The Catcher In The Rye: Holden Caulfield A Rebllious And Confused Adolescent

A. Presentation of the Problem
In the book The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield became a model of the rebellious and confused adolescent who detected the “phoniness” of the adult world. This showed that he had a serious psychological problem. From the start to the end, Holden has no sense of direction or resolution in deciding what to do with his life. Though the characterization of Holden’s remains static and irresolute through the book, Salinger’s writing leaves ample room to delve deep into Holden’s psychology in order to pose a much more critical question, why does Holden behave in this manner? B. Rationale

The researchers chose to do the study through character analysis to learn how to analyze characters in a story. They will study about the relationship of the protagonist and antagonist with his/her surroundings and with all the people they encounter. The researchers will also explore the psychological accusations of the behavior of the characters and its effects to psychological well-being. Then, they will examine the behavior and reactions of the characters towards each other. Moreover, the researchers will mostly focus on the characters development throughout the story. After reading the novel, the researchers will create an analysis of the character’s issues of identity and belonging with the help of Psychological approach. After doing all those procedures, they would be able to achieve their accomplished outcome or conclusion. C. Historical Background

The book was published after J.D. Salinger returned home to the United States from his time in Europe during World War II. Many parallels exist between Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, and J. D. Salinger: both grew up in upper class New York, both flunked out of prep schools, and so on. It’s no surprise, then, that Salinger’s experience in World War II should cast a shadow over Holden’s opinions and experiences in The Catcher in the Rye. In the novel we see the impact of Salinger’s World War II experience in Holden’s mistrusting, cynical view of adult society. Holden views growing up as a slow surrender to the “phony” responsibilities of adult life, such as getting a job, serving in the military, and maintaining intimate relationships. World War II proved that this claim was as hollow as the “phony” ideas adult characters impose on Holden throughout The Catcher in the Rye. D. Brief Discussion of the Novel

JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye covers two days in the life of Holden Caulfield, a depressed teenager who academically flunked out of Pencey Prep, a boarding school. Holden is 17 when he tells the story; he was 16 when the events occurred. The novel epitomizes the disillusionment of adolescence through the story of a teenager who embarks on a long psychological journey, only to find himself hopelessly trapped between childhood and adulthood because of his irresolute nature. The psychological battles of the main character, Holden Caulfield, serve as the basis of the research.