Novel Holden example essay topic

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger has an interesting plot behind it. The plot is set in the 1950's and is narrated by a man named Holden Caulfield. Holden is a sixteen-year old boy who is going through many mental difficulties in his life. The story introduces Holden as a drop out, due to him failing his classes, and being expelled from school. Holden lives in a dormitory, with his roommate, Stradlater who he does not get along with. He also has a neighbor Ackley who he also despises.

Holden's roommate is fighting over a girl and an objective paper in this story. Stradlater gets the best of Holden, by not only taking Jane Gallagher out on a date but also getting into a fistfight about a paper Holden wrote for Stradlater. Holden is to return home and go back to see his parents but leaves early and rents a hotel for a few days. The hotel he stays at is a dirty and cheap place but it is only temporary for the time being. Holden tries to go downstairs and drink at a bar but the waiter realizes that he is underage so he is denied. But he gets a stripper to come to his room and he tries to have sex with her.

Holden refuses to pay the stripper five dollars and gets into a fight with this man Maurice. Maurice was a man who was the elevator operator at the Edmond Hotel that sets up the prostitute for Holden. He gets beat up badly and has to pay after all. Holden then calls up Sally Hanes who he has dated in the past and they meet for a Broadway play.

During the play Sally talks to another guy and makes Holden upset. Holden, feels betrayed that she would hurt him like that. Then after the play Holden and Sally go to the Radio City ice skating rink and Holden while they are at the rink Holden shows his frustration towards Sally. Holden decides to sneak into his own apartment building and wake up his little sister Phoebe.

Holden begins to talk with his sister Phoebe about school and how he was expelled due to his grades. Holden is able to talk to her and get a lot of things off his chest. Holden and Phoebe begin to make plans to meet up at the zoo and spend the day together, which they have not done in a long time. Holden buys Phoebe a ticket and he feels special that he is able to spend time with someone else that cares about him. After their day together Holden decides that he is not going to tell the readers about how he visits home and gets sick in the process, but how he has big plans for the future and wants to succeed. The main idea from J.D. Salinger is the world today is filled with phonies.

Holden believes that the world is full of phonies and how people can't see how phony they truly are. He says that he despises phony people; He states "Mr. Haas, that was the phoniest bastard I ever met in my life". Mr. Haas was a headmaster and to Holden he was a phony person. For instance: (Salinger 14) At Elkton Hills, which was a school, the parents would come up on parent weekend. Since Mr. Haas was a headmaster he would have to go round and speak to the parents and introduce himself. While he was doing this he was being a phony.

What I mean is he would discriminate against some of the parents that where not average looking. Some of the parents where fat and built different, all Mr. Haas would do is just look then give them the phoniest smile in the world. Holden states, "That is why I left Elkton Hills because I was surrounded by phonies". Throughout the novel Holden meets many characters that seem to affect him in a certain manor. (Sally Hayes, Carl Luce, and Maurice) these characters seem to stand because of the effect they had on Holden. Holden has generally pointless thoughts about different people in his life and lets them rule his thinking about others.

My main opinion of the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a great novel. This novel has a lot of themes that any person can relate to throughout their life. Holden is not your typical guy though, but he does run into many different and interesting problems throughout the novel. I myself felt that after reading this novel I feel that I could relate to Holden with his relationship problems and his family problems. Everyone is going to face female problems throughout their life and I felt that Holden handled his ways much the same as I would. I also do not have the best relationship with my parents, and can understand and feel Holden's pain that he feels because of them.

I found the novel very up to date with the current issues for any person and, I also found it interesting to read. I like Holden's style he carries and would have to say that this novel is a must for a person to read. Most people would fine the novel fun to read and very laid back to comprehend.