FREE ESSAY ON CATCHER IN THE RYE THESIS PAPER

CATCHER IN THE RYE THESIS PAPER

The Catcher in the Rye
J. D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye is a story about a young man named Holden Caulfield and the
experiences that he faces after being dismissed from school. This book contains a great
deal of symbolism, but it can very easily be missed in its simple story line. The story
line itself is very basic, and I do not feel that the plot is very well written. When
taken the time to appreciate it, this book is without a doubt a classic.
As was stated in the first paragraph this story contains a great deal of symbolism. In
the beginning of the story, when Mr. Spencer fails Holden, Holden is surprised about the
failing grade and his mind begins to wander. He thinks about Central Park and how when
the pond freezes over the duck leave. He shows a great deal of concern for what happens
to the ducks. I believe that his concern for the ducks while the pond is frozen over
symbolizes his concern for what he is going to do now that he has been dismissed from
school. Much later on in the book Holden is talking with Horwitz, an angry cab driver,
about what happens to the ducks and fish when the pond freezes over. Perhaps Holden is
still unsure about what is in store for him and what he should do with his life.
Holden's character does not relate to people very well. Throughout the story Holden is
longing for a companion. He does not have a very good personality so instead he uses
money to get the likeness of others. In many instances his buys drinks for women to win
their respect, but most of the time he is not very interested. Although Holden is very
generous, his generosity is limited to his wallet. However, Holden does care very much
for his sister Phoebe. She is ten years old and is very charming and intelligent. Holden
cares deeply for her because he lost his brother Allie to leukemia and he never wants to
lose another sibling. Holden is also a very opinionated character. He is always concerned
about other people's personalities. In one scene Holden was listening to a conversation a
couple was having and he was disgusted on how funny looking the two were, but he thought
it is good that they were together. While he was listening to them he was becoming
irritated at the guy because he would not stop talking about some pro-football game. I
found it strange that he found it irritating because it was none of his business.
Holden's way of thinking can sometimes be very strange.
The Catcher in the Rye is overall a great book. J. D. Salinger did a great job of keeping
the story simple yet interesting. Holden was a very interesting character that enhanced
the book. After reading and analyzing this book I now understand why it is so renowned
and respected.