Essays on Catcher in the Rye

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 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.