The Catcher In The Rye English Literature Essay

In the book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the chief character Holden Caufield is a down immature adult male seeking for some good in the universe ; scenes in this narrative push Holden over the border until he has an epiphany that finally causes him to hold a dislocation. Holden ‘s constantly inquiries about the location of the ducks in Central Park.

Holden asked two cab cab drivers about the location of the ducks during winter in Central Park. As Holden inquiries the 2nd driver, Horwitz, he responds by associating the ducks to the fish in the lake. The cab cab driver responds to Holden ‘s bombardment of inquiries by answering, “ If you were a fish, Mother Nature would take attention of you, would n’t she ” ? The reply is sort of confounding to Holden because he knows that wherever the ducks may be, they are taken attention of. Holden ‘s motivation for desiring to cognize where the ducks fly in winter is that he cares for them because they relate to him. Similarly, Holden is subconsciously seeking for aid, and he believes that by assisting others, even ducks, he will happen good in the universe that will warm his bosom and remedy him of his depression. But unhappily, he shortly finds out the ducks do n’t bring around his depression. Once once more he discovers himself experiencing lonely in the universe. Soon after the duck incident, Holden has his first brush with Sunny. He starts speaking to her and lies about his age. Sunny responds, “ like merriment you are ” . Then, Holden recognizes she is merely a child and that harlotry is no manner for a kid to populate. As Holden attempts to make out to her by holding a conversation, alternatively of what she wanted, she merely pushes him off. Sunny finally leaves and once more he feels depressed. He merely wishes to assist her because in a manner he could associate to her. They were both stuck in a universe in which they did non desire to take part in.

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Mr. Antolini ‘s treatment with Holden causes his depression to travel to a new degree. Holden calls Mr. Antolini because he remembers him as a nice adult male with who he could keep a nice conversation with. So he enters his flat and Mr. Antolini recognizes something is incorrect with Holden. Mr. Antolini vocalizes his concerns by saying that Holden is siting for some sort of a awful, awful autumn. Holden cowers off from his advice believing to himself he is tired. Mr. Antolini was seeking to assist Holden by stating that if he does non use himself to having an instruction, and that he is destroying and striping himself of a happy life. His hereafter will depend on the grade of his instruction. Holden tells himself he is tired and in fact, he is really set uping a wall in order to barricade out Mr. Antolini ‘s advice.

Subsequently, Holden goes to bed and finds Mr. Antolini stroking his caput. He exclaims, “ What the hellya making ” ? Holden ‘s new wall is the premise that Mr. Antolini is a homosexual. As a consequence, Holden believes this gives him the right to go forth from Mr. Antolini ‘s flat. Later, Holden becomes more down as he realizes Mr. Antolini was merely look up toing him but, he realizes this at a safe distance. It is another portion of his wall to non hear more of Mr. Antolini ‘s diagnosing ; he knows he will ne’er return to the Antolini ‘s flat. Holden ‘s depression deepens as he has an epiphany both in the museum and at the carrousel. Holden narrates, That ‘s the whole problem. You ca n’t of all time happen a topographic point that ‘s nice and peaceable, because there is n’t any. Holden now realizes, depressingly, he can non salvage all the guiltless kids from the immorality of the existent universe. He will ne’er be a backstop in the rye. Following, Holden sees Phoebe, his sister, as she approaches him with a bag. He asks, wittingly, what the bag is for and she responds, “ I ‘m traveling with you ” . “ Ca n’t I ” ? Holden feels as if he is about to conk, he knows that taking Phoebe with him would be destructing her life excessively and he does n’t desire that to go on. He knows he can non salvage Phoebe because he must assist himself foremost. So they cross over to the carrousel, Holden accordingly has a 2nd idea. While Phoebe attempts to catch clasp of the gold pealing Holden provinces, “ The thing with childs is, if they want to catch for the gold ring, you have to allow them make it, and non state anything ” . If they fall off, they fall away, but it ‘s bad if you say anything to them. Holden realizes you can non state a child non to move as a child: they will no longer be guiltless. It depresses him to cognize he will ne’er once more be guiltless and that he can non warn Phoebe of the grownup universe because she will no longer be guiltless.

The universe is more knowing today about depression in striplings. However, depression was merely as common long ago as it is today. In J.D. Salinger ‘s book Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caufield is a troubled, down and a small schizophrenic adolescent looking for a universe that is non bogus, finally four scenes in the novel eventually lead him to a dislocation. In the terminal, Holden discovers that being a backstop in the rye is an impossible occupation and that he can non he even save Phoebe.

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