The Last Lecture

When writing, authors often make reference to objects, people, and even conversational or grammatical errors in attempt to draw the reader’s mind to a deeper, more analogical train of thought. In the novel Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy living the life of a stressed out, depressed, and even suicidal student in the late 1940s. He claims to always see himself as different, even alienating himself from society. During the beginning of his story, he buys a…

Holden’s parents impact his behaviour the greatest, as their neglect towards Holden is seen to greatly impact him throughout the novel. His parents are portrayed by Salinger as very dismissive of Holden and his well-being, which intern significantly affects Holden's behaviour. This dismissive nature is clearly depicted when Holden's parents are both unaware that Holden is expelled from boarding school. Furthermore, it also illustrates that Holden didn't feel safe and secure to disclose such…

Innocence doesn't last How old can kids be and still be considered innocent? In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, which is narrated by Holden, takes the reader through his life as a junior as he gets kicked out of his private school Pencey. Holden decides that he no longer needs school. Holden wants to move far away from the city where no one knows him. Before holden leaves he stays in the city for four days. During these four days he learns something important about what he…

In, both J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and Dead Poets Society, the theme of conformity is present in the main character’s journeys in very similar ways. In Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield struggles with conformity throughout the novel as he is often pressured to do things he is opposed to but society deems acceptable and expected of someone his age, many of which he conforms to. Throughout the novel, Holden is characterized as a very hypocritical character…

In the book Catcher in the rye written by J.D. Starlinger the protagonist Holden experiences the tragic loss of his brother Allie, Catcher in the rye teaches the readers not to look what is on the surface but to look what's underneath it. Holden Caulfield suffers from Post Traumatic Disorder, he has a plethora of factors which have caused this disorder. The most important factor is his younger brother, Allie's death Due to leukemia. Holden is like any teenage boy who acts out because he doesn't…

The novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is about a young boy named Holden Caulfield. Holden is struggling with coping with his brothers death and also is very angry at the world which gets him into multiple conflicts. Salinger shows throughout the book that dreams can be good and bad and that Holden appears to be morally superior to other he has been acquainted to in his life. When Holden runs away from his fourth school he encounters many people that try to take advantage of him. Some…

Phoniness People put on all sorts of facades when interacting with others, seldom showing people exactly what they are like. For Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, he is not able to see beyond people’s phoniness and uses it as an excuse to pull away from society. Even though Catcher in the Rye was written in 1951 there is certain themes that still have a big part in the world, Phoniness is an example. Int the Catcher in the Rye Holden gets fed up with everyone and their phoniness,…

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the readers are challenged to analyze what is wrong with the main character, Holden Caulfield. There are several contributing factors to Holden's illness. Possible conditions that Holden could have are, Clinical Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Borderline Personality disorder. Clinical Depression, also known as Major Depressive Disorder is the most severe form of depression. Holden shows feelings of deep sadness that come out…

Holden envies the idea of childhood and holds onto his immaturity and childlike fantasies in order to escape the reality of growing up into a world full of “phonies.” This is proven by how much Holden brings up the duck pond he visited as a child, wondering where the ducks go in the winter. He says, “I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to the zoo or something. Or if they just flew away” (18).…

I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.” Through the use of figurative language, Salinger highlights Caulfield seeing himself as protector of the children which is a metaphor of him protecting the children from losing their innocence, this metaphor emphasises Caulfield’s obsession of keeping the younger children ‘pure’ and positions the reader to feel positive of…