A major theme in The Catcher in the Rye is, obviously, alienation -- with its uplifting moments and sorrowful downfalls -- that shape Holden Caulfield 's character. According to most analyses, The Catcher in the Rye is a bildungsroman, a novel about a young character’s growth into maturity. There are many situations where Holden feels alienated from his friends and society. Holden Caulfield uses lies to avoid emotional damage, and this behavior describes that of a mentally unsound individual. This event sends Holden through a psychological journey of alienation and isolation shown through six steps. Holden's alienation is disenchantment mingled with hope. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me.

And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff.
"I'm always saying "Glad to've met you" to someone I'm not at all glad I met. Language, Voice, and Holden Caulfield - The Catcher in the Rye Part 1: CC English Literature #6 - Duration: 10:52. But there are definite hints in the text that Holden isn't just another normal teenager. (Maybe you are too.) It was originally intended for adults, but is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst and alienation, and as a critique on superficiality in society. There are many instances where Sally alienates Holden. Yes, mentally and physically. "It was funny. Sally alienates Holden when they are in the cab. Holden Caulfield calling men out on their masculine bullshit. Allie died when he was eleven years old, still a child and “innocent.” Having by no means been “tainted” by the world of adults, Allie is probably the individual Holden could catch in … Here, the red hunting hat symbolizes Holden’s alienation from society and his intentional isolation from people. In “The Catcher in the Rye,” Holden’s lack of friendship, loose of a brother, and his need for acceptance from others causes him to feel loneliness in the world around him.

When one is not accepted by society, he becomes an Outsider to everyone around him. Holden Caulfield in Chapter 7.

Simply put, alienation both protects and harms Holden. ... we’ve rounded up ten things that Holden Caulfield hates. Holden doesn’t sound too different from any other disaffected, bored kid, us included. The 6-year-old boy singing "If a body catch a body coming through the rye" as he marches down the street is, for Holden, a symbol of authenticity and possibility. As a result of his lying and purposeful alienation from others, Holden has few healthy relationships in his life. What makes The Catcher in the Rye unique, however, is not the fact that Holden is an alienated teenager, but the novel’s nuanced portrayal of the causes, benefits, and costs of his isolation. Holden’s lack of control, his pathological lying, and his purposeful alienation from others are all indications of his mental instability, and it was this mental instability that made Holden Caulfield’s character famous for being one of the most relatable and authentic characters in literature. Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. In The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield experiences two traumatic events that impact his present self negatively. The Catcher in the Rye represents the theme of alienation through one of the main characters in the novel, Sally. Holden is a fairly misunderstood teenager, who constantly is on the verge of a mental break down.