The Catcher in the Rye Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a classic coming-of-age story. Narrated by sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield, the novel paints a portrait of a struggling teenage boy as he attempts to hide his emotional pain behind cynicism and false worldliness. Through the use of symbolism, slang, and an unreliable narrator, Salinger explores themes of innocence vs. phoniness, alienation, and death. Innocence vs. Phoniness If you had to choose one word to represent The Catcher in the Rye, it would be phony, Holden Caufield’s insult of choice and a word he uses to describe most of the people he meets and much of the world he encounters. For Holden, the word implies artifice, a lack of authenticity—pretension. He views phoniness as a sign of growing up, as if adulthood were a disease and phoniness its most obvious symptom. He has moments of faith in younger people, but invariably condemns all the adults as phonies. The flip side of this is the value Holden puts on innocence, on being unspoiled. Innocence is typically assigned to children, and Holden is no exception, regarding his younger siblings as worthy of his affection and respect. His younger sister Phoebe is his ideal—she is intelligent and perceptive, talented and willful, but innocent of the terrible knowledge that Holden himself has gained with his extra six years (most notably concerning sex, which Holden wishes to protect Phoebe from). Holden’s dead brother, Allie, haunts him precisely because Allie will always be this innocent, being deceased. Part of Holden’s torment is his own phoniness. While he does not consciously indict himself, he engages in many phony behaviors that he would abhor if he were to observe them in himself. Ironically, this prevents him from being innocent himself, which explains to some degree Holden’s self-loathing and mental instability. Alienation Holden is isolated and alienated throughout the entire novel. There are hints that he is telling his story from a hospital where he is recovering from his breakdown, and throughout the story his adventures are consistently focused on making some sort of human connection. Holden self-sabotages constantly. He feels lonely and isolated at school, but one of the first things he tells us is that he’s not going to the football game everyone else is attending. He makes arrangements to see people, and then insults them and drives them away. Holden uses alienation to protect himself from mockery and rejection, but his loneliness drives him to keep trying to connect. As a result, Holden’s sense of confusion and alarm grows because he has no true anchor to the world around him. Since the reader is tied to Holden’s point-of-view, that terrifying sense of being completely cut off from everything, of everything in the world not making sense, becomes a visceral part of reading the book. Death Death is the thread that runs through the story. For Holden, death is abstract; he’s not primarily afraid of the physical facts of the end of life, because at 16 he can’t truly understand it. What Holden fears about death is the change that it brings. Holden continuously wishes for things to remain unchanged, and to be able to go back to better times—a time when Allie was alive. For Holden, Allie’s death was a shocking, unwanted change in his life, and he is terrified of more change—more death—especially when it comes to Phoebe. Symbols The Catcher in the Rye. There’s a reason this is the title of the book. The song Holden hears contains the lyric if a body meet a body, coming through the rye that Holden mishears as if a body catch a body. He later tells Phoebe that this is what he wishes to be in life, someone who catches the innocent if they slip and fall. The ultimate irony is that the song is about two people meeting for a sexual encounter, and Holden himself is too innocent to understand that. The Red Hunting Hat. Holden wears a hunting cap that he frankly admits is kind of ridiculous. For Holden it is a sign of his otherness and his uniqueness—his isolation from others. Notably, he removes the hat whenever he is meeting someone he wants to connect with; Holden knows full well the hat is part of his protective coloring. The Carousel. The carousel is the moment in the story when Holden lets go of his sadness and decides he will stop running and grow up. Watching Phoebe ride it, he is happy for the first time in the book, and part of his happiness is imagining Phoebe grabbing for the gold ring—a risky maneuver that could get a kid a prize. Holden’s admission that sometimes you have to let kids take risks like that is his surrender to the inevitability of becoming an adult—and leaving childhood behind. Literary Devices Unreliable Narrator. Holden tells you he is the most terrific liar you ever saw. Holden lies constantly throughout the story, making up identities and masking the fact that he’s been kicked out of school. As a result, the reader can’t necessarily trust Holden’s descriptions. Are the people he calls phonies really bad, or is it just how Holden wants you to see them? Slang. The story’s slang and teenage vernacular are out of date today, but the tone and style were remarkable when it was published for the way Salinger captured the way a teenager sees and thinks about things. The result is a novel that still feels authentic and confessional despite the passage of time. Holden’s style of telling the story also underscores his character—he uses profanities and slang words very self-consciously to shock and to demonstrate his jaded and worldly ways. Salinger also employs the use of filler phrases in Holden’s story, which gives the narrative the feeling of being spoken, as if Holden were actually telling you this story in person.

Intercultural Communication - 798 Words

With the growing of globalization, opportunities of intercultural communication become more common to individuals’ everyday life. Thus, it is of vital importance that people understand linguistic relativity and language ideologies in order to avoid misunderstandings and achieve effective intercultural communication. First of all, understanding linguistic relativity encourages people to pay attention to differences between various languages. How people perceive and experience the world around them can be influenced by language differences. (Piller, 2011) For example, people may act differently depending on what languages they are using. Daniel Oh explained that in Korea, people need to use honorifics in sentences when they speak to people†¦show more content†¦Another aspect of linguistic relativity is communicative relativity. A simple way to define communicative relativity is that â€Å"people do different things with language differently†. (Piller, 2011) On one hand, it is obvious that multilingual people tend to switch languages when talking to people from different cultures. On the other hand, differentiation in language can also take place in the monolingual situation. For instance, in the scene of debating, people may use a very different form of English than usual. Kyle Rit chie said that â€Å"the words, tone, and even speaking styles used by myself and fellow debaters was purely for the performance†. (reflection, May 1, 2017) This kind of choices of words and tone is aimed to be more â€Å"professional and knowledgeable† (reflection, May 1, 2017) Therefore, different ways of expression in various languages or even the same language can have a different effect on communication. To succeed in intercultural communication, it is necessary for individuals to understand the distinctive way each language has to perceive the world and express ideas and make right decisions of using language. In addition, in the intercultural communication, discrimination associated with language ideologies often exists. Language ideology refers to the views on each language, especially the idea about â€Å"what a good language is and what is linguistically right†. (Piller, 2011) SomeShow MoreRelatedIntercultural Communication21031 Words   |  85 PagesI. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION. FRAMEWORK ...the single greatest barrier to business success is the one erected by culture. Edward T. Hall and Mildred Reed Hall Why study Intercultural Communication? Cultural diversity and multiculturalism are the realities of everyday life for almost everyone. The growth of interdependence of people and cultures in the global society of the twenty-first century has forced us to pay more attention to intercultural issues. In order to live and functionRead MoreSolving Intercultural Communication Problems1447 Words   |  6 Pages Sherwood Fleming s Intercultural Communication Insights . 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Business Ethics Theories and Moral Guidance

Question: Describe about the Business Ethics for Theories and Moral Guidance. Answer: 1. Who are the key stakeholders? The key stakeholders of Iraqi Oil for Food scandal are known as Australian wheat board. An exporting monopoly of Australia and Saddam Hussein leads the Iraqi govt (Phillips Freeman, 2010). According to the governance Oil for Food program (OFFP) inquiry, AWB paid a $300 million in kickbacks to Iraqi govt. 2. What is the main ethical issue from the perspective of two of the key stakeholders? Security Council applied economic sanctions against Iraqi to create political pressure as well as withdraw Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Throughout the penalty period, Saddam government stayed uncompromising and brutal in the treatment of political opponents. The Cole inquiry relation to OFFP finds out AWB. AWB had been paying bribes to the Iraqi governments. Therefore it bans all the import of wheat from Australia to the new Iraqi government. Cole inquiry also finds out that AWB was well known about its payment as tracking fees. 3. Provide a brief analysis of the ethical issue using two ethical theories. AWB's activity was simply a cost of ruin business in high wheat demanding market of Iraqi. Clearly, economic sanctions have failed to apply sufficient economic and political pressure to change the nature of the regime (VYRYNEN, 2006). Iraqi govt refused to purchase of any wheat from US farmers as United Nations supports for the sanctions continued. The other competitors like Australia get a big chance to secure their corn shell in Iraqi. References Phillips, R. Freeman, R. (2010).Stakeholders. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. VYRYNEN, P. (2006). Ethical Theories and Moral Guidance.Utilitas,18(03), 291-309. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0953820806002056

Marriage as Depicted in Soloveitchiks Typology of Human Nature

Introduction In the lonely man of faith article, Soloveitchik tries to find a way in which he could understand frustrations and conflicts that occurred in his path while pursuing faith in the current world (Soloveitchik, 1992). The main conflict Soloveitchik tries to put across concerns the loneliness that people of faith experience in the modern society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage as Depicted in Soloveitchik’s Typology of Human Nature specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Men of faith experience this loneliness despite having many friends and acquaintances. The whole story centers on the universal theme of struggling to be human. In addressing the theme, Soloveitchik analyzed the two creation stories of genesis in the first two chapters. According to Soloveitchik assertions, there are three inconsistencies in the first two chapters of the bible (Soloveitchik, 1992). While analyzing these discrepa ncies, two types of human beings are created. In line with Soloveitchik, these types of human nature are called the first and the second Adams (Soloveitchik, 1992). It this two types of Adams, human nature is depicted together with the way it leads its life in the modern world. This paper analyzes these two typologies of human nature in the context of marriage and their implications in the social work practice. Review of Soloveitchik’s typology of human nature in ‘the Lonely Man of Faith’ In line with Soloveitchik claims, the first chapter in the bible indicates that Adam was like God. However, this chapter did not mention the formation process of Adams body. The second chapter shows that Adams body was from soil, and into his nostrils, God breathed the breath of life (Samuel Sable, 2008). Besides, founded on Soloveitchik arguments, there were two Adams. The first Adam got the Gods mandate to fill the world and have the power over everything that is on it. The s econd Adam was given the duty of cultivating the land and keeping the gardens (Samuel Sable, 2008). In the story of the first Adam, man and woman were concurrently created while in the second Adam story, Eve or the helper appeared later. Similarly, Soloveitchik had the view that these contradictions and discrepancies are not textual, but they are rather within the human nature. They result from the duality and inner incongruity found in human beings (Samuel Sable, 2008). As a result, two types of people are depicted. The Adams of the two stories is not real people, but they represent the types of human beings that Soloveitchik constructs. The function of these two people creates the comparability and greater understanding of the natural duality of human beings in society.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Soloveitchik asserts that the first Adam and Eve were made in the God†™s image during creation. As indicated in the first chapter, â€Å"the first Adam and Eve were permitted to reproduce and fill the whole earth†. Moreover, they were to have dominion and power over nature. Soloveitchik further argues that, â€Å"creation in the God’s image meant that human beings are gifted with celestial intelligence that they must utilize to fulfill the God’s command† (Soloveitchik, 1992). In other words, human beings are supposed to produce and construct societies as well as civilizations through their intellectual capabilities. In the same vein, human beings have to use within their intellectual capabilities the brain-power and knowledge to achieve the mandate. First Adam and Eve are concerned with the ills that affect human nature and how they use the given intellect to counter such ills. In doing so, they can be able to build a society that is prosperous and perpetual. They were equally curious intellectually, success oriented, agg ressive and dominating. They are driven by the need of success, procreation and environmental control (Linzer, 1978). They believe that one cannot create and sustain society by oneself. This implies that, man and woman were created to fulfill the mandate given by God. In the community of first Adam and Eve, human beings are socially interdependent. First Adam and Eve represent the modern man who is technologically advanced, intellectually go-getters, doers, lawyers, workaholics and in general, they represent the modern society professionals (Samuel Sable, 2008). The second Adam and Eve are perceived as being passive and introspective according to the descriptive nature of their own creation. These kinds of human beings are more concerned with their spiritual well being and the meaning of life. The origin of the second Adam spiritual nature and submissiveness stems from his creation (Soloveitchik, 1992). Nevertheless, the loneliness nature results from being created singly. As state d by Soloveitchik, â€Å"the creation of second Eve from second Adam was an archetype of intimate and in-depth relationship that can possibly cope with existential loneliness† (Samuel Sable, 2008). Soloveitchik further asserts that the community created by the second Adam is a conventional faithful community where God, man and woman interact. That is the community of people committed to the desires of God. Basically, it is a community of religious people whereby the societal ideals are commensurate with Gods ideals. Within this community, people find ways of overcoming their solitude existence through spiritual and interpersonal connections (Samuel Sable, 2008). Generally, in real life situation, the second Adam community, in a non-religious secular context, represents therapy groups, the self help groups as well as the friendship groups.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage as Depicted in Soloveitchik’s Typology of Human Nature specificall y for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The typology in marriage According to these typologies, marriage is essential for the propagation of human society. Essentially, human society cannot be created and built from a single person. From the typology of the first Adam, God created females and males on an equal basis (Linzer, 1978). They were given the responsibility of multiplying and filling the earth. Multiplication process required the union of these people and combined efforts of their intellect to ensure that their offspring survive. Thus, the males and females were given the authorities by God to construct and generate societies through the application of their intellect (Samuel Sable, 2008). In other words, these people were to use all their knowledge and brain-power at their disposal to accomplish this purpose. All their endeavors must be directed towards attaining various family roles. The life of these two people must be driven by the ultima te aim of marriage which comes with the need to produce and succeed in upbringing the offspring. Achieving this marital aim require that they make use of their intellectual capability to create conducive environment in which their offspring could survive (Linzer, 1978). Marriage is not just a matter of union between females and males, but includes other responsibilities that are geared towards creating a better society. In the modern society, the equality between man and woman is highly upheld unlike in the conventional society where women were subdued. The modern societal expectations are that both the women and men equally contribute to the development of their marital status. That is, they ought to use all their intellectual and physical capability towards ensuring decisively up-bring their families. As in the case of the first Adam and Eve, the creation of man and wife occurred at the same time. This indicated that they were given equal responsibilities to fulfill the commands g iven to them by God (Samuel Sable, 2008). In addition, man and woman require each other in order to attain the mandate though in some cases, they may perform their task of fulfilling this mandate in different ways. In essence, the man and the woman symbolize a community consisting of individual males and females who are mutually working jointly in fulfilling their universal functions (Samuel Sable, 2008). On the other hand, â€Å"the second Adam represented a conventional family where humility, submissiveness and passivity are highly upheld† (Samuel Sable, 2008). The type of family we get from the second Adam is such a religious family where the spiritual standards stem from the original creation ideals (Soloveitchik, 1992). Adam two was first created as a single man. Being lonely pushes the second Adam to look for a partner who would share with him his loneliness. God first made Adam two to sleep so as to pull part of his body to create a woman helper (Soloveitchik, 1992) . The second Adam had to first sacrifice part of his body for the partner to be created.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Soloveitchik’s, in this typology, creating a woman in this form represented an act of defeat and surrender. Eve came into existence only after Adams sacrificed and surrendered part of his body (Samuel Sable, 2008). Eve’s creation from Adam provides a model where intimate and in-depth relationships deal with existential loneliness. What this depicts is that, it is only through shared sacrifice and endurance that can make marriages and friendship thrives (Samuel Sable, 2008). Furthermore, it is through these that families, organizations, community and society can thrive, survive and grow. In general, marriage is an essential part of life. Just like any society, successful marriage results from shared sacrifices and endurance. The relationship between second Adam and Eve is symbolic of the modern day type of marriages. The mandates and characteristics of the relationship of the first Adam and Eve are symbolic of the duties and responsibilities of the marrie d people in the modern society (Samuel Sable, 2008). Also are the challenges that the married people in the modern society face particularly the challenges in relation to professionalism and career objectives. Comparing and contrasting Soloveitchik’s views with those of Hegel While advancing his theory of family life, Hegel took into consideration the types of modern world marital perspectives together with its characteristics of social activities and dynamics. Unlike the Soloveitchik’s views, Hegel conception of marriage and family is blemished by the progressions of internal inconsistencies between the interactions of the family and love, the position of women in the modern society and the certainty of the rise of the family. According to Hegel, the family originated as a result of industrial capitalism rather not commanded by God as claimed by Soloveitchik’s. However, some of his views are in line with that of Soloveitchik’s. Both tried to explain fam ily life and marriage in accordance with the modern world perceptions as well as its social undertakings. What is more, is the fact that they attempted to bring out the connections between marriage and family life, from the perspectives of ethical, religious and political life. To them, marriage life has endured in the face of modern day social fragmentation resulting from the growing modern day economic relationships. Relevance of marriage from social work perspective There is a greater role played by marriage in the society as depicted in Soloveitchik’s views. From the conventional perspective, married people must assume the state of humility as well as spiritual connectedness so as to succeed in their roles and responsibilities. In contrast, creativity, handwork or generally the use of human intellect is the main driver of the modern day marital status. Furthermore, modern day economic challenges have a profound effect on marriage life. The unpredictability of the success of the modern marriages reflects the economic hardship and challenges that modern man faces. Whereas characteristics such as endurance, perseverance and conventional characteristics determine the type of marriages in the modern day society, economic considerations have conquered the humble and noble divine practice of the past. In fact, the economic considerations have rendered the modern day marriages to appear just like contractual agreements between those who are involved. The marriages of today are not binding as was seen before. Even though some religious practices are still being considered significant especially on their purported purposes, their dimensions have totally taken different perspectives. In conclusion therefore, understanding today’s marriages from the religious and other perspectives is essential as it might help us to deal with its ensuing philosophical challenges. As a social worker, it is important to be equipped with knowledge and skills necessary in p roviding solutions to the effects that commonly break marriages in the current society. Equipping oneself with such skills involves understanding the dynamics of marriage from various philosophical viewpoints. References Linzer, N. (1978). The nature of man in Judaism and social work. New York, NY: Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. Samuel, J. Sable, J. (2008). The lonely man of faith: Implications for social work practice. Journal of Jewish Communal Service, 83(2/3), 186-203. Soloveitchik, J. B. (1992). The lonely man of faith. New York, NY: Doubleday. This essay on Marriage as Depicted in Soloveitchik’s Typology of Human Nature was written and submitted by user Jeremiah Todd to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.