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Example research essay topic: Catcher In The Rye Ways Of Life - 782 words

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Catcher in the Rye A classic theme in American literature is a youths journey into adulthood. This journey is usually met with some adversity. Such is the case with J. D.

Salinger's book The Catcher in the Rye. In this book the protagonist, Holden Claufield, is a nineteen year old expelled college student who is going through some tough times. Most of Holden's problems stem from his inability to disregard his childhood and proceed to maturity. Throughout the novel, Holden tries to hold onto the comfort of his childish ideals and ways of life, but society seems to demand that he grow up.

Multiple times in the book, Holden ponders of ways to simply move away to another part of the country in order to escape the responsibilities of maturity. The first example of this is when Holden meets an old girlfriend of his, Sally Hayes. Once their conversation was on what he has been doing lately, he becomes enthralled in the idea of escaping with her to the countryside and living a simple life. Sally keeps reality in check by telling him that if he wants to have a real relationship, than he should finish college and get a real job. Then, she says, there will be oodles of marvelous places to go to. (Salinger, 133).

Holden replies, No, there wont be. Itd be entirely different. Wed have to go downstairs in elevators with suitcases and stuff. Wed have to phone up everybody and tell em good-by and send em postcards from hotels and all.

And Id be working in some office, making lots of dough, and riding to work in cabs and Madison Avenue buses, and reading newspapers, and playing bridge all the time. (Salinger, 133). In this example it is clear that Holden is protesting the kinds of things that are associated with the boring side of a responsible adult life. Society is represented by Sally, who says that he is crazy for thinking of actually doing things like breaking off all contacts and living a secluded life off in the country. Escaping from adult society is not his only idea about maturity, he also has a childish fantasy of becoming a catcher in the rye.

I keep picturing all of these little kids, playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around nobody big, I mean except me. And Im standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff I mean if theyre running and they dont look where theyre going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.

Thats all I do all day. Id just be the catcher in the rye. I know its crazy, but it is what Id really like to be. (Salinger, 173). From this quote, it can be determined that Holden has a child-like innocent and helpful quality, but doesnt want any responsibilities that come with adulthood. But by this time in the novel, society has shown Holden that such fantasies could never be realized. After the destruction of Holden's fantasy of becoming the catcher in the rye, he visits the Egyptian wing of the New York Metropolitan Museum, which is where he used to go as a kid.

He made his way to the solemn mummy exhibit. I was the only one left in the tomb then. I sort of liked it, in a way. It was so nice and peaceful. Then, all of a sudden, youd never guess what I saw on the wall. Another F ck You.

It was with a red crayon of something, right under the glass part of the wall, under the stones. Thats the whole trouble, you can never find a place thats nice and peaceful, because there isnt any. (Salinger, 204) This quote shows that no matter how hard Holden tries, he cannot escape society, even in the most secluded of areas. Throughout the novel, Holden tries to hold onto the comfort of his childish ideals and ways of life, but society seems to demand that he grow up. He thinks about running away from his problems. He tries to assess his ideal goals versus his reality-based goals. Finally he just tries to reclaim his childhood.

In all three cases, he finds that he cannot continue to avoid growth, his only hope is to cope with it or embrace it. The reader never discovers what the ultimate fate of Holden Claufield is, but what his story leaves with us is that without growth, we will be unsuccessful, but to abandon your innocence is to lose yourself.


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Research essay sample on Catcher In The Rye Ways Of Life

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