The Catcher In The Rye: Holden :: essays research papers

The Catcher In The Rye HoldenPreface -This record has been steeped in controversy since it was banned in America afterits first publication. bum Lennons assassin, Mark Chapman, asked the formerbeatle to sign a copy of the daybook earlier in the morning of the day that hemurdered Lennon. Police found the book in his possession upon apprehending thepsychologically disturbed Chapman. However, the book itself contains nothingthat could be attributed with leading Chapman to act as he did - it could shootbeen any book that he was reading the day he decided to kill John Lennon - andas a result of the feature that it was The Catcher In The Rye, a book describing neuronic breakdown, media speculated widely about the possible connection. Thisgave the book even more notoriety. So what is The Catcher In The Rye actuallyabout ?Superficially the story of a early mans expulsion from yet another school, TheCatcher In The Rye is in fact a perceptive study of one individualsunderstanding of his human condition. Holden Caulfield, a teenager growing up in1950s New York, has been expelled school for misfortunate achievement once again. In anattempt to deal with this he leaves school a few days prior to the end of term,and goes to New York to take a vacation forwards returning to his pargonntsinevitable wrath.Told as a monologue, the book describes Holdens thoughts and activities overthese few days, during which he describes a developing nervous breakdown,symptomised by his bouts of unexplained depression, impulsive expending andgenerally odd, erratic behaviour, prior to his eventual nervous collapse.However, during his psychological battle, life continues on around Holden as italways had, with the majority of people ignoring the madman stuff that ishappening to him - until it begins to infringe on their well defined socialcodes. Progressively through the novel we are challenged to think aboutsocietys attitude to the human condition - does society have an ostrich in thesa nd mentality, a deliberate ignorance of the emptiness that can characterizehuman initiation? And if so, when Caulfield begins to probe and investigate hisown sense of emptiness and isolation, before in the long run declaring that the world isfull of phonies with each one put out for their own phoney gain, is Holdenactually the one who is going insane, or is it society which has lost its read/write headfor failing to see the hopelessness of their own lives?Holdens Personality -There are 3 main aspects in Holdens personality 1. His criticism toward the phony things in society.The Catcher In The Rye Holden essays research papers The Catcher In The Rye HoldenPreface -This book has been steeped in controversy since it was banned in America afterits first publication. John Lennons assassin, Mark Chapman, asked the formerbeatle to sign a copy of the book earlier in the morning of the day that hemurdered Lennon. Police found the book in his possession upon apprehending thepsychologic ally disturbed Chapman. However, the book itself contains nothingthat could be attributed with leading Chapman to act as he did - it could havebeen any book that he was reading the day he decided to kill John Lennon - andas a result of the fact that it was The Catcher In The Rye, a book describingnervous breakdown, media speculated widely about the possible connection. Thisgave the book even more notoriety. So what is The Catcher In The Rye actuallyabout ?Superficially the story of a young mans expulsion from yet another school, TheCatcher In The Rye is in fact a perceptive study of one individualsunderstanding of his human condition. Holden Caulfield, a teenager growing up in1950s New York, has been expelled school for poor achievement once again. In anattempt to deal with this he leaves school a few days prior to the end of term,and goes to New York to take a vacation before returning to his parentsinevitable wrath.Told as a monologue, the book describes Holdens thoughts and activ ities overthese few days, during which he describes a developing nervous breakdown,symptomised by his bouts of unexplained depression, impulsive spending andgenerally odd, erratic behaviour, prior to his eventual nervous collapse.However, during his psychological battle, life continues on around Holden as italways had, with the majority of people ignoring the madman stuff that ishappening to him - until it begins to encroach on their well defined socialcodes. Progressively through the novel we are challenged to think aboutsocietys attitude to the human condition - does society have an ostrich in thesand mentality, a deliberate ignorance of the emptiness that can characterizehuman existence? And if so, when Caulfield begins to probe and investigate hisown sense of emptiness and isolation, before finally declaring that the world isfull of phonies with each one put out for their own phony gain, is Holdenactually the one who is going insane, or is it society which has lost its mindfor f ailing to see the hopelessness of their own lives?Holdens Personality -There are 3 main aspects in Holdens personality 1. His criticism toward the phony things in society.