The Catcher In The Rye

Term Paper Title	The Catcher In The Rye
# of Words	804
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.22

The Catcher in the Rye

     The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, originally published in July of 1951 has come to be somewhat of a classic.  This book, in the first person narration is critical in helping the reader to know and understand the main character, Holden Caulfield.  Holden, in his narration, relates a flashback of a significant time in his life, three days and nights on his own in New York City.  Holden tells the reader his innermost thoughts on things that happen to him and how he feels about them.  There are also some minor characters in the book such as Robert Ackley and Walt Stradlater, which are his friends that he attends school, Pency Prep, which he has just been expelled from and that is why he must leave.
     Holden�s thought and ideas reveal many of his character traits.  Holden�s excessive thoughts on death are not typical of most young people.  He is obsessed with death because he has experienced in his early years.  He dwells on the death of his brother Allie.  From Holden�s thoughts, it is easy to observe that he loves and misses Allie.  Holden carries Allie�s baseball mitt with him wherever he goes to minimize the pain loss.  The mitt has a high level of significance for Holden because it contained poetry inscribed on it by Allie.
     Holden�s feelings about people reveal more of his personal traits.  He is always calling people �phonies,� even his brother D.B., who has moved to Hollywood.  Holden is a thinking and analyzing, out spoken person who values honesty and sincerity.  He is unimpressed with people who try to look good in others eyes.
     Holden has very strong feelings of love towards children.  These feelings are expressed through his little sister Phoebe.  Holden is very protective of her.  He erases swear words from the school walls so that she doesn�t learn from them.  Holden tells Phoebe that he wants to be the only grown up with �All these little kids playing a game in the field of rye.�  He will stand on the edge of a cliff and catch anyone whom falls.
     The most important aspect of the book to me was that I could really relate to Holden.  Like myself he noticed everything that was wrong with a person.  I tend to do th...

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