Preview

Catcher In The Rye Expository Essay

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
525 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Catcher In The Rye Expository Essay
“The catcher in the rye expository essay” The catcher in the rye is a book I have read and really enjoyed because of the plot and the characters in the novel. “I always call it the catcher of the rye of the new generation.” (www.Thinkexist.com Jessica sharzer) the novel takes place in New York. This narrative is really enjoyable and fun to read. This novel deals with a lot of issues and this is the reason I enjoyed this innovative story. The story takes place in New York City and this is one of the many reasons why I like this novel. The story was also written in a narrative format because of the way the main character: Holden Coldenfield. Holden narrates throughout the entire narrative because he is the narrator. …show more content…
The only person who cared for him is his little sister. The family does not know he was kicked out of his new school Yancy academy. Holden cares for his little sister Phoebe Caulfield. Holden also stays at a hotel for a couple of nights after being kicked of his poised school Yancy academy. He tries to act like an adult to show he is not afraid even though he is sixteen. When Holden couldn’t afford to stay at the hotel anymore he decided to stay with a teacher who tries to molest him while he sleeps and Holden then decides to leave the teachers house without calling the police. While he is walking he happens upon a bar and decides to walk in even though he is sixteen but he has a fake driver’s license and he sees a girl dancing by herself and so he decides to ask her out and it does not end well for him. Holden decides to leave New York for another city because he knows that his family will send him to another prep school. His family might start to miss him since he was their only son and they took him for granted. Before leaving he finds his sister while she is on a field trip in central park and takes her to a merry go round before leaving. Since Holden really cares for Phoebe he explains to her that he is leaving and won’t be coming back and he

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    self conflict that Holden feels more towards the end of the book. On the day that he had planned to leave, he wants to see his sister, Phoebe, one last time, so they meet up to talk after her school gets out. When she arrives, she carries with her a bag with her clothes in it and insists that if Holden leaves, she is going with him. Holden has an internal struggle as to what he should do. He knows that he can’t take her with him, but he still wants to be with her. After thinking it over and talking with Phoebe, he decides to stay and live with his family. This is shown in the scene, “She kept hanging around. ‘Did you mean it what you said? You aren’t really going anywhere? Are you really going home afterwards?’ she asked me. ‘Yeah,’ I said. And I meant it too. I wasn’t lying to her. I really did go home afterwards.”(212). This shows that, although he didn’t like the kind of life that he would have to live if he stayed, he realises that he can’t abandon his family. This inner conflict was built up for a very long time, but in the last few pages of the book, it was at its…

    • 1325 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Holden's Hardships

    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In the beginning of the novel the reader learns that Holden has been kicked out of his school Pency-Prep. Holden talks about how he has been kicked out of schools in the past and says, "They gave me frequent warnings to start applying myself… but I didn 't do it. So I got the ax"(4). This shows that Holden doesn 't really care about school, it is not all that important to him. In fact, he decides to leave school early, a few days before Christmas break begins saying that, "I just didn 't want to hang around anymore. It made me too sad and lonesome"(51). Holden clearly doesn 't feel like he belongs at Percy and he doesn 't seem too upset about having to leave either. However, when he does leave Holden isn 't ready to go home yet. Stating I "decided I 'd take a room in a hotel in New York…and just take it easy till Wednesday"(51). The fact that Holden isn 't going home is a sign that he doesn 't really feel like he belongs there any more than he feels he belongs at Percy. Holden doesn 't really have anywhere to go, not even a friend 's house. Most teenage boys who were running away from school because they flunked out and didn 't want to face their parents just yet would very likely choose to retreat to a good friend 's house for a few days. But Holden doesn 't have many friends other than his little sister Phoebe. Holden has to deal with…

    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Catcher In The Rye Essay

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye has been linked to many murder cases throughout it’s time. Mark David Chapman, who had an obsession with the book, murdered John Lennon. Also, John Hinckley, who attempted to assassinate our former president, Ronald Reagan, was thought to be obsessed with the book as well. There are many other people whose murders or attempted murders are thought to be connected to The Catcher in the Rye, such as Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassination on John F. Kennedy, and Robert John Bardo , the man who killed Rebecca Schaeffer. Holden Caulfield might have some criminal potential as well, having similar traits of killers.…

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Catcher in the Rye/Dead Poets Society Throughout the book The Catcher in the Rye, and the movie Dead Poets Society, there are many themes portrayed that the characters deal with and learn from. Of the many themes displayed in the movie and novel, three that stood out were loneliness, dealing with change, and the pain of growing up. These three themes are vital and important, and play a significant role in the characters throughout the novel and movie. The struggles of loneliness, dealing with change, and growing up are difficulties faced by the characters that are both similar and different in the movie and novel.…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Holden comes home at night to see Phoebe, he mentions that regardless of what a kid is doing “they still look all right” (Salinger 207). Holden is watching Phoebe sleep in D.B.’s room right before he wakes her up. He mentions adults look funny when they sleep with their mouths open but kids always look fine. Multiple times throughout the novel, Holden mentions that when kids are young such as in elementary school, they are perfect and innocent. The kids are pure and Holden wants to keep all kids this way by stopping them from growing up. Holden feels that it is his duty to protect younger children by shielding them from the real world and ensuring they are safe. Another instance where Holden shows how Phoebe determines his societal views is when he ponders what would happen to Phoebe if he contracted pneumonia and died. Holden explains Phoebe is “quite fond” (Salinger 202) of him. When pondering this thought, Holden realizes how much he loves Phoebe and what she would go through if he died. Holden decides to sneak home to see Phoebe. Holden gets home and waits for Phoebe to wake up, and then begins to talk to her. Holden talks to Phoebe about D.B. in Hollywood and eventually Phoebe finds out he got kicked out of school. For a while, Phoebe and Holden fight about being kicked out of school but eventually Holden and Phoebe carry on their conversation. At this point in the novel, Holden realizes how special Phoebe is to him and why he is constantly thinking of her. Holden always recalls great memories of Phoebe and he always raves about how pretty and smart she is. Holden loves to strike up conversation with her and always thinks of her when making decisions. Holden realizes Phoebe is a guiding star in his…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1. How did WWII impact Salinger? Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Salinger was drafted into the army, serving from 1942-'44. His short military career saw him land at Utah Beach in France during the Normandy Invasion and be a part of the action at the Battle of the Bulge. Salinger continued to write, assembling chapters for a new novel whose main character was a deeply unsatisfied young man named Holden Caulfield. Salinger did not escape the war without some trauma, and when it ended he was hospitalized after suffering a nervous breakdown…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Holden’s fear of being intimate and a part of a relationship makes him vulnerable to being hurt. This most likely hints at his fears of the unknown, change and complexity which explains his attachment to the Natural History Museum, where “the only thing that would be different would be you” (65). As a result, he completely detaches himself from people and through his pessimistic persona, he is constantly on the lookout for reasons to hate being an adult. However, when looking at his circle of “friends,” they’re privileged, rich and adults, like him. Hanging out with them gives him the opportunity of being directly judgemental towards them rather than himself because their perspectives and conflicts are similar. With Phoebe, he feels at peace and enjoys his time with her, but her physical image (a child) overpowers her personality of being unpredictable, complex and prone to change. The placement of a child mask on his monsters (fears) forces him to confront them, but in a more positive and relaxed manner. Through this, it becomes clear that the challenging innocent questions from Phoebe challenges Holden to question his self-confidence and self-worth which then leads to his fear of “phoniness.” Through Phoebe’s suggestion of being a lawyer, Holden considers the idea and immediately swarms towards “saving innocent [guys’] lives,” but rejects it after he thinks about what he has…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Catcher in the rye essay

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Transcendentalism Essay Transcendentalism is known as the philosophical movement as a protest to the general state of culture and society. Many Transcendentalists include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The way Chris McCandless acted during the end of his life were a lot like these Transcendentalists. Many people, including myself, would consider Chris McCandless to be a Transcendentalist. The ways that he hated on society, burned his money after he ruined his car, and went out into the Alaskan nature all by himself show that he is a true Transcendentalist.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Catcher In the Rye Motif

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Holden tries to run away from the sources of his problems, thinking that this esape will allow them to be solved by themselves. Holden first tries to do this when he gets kicked out of Pencey Prep, and decides to leave the school campus early, residing in a hotel instead of going home because he does not want to be around his parents when they first get the expulsion letter, as his mom would be “very hysterical” (51). Staying in the school would just be a reminder of Holden’s failure, yet he does not want to go home because facing the disappointment from his parents would be unbearable. So instead, he tries to pretend it never happened by spending his time elsewhere alone. Eventually, the depression and frustration he has in himself drives him to make the decision to “sort of say good-by to Phoebe” before he travels west, and then “never go home again” (198). Holden wants to live in a world without trouble, and tries to run away so he can live in his fantasy. However, Holden’s problems will follow him wherever he goes because they are caused by what he does and says, which will not change if he is simply in a different place.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Holden's story begins on the Saturday following the end of classes at the Pencey prep school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. Pencey is Holden's fourth school; he has already failed out of three others. At Pencey, he has failed four out of five of his classes and has received notice that he is being expelled, but he is not scheduled to return home to Manhattan until Wednesday. He visits his elderly history teacher, Spencer, to say goodbye, but when Spencer tries to reprimand him for his poor academic performance, Holden becomes annoyed. Back in the dormitory, Holden is further irritated by his unclean neighbor, Ackley, and by his own roommate, Stradlater. Stradlater spends the evening on a date with Jane Gallagher. A girl whom Holden may be in love with. They met back on Maine on their summer places, she is the girl next door and they have spent a lot of time together during the summer. Holden got very irritated when Stradlater told him that they didn't go anywhere on the date, but stay on the car of Ed Banks, the basketball coach. Students are not allowed to use car from the faculty, but in the case of athletes, it was different; "all the athletic bastards stick together" (43). Holden is a lonely guy; he has been expelled from schools four times already and has no friends. He got in a fight with Stradlater or better say he got punch and bet up by Stradlater .Then he decides leave Pency on Saturday night and not to wait until Wednesday as he has planned. He will go back to New York and stay in a not too very expensive hotel, he didn't want to go back home before his parent s new he has been expelled from Pency, he thought it would be better if he came home on Wednesday after their parents have already digested the bad…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    However, he eventually realizes that her loss of innocence will happen regardless of how strongly he tries to stop it. Holden wants to protect Phoebe and the other children at her elementary school from reading vulgar language on the wall. He aims to prevent Phoebe from losing her naivety and innocence by learning what the curse means. It concerns him to simply think about the possibility of this happening. Later on, Holden has a sudden realization. Holden finally comes to accept that children need to grow up and make their own mistakes and learn from them independently. He is willing to let Phoebe grow and realizes that he cannot prevent her from losing her innocence nor can he prevent Jane from doing the same. Even Holden will lose his innocence at some point and there is nothing he can do to stop this. He realizes that the three of them must grow up unlike Allie…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Holden loses touch with reality when his younger brother Allie dies, he cannot comprehend why the essence of pure innocence had to suffer and die. Allie represented the good and truth in the world while everyone else represents the phony and evil aspects. After losing Allie, Holden believes that the only innocent people left are himself and his younger sister Phoebe. The death of Allie is the start of Holden’s…

    • 181 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Being flunked out of school made Holden think bad about himself, he started to imagine himself dying and ending it all, but when he went to go visit Phoebe he knew that he could not leave her behind anymore and knows he now needs to stay with…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Catcher In The Rye Holden seems to have an unfocused outlook on life where he’s in a constant melancholy state with a lack of clarity for what he wants or needs, but the turning point is when visiting his younger sister Phoebe she's able to help him note the inconsistencies in his own life including but not limited to education, responsibility, and the future. The first time he visited her it was unbeknownst to their parents, who had spent most of the night away at a party. While they talked Phoebe, who Holden mentions is very smart , seems to piece together the early visit with his shady behavior to only mean one thing “You didn’t get kicked out or anything, did you?...You did get kicked out! You did!” (165 Phoebe) This causes her to…

    • 1519 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He has trouble maintaining a relationship with anybody. At one point in the novel, Holden’s roommate, Ward Stradlater asks Holden to write a descriptive composition for him. He was supposed to write the composition about a room but instead he recalled a memory of his younger brother Allie. His brother used to sit in right field during his baseball games and write poems in green ink. Holden’s brother died of cancer a couple years back. Holden’s brothers, Allie and D.B. and his sister Phoebe were the only people he kept in good touch with. Them, and his childhood friend Jane Gallagher. While Holden is away at boarding school he hardly ever gets to talk to any of His friends. Holden is forced to make friends with phonies. Holden considers everybody at the prep schools he attends phonies. After Holden gets kicked out of Pencey Prep, He heads for New York. While in New York Holden has an encounter with a prostitute. He asks for the prostitute to come up to his room. Once the prostitute, Sunny, gets there she immediately begins to get undressed. This is when Holden interrupted with, “’don’t you feel like talking for a while”’ (95)? Holden just wanted to talk, but he had nobody to talk to. The best he could do was talk to a…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays