The catcher in the rye and the stranger - 554 Words

Holden Caulfield and Mersault have both been alienated in their worlds as the authors have so clearly portrayed in both books. But as much as both have been alienated, one is an essentialist while the other remains an existentialist. Holden Caulfield being the essentialist that he is, has psychological motivation for every action he takes. He is a teenager that is struggling with the fact that everyone has to grow up, which to him means that you have to become â€Å"phony or corrupt†. While on the other hand Mersault, the existentialist, does things for no reason whatsoever. He is a completely aloof, unattached , unemotional person. He doesn’t think much about events or their consequences, nor does he express much feeling in relationships or†¦show more content†¦He feels that he is surrounded by hypocrites in a school filled with fakery. Principal Thurmur, the principal of Holden’s high school of which he got kicked out of, Pencey, was the leader of the whole charade. During a teacher/parent day, Principal Thurmur would only say hello to the wealthy parents of students. He would not associate himself with those that were not financially stable, because he was fake. So taking into account the way his principal is, it just adds on to his hatred of adults and fear of becoming one. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mersault on the other hand, gets alienated from the society in which he lives in which is still the one we live in today. Mersault shows no feelings towards the things that happen to him or the things he does. His own mother died and when he asked his boss for two days off he was wondering if his boss was mad at the fact he took a four day weekend. He even went as far as to tell his boss that it wasn’t his fault. Mersault rarely shows any feeling in situations which would, for most people, elicit strong emotions like in his relationship with Marie Cardona. She asked him to marry her and he responded that it doesn’t matter to him, and if she wants to get married he would agree. She also asked him if he loved her and he responded that marriage isn’t such a serious thing and doesn’t require love. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In our society, a person like Mersault whoShow MoreRelatedIs catcher in the rye and the stranger still relevant2691 Words   |  11 PagesAlbert Camus’ ‘The Outsider’ and J.D Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ both have central characters who find themselves on the boundaries of the society they live in. Holden Caulfield finds himself ‘lonesome’ in 1950’s New York, in the lead up to Christmas, while Meursault, the protagonist of Camus’ novel faces trial before a jury after committing the murder of an unnamed Arab man, in 1930’s Algeria. The question we must ask ourselves as readers is: are the stories of these two men still relevantRead MoreLord Of The Flies, By William Golding And The Perks Of Being A Wallflower1087 Words   |  5 Pagessome of my most beloved. In my junior year, I read A Separate Peace by John Knowles for my AP U.S. History class while I read The Catcher in the R ye by J.D. Salinger over the summer. A Separate Peace explores the rivalry that can lie at the heart of many friendships and conveys the concept of individuality rather than conformity. Similarly, The Catcher in the Rye is the story of a teenage boy who despises the phoniness of society and fears becoming just another phony adult. Both novels share similarRead MoreHolden Caulfield and the Pressures of Society: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger1286 Words   |  6 Pagesnovel to life. In the bildungsroman, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, characterization is often found, especially regarding the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Salinger also includes many themes in his novel relating to growing up in a corrupt society. Hence, this paper will compare, contrast, and evaluate literary criticisms regarding the themes and characterization of J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye. Many critics of The Catcher in the Rye discuss in depth the characterizationRead MoreAmerican Literature And Ways They Cultivate Their Own Methods Of Survival Within Their Societies1484 Words   |  6 Pageschildhood and adulthood, the lonely adolescent navigates through a loss of innocence and disenchantment to come to terms with his own male identity, as well as establish his role in society and find purpose as an adult. J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye follows anti-hero Holden Caulfield through a seemingly innocuous trip in New York City. 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Salinger Entry #1 220 Pages Pages 1-40 This book started very different compared to most other book, its different because throughout the beginning gives a lot of information is given to the reader that you would not expect until later on in the story. The beginning also gives us a back story of most of the characters but they go into most depth with Holden. Holden Caulfield is the main characterRead MoreShould Banned Be Banned? A High School Curriculum?1603 Words   |  7 Pagesgruesome, yet extremely realistic portrayal of life. Among the novels that have been banned is The Catcher in The Rye, written by J.D Salinger, which describes the idiosyncratic ideals of sixteen year old mischief-maker, Holden Caulfield, and recounts the days following his suspension from Pencey University. 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The story essentiallyRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye and 6 Degrees of Separation Essay1236 Words   |  5 PagesThe human condition is as far from reason and judgement as anything can be, it is what we have tried to explain for centuries and it is still a confusing maze we attempt and pretend to understand. Holden from The Catcher in the Rye and Paul from Six degrees of Separations help to explore the workings of the human condition, both boys are conflicted with their lives and have difficulty fitting into their society. However these two texts do put the boys in different positions in life, Holden hasRead More The Phony Theme of The Catcher In The Rye Essay example1353 Words   |  6 PagesThe Phony Theme of The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In life there comes a time when everyone thinks that they are surrounded by phoniness. This often happens during the teen years when the person is trying to find a sense of direction. Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old teen-ager is trying to find his sense of direction in J.D. Salingers, The Catcher In The Rye. Holden has recently been expelled from Pency Prep for failing four out of his five classes. He decides to start