Holden Essay Example For Students

Holden Essay The theme that the world has an outward appearance that seems fair and perfect but really theyreas Holden put it phonies. This is shown countless amount of times in his journey through NewYork and even before he left. The setting is in the 1950s; so Im pretty sure that he didnt encounterany transvestites, lesbians, or anything that extreme of phoniest. Or on the other hand he could haveliked them for being as Elmemson said a none conformist. But I doubt it, he seemed to like kidsmore than anything. And his job, as he felt, was to protect them in their innocents; of which I willtalk about in my second theme. The first example that stands out in my mind is the scene with Stradlater in the can. If youremember Stradlater was getting ready for his other date while Holden watched him. Stradlaterwas a secret slob in public he always looked good and got all the girls but in fact he was a slob. Hisrazor that made him look so good was rusty as hell and full on lather and hair and crap. Thispro ves that he is a slob to never clean it or anything. If you think about it thats even worst thanOld Ackley. At least Ackley knew that he had a problem, that he need to do something about hisface; but Stradlater thought that he was a great guy. He actually thought that there was nothingwrong with never washing his razor. I think that what mad, Holden so made Stradlater wasperpetrating in other word being phony every time he went out all GQ after using that filthy razor. Another instance is when he calls that girl in New York, Faith Cavendish, that Eddie Birdsell hadbrought to a dance at Princeton. Anyway he called her and she almost went off until Holdendrooped Eddies name. Then all of a sudden she was getting friendly as hell. The same person saidif you think I enjoy bein woke up in the middle- was getting an english accent all of a sudden. Ithink Holden caught her with her faade down. When she first picked up the phone she was mad asanybody else would be in her shoes. But as soon a s she processed Eddie Birdsell from Princetonshe became so amicable. She most of thought that a friend of Eddie, from Princeton, most havebeen rich or at lest well off. Faith was all ready to hook up with him for a date until she askedWhere ya callin from? Where ya at now, anyways? And in a phone booth was the wronganswer. When he said that she new he had no money and from that point on she had no time tomeet up any more. This is a good example of the phoniest that Holden will talk about all throughbook. Oh and one I almost missed it is a little before the conversation with Faith it is a very importantevent. When J.D. Salinger had Holden look about of the window I think it was a big simile, of whichI think about more in theme number 3, of the theme of the book. Im sure Holden didnt ride all theway to New York to pick a run down hotel. So I take it when he drove up it probably looked goodon the outside. He even took it off referring to the red hunting hat before I checked inI didnt w antto look like a screwball or something. So we can assume it was nice, or at lest on the outside. Salinger even throw Holden foreshadowed a little in the line I didnt know then that the goddamhotel was full of perverts and morons. The first guy he saw out his room window took out all thesewomens clothes, and put them on. Then he started walking around like a women, smoking acigarette, and looking in the mirror. And now I guest I have to take back my sentence abouttransvestites in the opening paragraph. Second he saw a couple squiring water and they were inhysterics the whole time, a little strange. You see the outside of the hotel represents what society isor tries to be, all nice and neat. And the people acting silly in the rooms are what we a really like. Imnot saying we are all perverts but we all have two different personalities; one outside and one insideclosed doors. Since Im will into the second page and its past my bed time or at lest it feels like it is this is the lastone for this theme. The one I had in mind is the one the date he had with Sally. From the jump shewas p hony. Holden had already talked to her dad and told him how it was, but she still asked how itwas. Holden when call her quite a little phony, she even sounded phony through the book withlines like Id love to grand. And when they got through with the play on the Lunts it didnt get anybetter. They ran into this guy that Sally knew and both of their phoniest began to shine. Youvethough that they hadnt seen each other for twenty years they probably even hugged and kissedchecks and all. And the funny thing is that they probably met each other only once. And from thatpoint on they went on a quest to outname the other. They both kept thinking of places as fast asthey could trying to get the upper-hand in a game of illusion. They both were trying to, I guest,show they are more popular than the other by making it seem like they known all these places andpeople, when in actuality they were two big phonies. The next Theme of this story that I want to talk about is the significance of the novel s title. First ofall I have to say why the book was entitle as it was The Catcher in the Rye. The title of the book isa mystery all the way until chapter 21 when he sneaked back home to see Phoebe. When Phoebefronted him about getting kicked out of school again saying you dont like anything Holden wasforced to come up with something he would enjoy to be or do. After minutes of pondering Holdensaid Id just be the catcher in the rye and all. He just wanted to save the little innocent kids fromfalling. The kids I think represent the innocents of the young just playing and when they fall off thecliff they discover the world. He wants to protect them and keep them pure will. All through thestory Salinger used Holden as the catcher on the rye to protect or try to protect the innocents ofkids. The biggest and most memorial of this protection is when he went to Phoebe elementary school totalk to her before he had to leave. Anyway he saw the word fuck you on the hall walls and it drovehim da m near crazy. He couldnt stand the idea that Phoebe or her friend had seen that on the wall. John Rocker EssayWriters like Edgar Allen are obvious that they have a deeper meaning. But with Salinger its hard totell if this is a simple story of a boy rebelling or is it a great big metaphor for the world and how weare. Now if you ask him I,m sure he would say oh thats what meant exactly, and he might as wellhave meant that; but who is to say. English