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. It is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a cynical teenager who recently got expelled from his fourth school. Though Holden is the narrator and main character of the story, the focus of Salinger’s tale is not on Caulfield, but of the world in which we live. The Catcher in the Rye is an insatiable account of the realities we face daily seen through the eyes of a bright young man whose visions of the world are painfully truthful, if not a b it jaded. Salinger’sRead MoreA Short Biography of J.D. Salinger1316 Words   |  6 Pages(â€Å"David Jerome Salinger†) In 1932, Jerome was enrolled in Mcburney School. It was a private high school. He was the captain on his fencing team. He really enjoyed fencing. He struggled in private school though because he got terrible grades! Since Salingers grades were very mediocre in private school they sent him somewhere else. He was sent to military school. He started to attend Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania in 1934. While he was there, he worked on the newspaper and yearbookRead More The Catcher and the Rye / Huckleberry Finn Essay1251 Words   |  6 Pagestend to twist or stretch the meaning in order to fit the material to which it applies. For example, the way J.D Salinger applies innocence to his work is quite different from the way Mark Twain uses innocence. Innocence also changes accordingly with the time period. The definition of innocence is dynamic with respect to author and time period, as illustrated in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger and The Adventures of Huc kleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Throughout history the concept of innocenceRead More The Writings of J.D. Salinger Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe Writings of J.D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger, known as J.D., is an American short story writer and novelist. He was born on January 1, 1919 and is still alive at the age of 81. J.D. Salinger was born and raised in Manhattan. He went to prep school at Valley Forge Military Academy from 1934-1936. He spent 5 months in Europe when he was 18 or 19 years old. Then, in 1937 and 1938 he studied at Ursinus College and New York University. From 1939 to 1942, he went to Columbia University whereRead MoreThe Catcher Of The Rye By F. Salinger1386 Words   |  6 PagesAs a â€Å"gateway drug for a generation of teenagers,† Jerome David Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is a world-renowned phenomenon (Teicholz). On the surface it highlights a teenager’s mentally challenging journey of painfully trying to transition into adulthood, while also wanting to reject the adult world and seek refuge in his idealistic childhood recollections. However, these ideas can be analyzed on a deeper level, no t only to better understand the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, but alsoRead MoreAlienation and Isolation in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger700 Words   |  3 PagesTouch with Society In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger discusses the ideas of alienation and isolation. He notes that if one is unable to keep up with society they lose touch. Salinger portrays alienation and isolation through literary devices such as symbolism. Some of the symbolic features use in the novel is Holden’s red hunting hat which shows Holden’s uncommon desire compared to society’s desires. Another significant symbolic feature is the catcher in the rye; this represents Holden’s ideaRead MoreJ.b. Salinger s The Catcher s The Rye 1319 Words   |  6 PagesJ.D. Salinger’s Use of Symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger is well known for his works. His most famous being The Catcher in the Rye. Two other of his famous works include Nine stories and Franny and Zooey. J.D Salinger is also well known for his sense of humor that he includes inside of his books. The Catcher in the Rye has become an essential work to be studied in academic literature and its course of study. 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.

The defining activities and principles of ethnographic research Essays

The defining activities and principles of ethnographic research Essays The defining activities and principles of ethnographic research Paper The defining activities and principles of ethnographic research Paper Essay Topic: Sociology The term ethnography relates to a specific method upon which a researcher goes through to understand a certain situation. These methods involve the ethnographer becoming interrelated either covertly (whereby the researcher does not let the participants know who they are; either they hide their identity or they observe from a far) or overtly (whereby researchers inform participants of who they are) with the people under investigation and within their daily lives. As Marvin Harris and Orna Johnson (2001) state, ethnography literally means a portrait of people, ethnography is a written description of a particular culture- the customs, beliefs and behaviour- based on information collected through fieldwork. This ethnographic method starts with a selection of the culture upon which they wish to observe and understand. The ethnographer then researchers this specific culture and identifies variables of interest, typically these will be variables perceived as significant by members of the culture. The ethnographer then has to decide how they will gain entrance, this is especially difficult when done within covert ethnography as there is pressure in whatever circumstance it is to not stand out and look like an intruder or ethnographer. It is not unusual for ethnographers to live within their chosen society for months or even years, yet it doesnt take long in most cases for the ethnographer to gain cultural immersion. The middle stages of ethnographic research rely on the ethnographer gaining as much information as possible; this can be done through a range of both qualitative data as well as quantitative. This is their fieldwork and is vital when carrying out such investigations. When they feel as though they have enough data, or that staying within such a society wouldnt benefit their research anymore they leave, they then use their field work for their data analysis and theory development whereby the ethnographer strives to avoid theoretical preconceptions. As the ethnographer often gets very involved in the research, rich qualitative data can be yielded from ethnography, but as this type of research needs to be gained over a long period of time and can often invite an array of different opinions, other research methods may be used within the study, therefore quantitative data can be gained from methods such as questionnaires, interviews, experiments and observations. This specific form of social research can be identified as triangulation as it combines different methods so that the strengths of one complement the weaknesses of the other. There are a range of different types of ethnography not just that of covert and overt methods. Micro and Macro ethnography tends to study the narrowly or broadly defined cultural groupings. Whereas Emic and Etic ethnography is considered a research approach to the way in which members or non-members perceive and interpret behaviours and phenomena associated with a given culture. There are a number of documentaries that have been broadcast across our television screens recently whereby ethnographic research has been the main focus. Journalists have particularly taken to ethnographic research as it gives more depth and intensity to their so called stories and interests the public greatly. Donal MacIntyre for example has managed to make a career out of ethnographic research, as he has covertly managed to fool people in to believing that he is not a journalist and is therefore one of them. His research method has in many circumstances worked very well as he has managed to prove a variety of things that could not have been done overtly. One of Donal MacIntyres most famous and well recognised ethnographic study was in 1999. He wanted to show the public just how dangerous football hooligans are and how much they relish violence. In just eighteen months Donal MacIntyre infiltrated the Chelsea Head-Hunters (the hooligan firm for Chelsea football team) with the help of hidden cameras and recording equipment, the results were just what he wanted. In preparation for this ethnographic study MacIntyre had to watch hours of Chelsea videos and had to leaf through pages of literature to enable him to become culturally immersed within the hooligans. He pretended to be a drug dealer, and a very successful one at that. He moved into the same block of flats as the main ring leader of the Head-hunters and even hired out a i 45,000 Mercedes to look the part. Donal MacIntyre was born in Ireland so for eighteen months he had to loose his accent. To get involved he started to take the Head-hunters to away games, he slowly became one of them and at one point even ended up in a fight at one of the football matches with them, he stated in his documentary that it was real. He got very badly hurt, yet he was getting what he needed from the investigation so decided to carry on. He even went to the extremes of having a Chelsea tattoo on his arm for authenticity, which he is now getting removed. Sitting in Donals i 45,000 Mercedes on more than one occasion was Andrew Frain (nicknamed nightmare) who boast on the documentary about slashing an off duty police officer. He also spent one particular journey to a football match with Leicester on the phone arranging a 150 man riot. Within in all ethnographic research, observation is one of the main methods upon which a sociologist or ethnographer can collect their fieldwork. Yet, they do not just observe people as and when they need to decide when and where to observe people and to actually observe the specific things that relate to the investigation. With such an immense study it is often difficult to keep the fieldwork observations completely related to the specific variables of interest. In Donal MacIntyres case he took the role of becoming a complete participant, whereby he took a very highly active and involved participation within the group being examined, the Head-hunters. (Fulcher Scott,Sociology,2nd edition, p88) Although this may seem easy, it is very difficult to actually gain the information needed as it is difficult to ask questions or raise specific issues that would make it obvious that the researcher is not a participant. Therefore the researcher has to remain within the role and sometimes can get so involved within it that it is difficult for them to then be able to analyse the findings. Also without recording equipment it may be difficult to remember everything before you get the chance to write it down, also with a recording you can replay it as many times as you like and get different opinions upon it yet without this your evidence is subject to watch you saw, which can lead to a bias view. Donal MacIntyre stated that the very difficult eighteen month investigation was traumatic and very scary. Donal spoke of his fear for life on many occasions. As the documentary was aired on the BBC, the police had the evidence to arrest two of the main ring leaders of the Chelsea Head-hunters. One was jailed for seven years and one was jailed for six and they both have been banned from attending football matches for twenty years. Through this specific ethnographic investigation Donal managed to gain evidence and information on an aspect that the Head-hunters would have not been willing to discuss elsewhere. The Head-hunters didnt feel the need to lie as they may have in an interview for example as they assumed that Donal was their friend. As Donal gained an insider status he had access to their so called native language. However, although this type of methodology was considered the most efficient when getting truthful, reliable and valuable information, it has had its consequences upon Donal. Since the investigation Donal has received a number of death threats, his car has been spray painted, he has been mugged and beaten up and he now lives in constant fear within a safe-house. This shows the extremes and amount of work people are prepared to go through to get the result they want. Donal MacIntyre has put his own safety aside as he wanted to prove to the public what hooliganism was really like. Ethnographic research is a method which involves so many different types of research; therefore it is considered that it is a very good way of investigating cases which are not just a yes or no answer. Although some people state that covert ethnography is wrong as you are leading people to believe you are somebody that you are not, many sociologists view is that the only way you are able to get a reliable result is through being covert, because people will always try to make themselves sound or look better if they know they are being investigated, whether they mean to or not.

Weird Words

Weird Words Weird Words Weird Words By Daniel Scocco Browsing on the web today I came across an interested website that lists hundreds of weird words from the English language. Here are some that caught my attention: Alexipharmic Having the quality or nature of an antidote to poison. Astrobleme An eroded meteor impact crater. Bloviate To speak pompously. Bromopnea Bad breath. Ceraunograph A lightning recorder. Contumely Insolent or insulting language or treatment. Droogish Relating to the nature or attitudes of a member of a street gang. Engastrimyth A ventriloquist. Florilegium A collection of writings; a portfolio of flower pictures. Fustilugs A grossly fat or slovenly woman. Ginglyform Hinge-shaped. Lipogrammatist A writer of lipograms. Mongo An object retrieved from rubbish; a scavenger. Pogonotrophy Cultivation of a beard; beard-growing. You might need a good dictionary to find those. My Firefox extension is not recognizing them, for instance. What about you, got any weird words to share? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. ProgrammeIs There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?Titled versus Entitled

QUESTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

QUESTIONS - Essay Example Organizational system can be termed as a machine since it entails certain inputs such as capital, raw materials and labor. Accordingly, the inputs undergo processing stage in order to provide the outputs that include products and services (Morgan, 2007). The outputs entail preferred organisational culture and employee behaviour. I believe organizational system is a machine since it relies on strict rules, guidelines and procedures and allows for no flexibility in the changes of the processes (Burke, 2011. I have experienced a system breakdown in the past. The breakdown entailed breakdown in communication in the organisation between the management and employees. The scenario entailed high employee grievances, anxiety and stress due to fear of job losses due to changes in the economic operating environment. The slowdown in economic growth and decline in consumption incomes led to a decline in the product demand in the market thus creating a need for restructuring the jobs in the organi sation. In this case, the management proposed layoffs of some employees thus creating anxiety and aggression among the employees. Organizational system provides certain outcomes and circumstances to both the internal and external environment. ... On the other hand, open systems interact with the external environment and adjusts to changes in the external environment such as economic changes, technological innovations, demographic changes and legal changes. Open systems factor the external environment in the planning, resource allocation and evaluation processes. In this regard, open systems will consider the needs of the customers, creditors, trade unions and government in the business activities (Burke, 2011). Organizational system ignores the needs of an individual and focuses on attainment of group goals. In this case, the employees are expected to work in harmony through following standardized practices in order to attain the group objectives. Accordingly, systems ignore the diversity and personality of individual employees and focus efforts on group goals. Conclusion ‘Machine† can be used to describe organizational system since machines have many interrelated parts that work using certain processes to attain standardized and predetermined outputs. Organizational systems follow strict organizational rules and procedures in order to attain the specified outputs. Open systems interact with external environment and attain certain outcomes that satisfy the external stakeholders such as high product quality, adherence to the regulatory environment, technological innovations and better customer service. On the other hand, closed systems only meet the needs of internal stakeholders such as better salaries for employees and stable management practices. References: Burke, W.W. (2011). Organization change: theory and practice. New York: Sage Publications. Morgan, G. (2007). Images of