... adolescence has served as the central theme for many novels, but J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, long a staple in academic lesson plans, has captured the spirit of this stage of life in hyper-sensitive form, dramatizing Holden Caulfield's vulgar language and melodramatic reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep school student Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye deals with material that is socially scandalous for its time. As an emotional, intelligent ... to solidify some communication in asking for approval by stating "if you want to kn...

• Word Count: 3426
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: High School

Chapter Summaries Chapter 1 In the first chapter of "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, the narrator, Holden Caulfield, tells us quite a few things about himself and his family. He has on brother that is in the movie writing business and as far as his parents are concerned we find out that they are nice, but irritated easily. He, up until now, attended a school named Pencey Preparatory School, in Angresown, Pennsylvania. He has been ... to call a girl he knows called Faith Cavendish to arrange a date, but she couldn't that night and she offered to meet him the next day but he couldn't ...

• Word Count: 4033
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: High School

... 's chief because she is a girl, even though the duty is rightfully hers as the first born. However, this negative reinforcement does not stop her, as she consistently seeks to prove to her tribe and to her grandfather, the current chief, that she does possess the qualities of a leader. Similarly, in the book The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield also doesn't enjoy the life that he is living and seeks ... change, however unlike Kathy and Pai, Holden has a choice in his fate and his own bad decisions eventually lead him down a darkened path ... ...

• Word Count: 3123
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... been largely defined by a character's struggle to understand and satisfy the expectations of a rapidly changing American society. In response to this confusion, characters often seek to escape their troubles and, in turn, embark on a journey that leads to both self-identification and maturation. The Narrator in Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City, and Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, are two such characters. In Bright Lights, Big City, the Narrator escapes family ... and marriage problems, coupled with his monotonous career, through the use of drugs and pa...

• Word Count: 3026
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School