Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Judgmental Caulfield :: Catcher Rye Essays

  The Judgmental Caulfield of The catcher in the Rye          The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is a classic novel rough a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who speaks of a puzzling time in his flavour. Holden has only a some days until his expulsion from Pency Prep School. He starts by as the example of person who cant stand phony people. He believes that his school and e very(prenominal) oneness in it is phony, so he leaves early. He then spends three aimless days in New York City. During this time, Holden finds out more about himself and how he relates to the world somewhat him. He believes that he is the catcher in the rye I go along picturing all these little kids playing some game in a big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobodys around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And Im rest on the edge of some crazy cliff. What have I to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go everyplace the cliff... (173). He briefly enters what he believes is adulthood and becomes a phony himself. By the end of the story, Holden realizes he doesnt like the type of person he has become, so he reverts into an wishful thinker a negative, judgmental person. Holdens idealism is first brought forth when he describes his life at Pency Prep. It is full of phonies, morons and bastards. His roommate, Stradlater, was at least a pretty neighbourly guy, It was partly a phony kind of friendly... (26) and his other roommate, Ackley is a very nosy bastard (33). Holden cant stand to be around either one of them for a very long time. Later, he gets into a fight with Stradlater over his date with Jane. Holden is upset because he thinks that Stradlater gave her the time and that he doesnt care about her the reason he didnt care was because he was a goddam false moron. All morons hate it when you call them a moron (44). Holden not only sees his roommates as phonies and bastards, but he also sees his headmaste r at Pency Prep as a phony slob (3). This type of person is exactly what Holden doesnt requisite to be. He strives to be a mature adult caring, compassionate, and sensitive. Even when Holden goes out or reads a story, it is just full of phoniness, .