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In results of writing an essay which included, .".. Modern science would still like to know what the secret ingredients were that the Egyptians used when they wrapped up dead people so that their faces would not rot for innumerable centuries... ", Holden Caulfield, the main character in the book, failed Pencey Prep, one of a long series of private schools which he attended. He was proud of the fact that he failed every subject except for English. One would find the book The Catcher in the Rye extremely ironic. Salinger used irony to confuse situations. Holden would say one thing, but would do another.
Fear adds to the irony of the story, which makes it interesting and enjoyable for the reader. The central theme of the book is Holden's war against phonies and how he deals with them. One of Holden's worst phonies is Pencey Prep. He states, "Pencey is strictly for the birds.
They don't do any damn more molding at Pencey than they do at any other school. " Holden doesn't understand how Pencey can be so strict, especially after writing that essay. He finds himself to exaggerate and lie more than anyone else at Pencey. To impress parents that come to visit on Sundays, Holden says that every Saturday the students have steak for dinner. He believes the school does this so often because the parents are more likely to remember the good things at Pencey, like eating steak for example, rather than all of the bad things that go on during the week. As the reader reads the book, he would realize that Holden is the only one that finds Pencey to be so sinister. Pencey was only a phony to Holden because he didn't belong there in the first place.
The majority of the people at Pencey were also phonies of Holden's. Ranging from teachers, students, and roommates, Holden could always find something wrong with others. He claimed that his former teacher Mr. Antolini made a "fifty" pass at him when he slept over at this teacher's apartment. In reality, the reader would consider the fact that Holden was over exaggerating when Mr.
Antolini was just making sure he was O. K. by patting his head because he simply cared about Holden. Holden was constantly making fun of his neighbor, Robert Ackley, who had spent all four years at Pencey Prep. He was very tall with stooped shoulders, bad teeth, and lots of pimples. "Not just on his forehead or his chin, like most guys, but all over his whole face. " He is summed up as being a "sort of a nasty guy. " Holden had a problem with many boys at his school.
He believed that they were too self- centered and obsessed with their school work. The reason why he felt this way was because he was so different and he couldn't relate to them. Holden wants to marry Sally Hayes, one of the most beautiful girls he has ever laid eyes on. After his date with her, he explains that her bitchy personality would never change the way he felt about her, even after they had an argument and she left him on the date. He would always like her as long as she kept her good looks.
Nobody really liked Holden as a person except for a couple caring teachers and his younger sister, Phoebe. Phoebe is the only reason why he wanted to go home right away. He missed her and she always seemed to cheer him up. Holden believes that she's the only one that understands him.
She looked up to him, which was unfortunate considering what a bad influence he was to her. When Phoebe asked Holden to tell her one thing that he liked, he couldn't even answer her. He did tell her that in the future, he wants to be a catcher in the rye. Holden had many phonies, and his sister, not being one of them, was also a friend. He needed to sit down and realize what a jerk he had been to society in general. The reader would know shortly after starting the book that the only phony in this story was the character himself, Holden Caulfield.
During the four days in which this novel is written, Holden tries to discover who he really is by experimenting with alcohol, smoking, girls, and his use of language, which was a disrespect towards others. After he was kicked out of Pencey, he stayed at a hotel, hired a prostitute (he only talked to her) and was feeling bad for himself as well as the state of depression he held within himself. He made dumb embarrassing mistakes by getting drunk and making a fool of himself by calling an ex-girlfriend. Throughout the story, Holden was a confused person. He continually contradicted himself, had no sympathy for others, was inconsiderate, and constantly complaining and blaming others. Towards the end of the novel, one would find it hard to have any sympathy for him.
Throughout the book, a reader would find Holden to be quite insane. In the beginning, a reader would feel bad for him. At the end, one would realize what a jerk Holden was all along. The usage of first person point of view helps the reader immensely in the understanding of Holden's true inner feelings and his thoughts and troubles in different situations.
Holden used bad judgment in dealing with his war with phonies by not caring about anything. This book was an odd combination of humor and sadness which would inspire a reader to keep reading. Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on Catcher In The Rye Holden Caulfield
