Most essays are graded by GradeFixer's experts
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
Rated by a GradeFixer's writer
1951, J. D. Salinger
Novel; Bildungsroman, Young adult fiction, Coming-of-age story, First-person narrative, Literary realism
Holden Caulfield, Stradlater, Phoebe Caulfield, Mr. Antolini, Jane Gallagher, Sally Hayes, Mr. Spencer, Allie, Maurice, Sunny
The title comes from a famous Robert Burns poem called "Comin' Thro the Rye", which is exactly what Holden reflects as a literal rye field left on the edge of a mental cliff.
Aggression, isolation, growing up, innocence, alienation, lying, deception, relationships, intimacy
It is believed that the main message of the story is that no single individual can make this world a better place and save everyone. The inner story behind it all is Holden's wishing to protect all the innocent people of our world to compensate for the death of his fallen brother. Another aspect of this story is dealing with alienation and being lost because of not knowing what to do with one's life. It is also a reason why it has been included in high school and college curriculums.
The novel tells about the life of a sixteen year old Holden Caulfield right after he has been expelled from preparatory school. As Holden is seeking for truth and solutions, he feels lost and confused with his life as he faces the adult world. Coming up with several ideas regarding what must be done, he ends up totally exhausted and broken down.
The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most taught books in America even though it has not been intended for high school children.
The book is also one of the most banned books in the United States due to profanity and sexually explicit material.
The Millennials, according to 2009 publication in The New York Times, actually hated Holden Caulfield by calling him "weird, whiny, and immature".
This best-selling book is among those that has never been made into a movie. Even such people like Steven Spielberg could not get an agreement.
Salinger's ex-home in Cornish, New Hampshire is now a house for cartoonists and the Centre for Cartoon Studies.
Almost 685 copies of the book are sold daily with the 250,000 copies sold annually.
J.D. Salinger has published only one now.
“Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. 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.”
“I am always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.”
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”
“That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are. Girls. Jesus Christ. They can drive you crazy. They really can.”
“Certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.”
The novel is teaching us several lessons, depending on how a person explores the book and the events that take place. Still, the crucial aspect is the lesson about caring for yourself and finding one's identity before starting to care for others. An example of Holden’s struggles is a journey that shows us how much easy it is to get lost in the world of adults as one learns something. It is also a good example of going against the societal rules and restrictions. This novel can also be seen through the lens of product of war and the challenging times.
It is one of the most frequent college essay topics, especially during your Introductory course regardless of your future major. One of the reasons why this topic is important is dealing with alienation, depression, and making mistakes. It can be used as the comparison of the modern times where we face the same challenge of saving others and trying to make this world a different, better place. It is meant to explore the lessons from doing something wrong and trying to adjust to this society.
1. Bryan, J. (1974). The psychological structure of The Catcher in the Rye. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/pmla/article/abs/psychological-structure-of-the-catcher-in-the-rye/3F17F3E47A5D47A84AB5D789595E91BE PMLA, 89(5), 1065-1074.
2. Privitera, L. (2008). Holden's Irony in Salinger's The Catcher in the RYE. The Explicator, 66(4), 203-206. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3200/EXPL.66.4.203-206?journalCode=vexp20)
3. Costello, D. P. (1959). The Language of'The Catcher in the Rye'. American Speech, 34(3), 172-181. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/454038)
4. Baer, L. D., & Gesler, W. M. (2004). Reconsidering the concept of therapeutic landscapes in JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Area, 36(4), 404-413. (https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0004-0894.2004.00240.x)
5. Shaw, P., & Salzman, J. (1991). Love and Death in the Catcher in the Rye. https://www.academia.edu/22773232/_Love_and_Death_in_The_Catcher_in_the_Rye_ Cambridge University Press.
6. Salinger, J. D. (2000). The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Bad grammar, preoccupation with death and sex. Profane, immoral filth. Use of Lord’s name in vain (https://www.scribd.com/doc/189349400/The-Catcher-in-the-Rye-Bloom-s-Guides)
7. Vanderbilt, K. (1963). Symbolic Resolution in" The Catcher in the Rye": the Cap, the Carrousel, and the American West. Western Humanities Review, 17(3), 271. (https://www.proquest.com/openview/8b42932806c9182108fb778309f49330/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1820945)
8. Lawrence, E. (1999). Salvation and Rebirth in The Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar. The Oswald Review: An International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Criticism in the Discipline of English, 1(1), 10. (https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/tor/vol1/iss1/10/)
