulawayo’s novel “We Need New Names” Darling also experiences these three themes as well. The theme of isolation occurred quite a bit in both novels. In “We Need New Names” Darling experience with this is…

In “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is evolving throughout the novel by gradually reaching a point where he can no longer cope with the truth of reality, causing him to mentally break down into a state of instability. For example, Holden is out on a date with Sally when he suddenly asks her “‘Here’s my idea. How would you like to get the hell out of here? … Honest to God, we could have a terrific time! Wuddaya say? C’mon! Wuddaya say? Will you do it with me? Please!’”…

Holden values children’s innocence. When phoebe asks Holden what he would like to be when he grows up, Holden says: “Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around–nobody big, [he means]–except [him]. And [he’s] standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What [he has] to do, [he] has to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff… [He’d] just be the catcher in the rye” (191). Holden pictures himself as a “big” figure catching thousands of children before they fall off a cliff. Falling off…

violence but he never acts on it. Some people manipulated the novel and used it as an excuse to kill. One person who did this is Mark David Chapman. Chapman was the man who killed The Beatles Member, John Lennon. When interviewed, Chapman said that The Catcher in the Rye was his life in a paperback novel (salinger movie). Chapman, who had a rough childhood was very lonely and depressed just like Holden. One of his friends recommended the book to him and he fell in love with it (Catcher in the…

all of the so called phonies that he despises, so he "holds" back to avoid becoming a part of the ugliness that surrounds him. Thus his name "Holden" accurately portrays his inability to integrate himself within society due to high ideals for it. His last name, Caulfield, relates to the significant theme of childhood innocence. The first half of his name, “caul”, refers to the amniotic membrane that protects the fetus’s head. But, it only protects the child prior to its birth, then it’s taken…

Many people have difficulties transitioning from childhood to adulthood. In J.D.Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is a perfect example of these people who have a hard time transitioning to adulthood. While he fears change, and disdains adults, he is also too physically and mentally grown up to stay in childhood. Thus Holden is trapped and lingers between childhood and adulthood. Holden fears change both in him and around him that is associated with growing up. To start, Holden is afraid…

Jay Gatsby is a rich man of the early twenties and Holden Caulfield is a young man whose brother, Allie had died of leukemia. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In my opinion, Holden Caulfield is phonier than Jay Gatsby because Holden isn’t living a lie that he told himself and to other people, he also lies more often than Gatsby and, he has also lied about his age for many reason The fact that Gatsby lies about his life as a rich man from…

Holden Caulfield is a troubled and unreliable narrator manifold Holden had failed out of 4 schools. During the story he was hospitalized and which where he was visited psychoanalyst for an unspecified complaint and it made him unable to connect with other people . The 2 traumas that fueled his dismal emotional state the traumas were the death of his brother Allie and the suicide of 1 of his classmates. Holden is extremely judgemental he is of everybody and everything . Holden criticizes people…

Have you ever been scared to go into adulthood ? In “the catcher in the Rye” Holden caulfield is a teenager who is scared to grow up out off his innocence to adulthood. He seems to run away from many of his problems. He wants to be heard, however he doesn't want to listen to what others have to say. He wants to save kids from growing up and going into adulthood as he thinks the adulthood is cruel. I believe “The Catcher in the Rye” is still relevant to today's teens as the actions taken by…

up his inner turmoil toward adults and the phoniness they have created as they entered adulthood. Although Holden realizes that he himself is slipping into the adult world, he tries to resist the corruptness and demoralization by grasping onto the one pure element of his life, his younger sister, Phoebe. Caught between the conflicting worlds of blissful innocence…