Catcher in the Rye Essay Holden's speech is often sarcastic, negative and dismissive to most people he encounters. Occasionally, we see glimpses of sensitivity, gentleness and compassion in his thoughts and observation of the few people he cares about. The way he speaks gives us a clear insight into his character as we see both anger and contempt, but also his extreme vulnerability and sense of sadness and aloneness ... head. Throughout this book, Holden is constantly putting others down whether it be in his head or out loud. The way he speaks shows the reader that he doesn't really want to b...

• Word Count: 1205
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

In the book THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. SALINGER I picked a passage that best described Holden's personality, " I went over to my window and opened it and packed a snowball with my bare hands. The snow was very good for packing I didn't throw it at anything, though. I started to throw it. At a car that was parked across the street. But I changed my mind. The car looked so nice and white. Then I started. Then I started ... snow at them. Since the car was right out the window maybe it was someone he knew and that he didn't want him or her to get mad. Maybe he didn't throw because he thought ...

• Word Count: 425
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... . This is very effective because it makes the reader far more interested. Both writers base some of the thoughts and feelings of the child characters Davy and Paddy, by looking back at their own lives. A good example is where Roddy Doyle has looked back at his own childhood in the extract The Gang. It is a chapter in which Paddy and his friends are in a gang. It is quite a cruel gang ... because it involves being beaten with a poker if they don't say a word that is considered bad enough by the leader. The person who says the worst word then adopts the word as his name. For example from h...

• Word Count: 2123
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School