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Holden Caulfield

            Holden Caulfield is a terribly disillusioned teenager who is disgusted with the adult world he sees around him. His plan to run away from school is the result of his desperation to escape the realities of his oncoming adulthood. Through the innocence of his youth Holden views the world as hypocritical and corrupt. His fondest memories are of playing checkers with Jane Gallagher and dancing with his sister Phoebe. Among his many cynical views is his attitude about sex. He is disgusted that people can have sex casually rather than it being an expression of love. He is traumatized when he perceives that people are ruining his sense of purity and righteousness. An example is his hatred of the profanity used in graffiti, most especially when it's within the view of young children. Holden fools himself into believing that he can stay young forever and his attempt at running is his means of doing so. .
             Holden sees the exhibits in the Museum of Natural History as a perfect example of the way the world should be. "The best thing in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was The only thing that would be different would be you." (Page 121) Holden was comfortable with the Museum because it conformed to his point of view and was unthreatening to him. He liked how all of the artifacts and displays were always the same and appeared frozen in time. This was the type of orderly world in which he could live without fear. That's why he chose the museum as the place to meet Phoebe to tell her that he was running away. This meeting further feeds Holden's disillusionment because Phoebe talks him out of leaving rather than supporting him.
             Holden can't find a place for himself in the world so he makes up an imaginary one. His fantasy is based on a quote from a poem that he hears a little boy singing. He thinks the words are, "If a body catch a body comin" through the rye." He sees himself in a world with no adults and he as the only "big" person.


Essays Related to Holden Caulfield

1. The Madness of Holden Caulfield

... across in the world. Although his attitude and behavior may seem off, many people were able to see a reflection of them in Caulfield during the publication of this novel as the country was in a state of post-war flux. Holden Caulfield's eccentric behavior can be seen undoubtedly in the fact that he believes someone would write a derogatory phrase on his tombstone or the ... ; have caused. This was the bohemian lifestyle that Holden was trying to pursue. In doing so, he would distance himself from the phonies and make his life more enjoyable. Phoebe Caulfield, Holden's little sister, is u...

  • Word Count: 817
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Holden Vs. Othello

... from harmless scenarios. Through the words and actions of various characters, illusions had been created, because of their naivety. Finally, through the characters misinterpretations of symbols, torment became a consequence. Holden Caulfield and Othello both experience similar situations where they suffer immensely because of the fear that false illusions and images had created. Through two significant situations ... (III, iii, 400-409) Undoubtedly, Othello had taken Iago's words far to seriously without any real evidence, and therefore, these illusions cause him to suffer immensely. It...

  • Word Count: 1633
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Holden's three father figures

... from the latest school, Pencey Prep. Three men stand out as possibilities to play this invaluable part of "wise old man" in Holden's confused life, Holden's father, Mr. Caulfield, Holden's history teacher at Pencey Prep, Mr. Spencer, and finally, Holden's beloved English teacher from Elkton Hills, Mr. Antolini. Each of them try to play this part yet fall short and end up ... quality advice and a slight mishap because of a drink too many, respectively. Salinger vividly illustrates how Holden is pushed into deeper emotional trauma because of his father's, Spencer's and Antolini's failure t...

  • Word Count: 1058
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

4. The Catcher in the Rye - Holden Caulfield and Women

... in the Rye," by JD Salinger, protagonist Holden Caulfield meets a variety of different female characters. Holden does not respect women as much as he should, and there are many examples of this throughout the novel. The rebellious teenager has a different type of relationship with nearly every woman he meets. There are two mainly categories which Holden divides the women who surround him: the women ... the ones who he is distant from. First, whenever he is around the women he is close to emotionally, he is usually sober and sensitive. One of them is Phoebe, Holden Caulfield's little sis...

  • Word Count: 960
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Analysis of Patient: Holden Caulfield

Two months prior, there was a fire at the Pussywillow Mental Institute. Many files were destroyed including that of the said Holden Caulfield. The following is a reconstruction of the mental/medical history of the said Holden Caulfield. One year has passed since the admission of said patient. The doctors here at Pussywillow have had plenty of time to diagnose his character and problems. The following is ... a report of his problems and a prognosis about what might happen to Caulfield in the future. Mr. Caulfield is ironically judgmental. He has problems with everyone ... -delusion that he wo...

  • Word Count: 467
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Catcher in The Rye - Holden Caulfield

... kind of behavior is typical of a severely mentally ill person that needs help. At the end of the novel, Holden briefly mentions "what [he] did after [he] went home, and how [he] got sick and all" (213). It is implied that Holden Caulfield is currently in a mental hospital, indicating that his downward spiral had been completed. Since this is his present ... stress, depression, and lack of food and sleep in the past few days cause Holden to faint. He is treating his body so horribly that it is pushed to the limit of shutting itself down. Holden's physical disintegration is the last phase...

  • Word Count: 840
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

7. The Pschoanylisis Of Holden Caulfield

... . I have a PhD from Stanford University and have been working with teenagers for ten years. However, Holden Caulfield has been different then any other patient I have ever had. Even though Holden and I have had a pretty good relationship it still has taken more than a year for me to get him to open up ... with me. Once he did open up through the free association activity I found out some interesting things. I think that the Id dominates the ego with Holden. He does things without really contemplating what the consequences will be. For example he doesn't apply himself in school because he...

  • Word Count: 1784
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Holden Caulfield's Language

Literary Criticism On Holden Caulfield's Language Every person's, words contribute to form a unique and individual identity. Adolph Hitler used his evil words and hypnotizing language ... focused on having their characters use a distinct language to make them unique. One of his characters, Holden Caulfield, has a very pessimistic diction which made him special. In the bildungsroman Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden's trouble and insecure personality is modeled by his unique speech and diction in that he has an idiosyncratic ... speech pattern, uses certain grammar, crude language, ...

  • Word Count: 964
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Holden as a true teenager

... homes, libraries, and classrooms in 1951, it has been an exquisite example of teenage hardships and struggles. The author, JD Salinger, expresses his view of adolescence through the main character, Holden Caulfield. Holden's journey embodies a search of belonging and innocence through a young adult's life. Salinger connects with adolescent readers as he creates a true-to-life, genuine teenager in ... . The truth that he searches for he won't find by refusing to enter the adult world. Along with Holden's teenage despairs, Salinger creates a demeanor in Holden's speech that further bring t...

  • Word Count: 1403
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

10. Fake Holden

... with the world. From page one, the reader can both understand and relate to what Holden has to say about the society in which we live, and the way in which people in that society govern themselves. The more we read, the more we identify with Holden Caulfield. It seems like the typical, adolescent dilemma: How do I find my place in this life ... ? In most respects, Holden is not unlike the typical teenager. He, too, is on his own quest to find himself. He needs to find acceptance ... does not tell us directly. Not surprisingly, the second half of the book is not much different in the fac...

  • Word Count: 1531
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

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