The Catcher in the Rye literary analysis essays

The Catcher in the Rye literary analysis essays The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a story about childhood, and of finding ones self in society. It is the story of Holden Caulfield and his everyday encounters and problems with other people in society. The story depicts a week in the life of Holden, a week full of events and encounters that permanently change his life forever. In the Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger uses the character of Holden Caulfield, conflict, and setting to convey the theme that although the world may seem to be full of phonies or difficult and boring people, one must find a way to overlook his individuality and coexist in society. The first literary technique J.D. Salinger utilizes is the character of Holden Caulfield. Although Holden can be analyzed from many different vantage points the most prevalent characteristic of Holden is his lack of maturity and his journey into adulthood. Holden is a very insecure teenager desperately trying to connect with someone. Because he is immature he has problems understanding the adult world and has difficulty relating to his peers. He feels very much alone and doesn't know how to create a connection because he is very idealistic and has no tolerance for people. He labels anyone whom he considers not to be completely genuine as a phony, claiming that they do and say things for the sole purpose of being socially accepted and polite. However, Holden demonstrates his immaturity by partaking in many of the actions that he considers to be phony. He admits that sometimes it is necessary to take part in these actions and ultimately become a phony in order to exist in the ad ult world, which is why he is so strongly opposed to it. As the story progresses, however, Holdens actions and convictions begin to change into a more mature way of existing. One conviction that changes throughout the novel is Holden's belief that he can change the world. In the beginning of the story the reader gets the impre...