Symbolism in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye Essay

Many novels cannot be fully understood and appreciated if only read for face value, and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is no exception. The abundant use of symbolism in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is of such significance that it â€Å"proclaims itself in the very title of the novel† (Trowbridge par. 1). If the symbolism in this novel is studied closely, there should be no astonishment in learning that The Catcher in the Rye took approximately ten years to write and was originally twice its present length. J.D. Salinger uses copious amounts of symbolism in his novel to accurately convey the feelings of his main character, Holden, and, in essence, to reveal information pertaining to human sentiment. Many of these symbols contain†¦show more content†¦The ducks are first brought to the reader’s attention while Holden is visiting his teacher, Mr. Spencer, regarding his removal from Pencey. While conversing with Mr. Spencer, however, Holde n’s mind drifts elsewhere. His mind drifts back to New York as he wonders to himself if the lagoon in Central Park is frozen over, and if so, where do the ducks go? A direct parallel can be drawn from the ducks in the lagoon to Holden’s present situation. He is mandated to leave Pencey, but has no idea where he belongs after leaving. Just like the ducks in the lagoon, â€Å"Holden is essentially homeless, frozen out† (Trowbridge par. 1). Holden’s life has not been filled with an abundance of stability and now what little he had is gone, albeit due to faults of his own, and he sees an unsure and hazy future. Holden inquires about the state of the ducks to the driver of the first cab he catches in New York, and the driver believes that he is kidding. Later on, he asks another cab driver if somebody came around â€Å"in a truck or something to take them away† or if they flew away â€Å"by themselves† (Salinger 81-82). Knowing what happens to t hese ducks, knowing that they are safe and secure even though the lagoon is frozen would provide Holden with a sense of comfort about his current state of affairs. What seems to be a ridiculous and meaningless question to theShow MoreRelatedHolden Caulfield of Catcher In the Rye, the equivalent portrayal of J.D Salinger1734 Words   |  7 PagesHolden Caulfield of Catcher In the Rye, the equivalent portrayal of J.D Salinger Jerome David â€Å"J.D† Salinger’s masterpiece, The Catcher in the Rye, is a world to the disillusioned protagonist Holden Caulfield. The story follows Holden Caulfield following his eviction from his private school, Holden leaves school two days early to travel New York before returning home. He interconnected with many different folks along the way and fascinatingly, the character of Holden Caulfield holds a remarkableRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye Essay790 Words   |  4 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger. 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This book entails many uses of symbolism throughout theRead MoreThe Theme Of Innocence In The Catcher In The Rye1222 Words   |  5 PagesAlthough Holden Caulfield is a fictional character, he would not stand for these kinds of issues. Through Salinger’s use of symbolism and Holden’s views, he depicts the message of innocence. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s hypocritical character clearly illuminates the message of children always growing-up. Because Holden is the protector, the message of innocence in The Catcher in the Rye is reinforced. The theme about innocence is that everyone tries very hard to protect children from growingRead More Comparing A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye Essay example1500 Words   |  6 PagesComparing A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye The coming of age novels, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, and A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, both interpret the lives of adolescent boys journeying through their conflicts and inner confusion to reach the level of maturity. Salinger and Knowles both discern the literal ways a typical teenager grows up with the help of literary elements such as plot, setting, character development, conflicts, irony, symobolism

The Legalization Of Marijuan A Positive And Negative...

The legalization of marijuana can have many positive and negative effects on American society. State budgets are constantly looking for new avenues of revenue and ways to create new industry. The legal system in place is exhausted and unable to sustain the current rate of incarceration and enforcement. Our jails and prisons are overcrowded and law enforcement budgets are challenged every year trying to keep up with the enforcement of marijuana use, smuggling and production in addition to its other obligations. The legalization of marijuana could have a positive impact for law enforcement by freeing up resources that are currently focused on combating marijuana. If law enforcement was no longer obligated to arrest every user of marijuana for having a smoking device or a â€Å"joint† they could focus their efforts on combating victim related crimes and community orientated projects. Additionally, the cost of housing marijuana users in jails and time spent in court would no longe r be an issue and would free up space and lessen the impact on our judicial system. Furthermore, if legalized marijuana could be purchased locally this could have the effect of taking money away from the drug cartels’ illegal marijuana. Conversely, legalized marijuana could create an even bigger underground market for drug cartels to take advantage of when legal marijuana supplies cannot keep up with demand. Marijuana legalization could also create a positive economic impact. A new industry would be

LORD OF THE FLIES Argumentative Essay Example For Students

LORD OF THE FLIES Argumentative Essay Title : The Lord of the Flies SUMMARY AND FACTSAuthor : William Golding Summary One fact about this book should be established from the start this is not a childrens book. The littluns and bigguns represent members of the human race. The conflict between law and barbarism would have, I believe to be the same had the island been inhabited with adult survivors instead of children. The novel is about a transition from an immensely exciting adventure of some children, to what eventually becomes full-scale war, ending with the arrival of the naval officer who rescued them. Tough I still wonder if they were really saved, considering the atomic war which, at that time was still raging around the globe. The book begins by introducing the two of the characters Ralph and Piggy. Ralph finds a conch (a shell shaped in such a way that when blown it will sound) and blows it, summoning the rest of the boys, who were on the aeroplane and survived the crash. Laughing, Ralph looked for conformation round the rings of faces. The older boys agreed. If parents were there, they might have listened to the young boys and taken into account what they have said and even make a plan of action in what to do, however the older boys just intimidate the child into being quiet. A benefit the children have found of having no parents is that they have more freedom to do what they want and to do everything in their own time. There is no pressure of having to do anything. A second problem to having no parents around is that the children in the story could not have a proper civilised conversation or meeting between each other. At some point there would be a light burst of laughter and Ralph the chief, loses their attention just from a few giggles. The immaturity displayed may not have been tolerated by an adult who would of stamped their authority on this kind of behaviour and taught the children how to behave properly. I also feel that the childrens naivety was indeed another problem. They failed to realise the possibility that they might never get rescued, as life is very unpredictable. They did not consider the long-term problems that they may have to face. They relied on the belief that someone will rescue them and this meant that they lost track when it came to preparing to make the island more human friendly. Another problem was that they could not face being told off and also some cannot accept that they have done something wrong and it all turns into one big joke for them. This is especially true for Jack the choir leader. He realised that he should have set people to tend to the fire but he did not and this prevented them from being rescued. After getting told off by Ralph he realised that he was wrong but he did not admit it and started to change the subject. In conclusion, I feel that children will not be able to survive without their parents to guide them and the world would be very much chaos. Even though they may drive you up the wall, although I do not like to admit it, we may still need them. Adults, you cant live with them, you cant live without them.

sociology education Essay Example

sociology education Essay Outline some of the ways in which marketization and selection policies may produce differences in educational achievement (12 marks) Marketization is the policy of introducing market forces of supply and demand into areas run by state, such as education and the National Health Service. The 1988 Education Reform Act began the marketization of education by encouraging competition between school and choice for parents. Marketization brought in a funding formula that gives a school the same amount of funds for each pupil, Exam eague tables -the rank each school according to its exam performance and make no allowance for the level of ability of its pupils. For example, secondary school are ranked in terms of what percentage of their pupils succeed in gaining five or more GCSE grades A*-C and finally, competition- among schools to attract pupils. These acts of marketization lead to selection policies. Selection in education is the process of choosing and allocating pupils to a particular school, class steam ECT. We will write a custom essay sample on sociology education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on sociology education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on sociology education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Will Bartlett (1993) argues that marketization leads to popular schools, cream- skimming. This is the selection of higher ability pupils, who gain the best results and cost less to teach. This selection policy may cause differences in educational achievement as the higher ability students would receive better teaching as the better schools would select them as they cost less to teach. He also argues that marketization leads to popular schools silt-shifting. This is the off-loading of pupils with learning difficulties, who are expensive to teach and get poor results. This too creates differences in educational achievement as it causes lower ability students to e off-loaded to less successful schools who could potentially not be able to meet their needs. The educational triage is a selection process that may cause differences in educational achievement too, created by Gillborn and Youdell. Educational triage is the process whereby schools sort pupils into hopeless cases, those who will pass anyway, and those with potential to pass, and then concentrate their efforts on the last of these groups as a way to boost the schools exam league table position. Sorting ay be based on stereotypical ideas about pupils ability. Schools need to achieve high league table position if they are to attract pupils and funding. This causes difference in educational achievement as the higher ability students are selected, and attracted to the higher league table schools. This also means they are likely to achieve higher in education. Some schools have responded to marketization by creating a traditional image to attract middle-class parents and this too has reinforces class divisions. Studies of rant maintained (6M) schools (now known as foundation schools) and city technology colleges (CTCs) show how this has occurred. Geffrey Walfords (1991) research on the CTCs found that although they were intended to provide vocational education in partnership with employers and to recruit pupils from all social backgrounds, in practice they have come to be Just another route to elite education. They become attractive to middle-class parents not because Oh hi-tech image, but because they were seen as the next best thing to a traditional school.