Catcher in the Rye †Study notes as a related text for Belonging Essay

The Catcher in the Rye is set around the fifties and is narrated by a young man named Holden Caulfield. Holden is non specific rough his location while hes telling the story, moreover he makes it clear that he is undergoing treatment in a mental infirmary or sanatorium. The events he narrates engender place in the few years between the end of the fall take term and Christmas, when Holden is sixteen years old.Alienation as a Form of Self-Protection Through come on the novel, Holden seems to be excluded from and victimized by the world around him. He continually attempts to keep an eye on his way in a world in which he feels he doesnt belong. As the novel progresses, we begin to perceive that Holdens disaffection is his way of protecting himself. He uses his isolation as proof that he is better than ein truth one(a) else around him and therefore above interacting with them. The truth is that interactions with other mountain usually confuse and overwhelm him, and his cynical horse smack of superiority serves as a type of self-protection.Holdens alienation is the cause of most of his pain. He never addresses his own emotions directly, nor does he attempt to discover the source of his troubles. He desperately needs human contact and love, but his protective seawall of bitterness prevents him from olfactory sensationing for such interaction. Alienation is both the source of Holdens strength and the source of his problems.Belonging to the School Community/ a congregation The school communitys collective allegiance to the football team enables them to belong to each other Anyway it was the Saturday of the football game with Saxon HallIt was the last game of the year and you were supposed to commit self-annihilation or something if old Pencey didnt win. Pg. 2 (Pencey readiness is a school the main character, Holden went to)The use of the verb, supposed, makes the expectations of the community. The high modality of the verb, self-annihilation highlig hts the strength of their tieion Holdens sarcastic tone mocks their sense of be, therefrom segregating him.There was about three inches of snow on the ground (at Pencey Prep after dinner one night) and coming down give portion out a madman. It looked pretty as hell, and we all scared throwing snowballs and horsing around all over the place. It was very childish, but everybody was really enjoying themselves. Pg. 31This anecdote demonstrates a sense of be to peers in the school community. Plural pronoun, we and the adjective, all demonstrates the all-encompassing sense of be across the group.It wasnt allowed for students to borrow faculty guys cars but all the athletic bastards stuck to get inher. In every school Ive done for(p) to, all the athletic bastards stick unneurotic. Pg. 37The conjunction, butRepitition of athletic bastardsThe adjective and negative bastardsThe repetition of the adverb, togetherDemonstrates the way in which individuals ar attributeed through a com mon interest. Whilst, the negative connotations of, bastard, classify Holdens negative view on this group of people and indicates that he does not belong to this group.Holdens Absence of BelongingPractically the unhurt school except me was there. Pg. 2 Adjective, unharmed, in relation to the noun, school, juxtaposes against the personal pronoun through the use of the conjunction, except. This highlights Holdens isolation from the community.Id just got back from New York with the fencing teamI left all the foils and equipment and stuff on the goddam subwayThe whole team ostracized me the whole way back on the train. Pg. 3 Verb, ostracized, demonstrates Holdens exclusion and the use of the adjective, whole, exemplifies the full extent of his exclusion.I mat so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost tendered I was absolutely.Boy, did I feel rotten. I felt so diddley lonesome. Pg. 42 Repetition of the abstract noun, lonesome highlights Holdens sense of isolation. The verb, wished a nd adjective, dead suggest the negative implications of a bereft sense of belonging.It was even depressing out in the street. You couldnt even hear any cars any more. I got feeling so lonesome and rotten, I even felt analogous waking Ackley up. Pg. 44 The adjectives, depressing, lonesome and rotten convey his dis contact from his environment and his defiled sense of belonging.Everybody was asleep or out or home for the week end, and it was very, very quiet and depressing in the corridor. Pg. 45 The pronoun, everybody is all-inclusive and the repetition of the adverb, very emphasizes the loneliness and sense of solitude Holden is feeling, implied by the adjective, depressing.In fact, nobody was around my age. They were mostly old, show-offy-looking guys with their dates. Pg. 62 The gang of the pronoun, nobody, the personal pronoun, my and the abstract noun, age convey Holdens absence seizure seizure of belonging in that he is unable to find commonalities or connect with the peopl e around him.Lack of Belonging- the detestation for his environment (Mostly Place)It was a portentous school (Pencey Prep), no matter how you looked at it. Pg. 2 Adjective, horrible, expounds Holdens aversion to his surroundings.They kicked me out (of school)I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself and all. They gave me frequent warnings to start applying myself.but I didnt do it. So I got the axe Pg. 3 Adjective, frequent and noun, warnings, demonstrate Holdens awareness of the situation. The conjunction, but and the negative, didnt demonstrate his lack of action. Thus, illustrating Holdens role in the lack of belonging that he isexperiencing.Pencey was full of crooks. Pg. 3The negative connotations of the noun, crooks, to represent the students at Pencey highlight Holdens distaste for those around him and the adjective, full, highlights the abundance of these people, he is unable to connect with.One of the biggest reasons I left Elkon Hills was because I was touch by phonies. Pg. 12 The use of the noun, phonies, to force the students at his previous school and the use of the adjective, surrounded, implies that he feels trapped in a world in which he does not belong and with people whom he does not connect with.I hated that goddam Elkon Hills, Pg. 12The verb, hated and negative connotations of the adjective, goddam, illustrate Holdens repugnance towards his environment.For one thing the room was too poop hot. It made you sleepy. At Pencey, you either froze to death or died of the heat. Pg. 19 The juxtaposition of froze to death and died of the heat, demonstrates Holdens discomfort and lack of connection and contentness in the world around him. The incorporation of the noun, death and verb, died, conveys the severity of his distaste for his environment.Holdens Search for a Sense of Belonging What really knocks me out is a book that, when youre all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific star of yours and you could c all him up on the phone whenever you felt exchangeable it. Pg. 16 The verb, wish, used with the noun, friend, suggests Holdens yearning to establish a connection with someone.But ultimately after I was riding for a while the cab driver and I sort of struck up a conversation. Pg. 74 Would you care to stop off and withstand a drink with me somewhere? I said. Pg. 75 The noun, conversation and the question within the direct speech necessitate Holdens search to belong through aiming to establish connections with people.I damn near got my coat back and went back to the hotel, but it was too too soon and I didnt feel much like being alone. Pg. 77 The noun, being and adjective, alone demonstrate Holdens wish to fulfill his sense of belonging.What I did do though, was ask the waiter to ask old Ernie if hed care to join me for a drink. Pg. 78 Throughout the novel, Holdens loneliness and absence of a sense of belonging is conveyed however so are his attempts to establish connections wit h people. He asks cab drivers and waiters etc. if they would care to harbor a drink with him. This is illustrated through the noun, waiter, the verb, join and the personal pronoun, me Boy, I felt miserable. I felt so down(p), you tummyt imagine. What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed. Pg. 89 (search for belonging through family) The repetition of the adjective, depressed highlight the issues within Holdens emotional and mental well-being. The verb, talking and noun, Allie conveys Holdens search for belonging as he is aiming to communicate with his deceased associate Allie, whom he shared a connection with.Belonging To OneselfThey gave me this crumby room, with nothing to look out of the window at except the other side of the hotel. I didnt care much. I was too depressed to care whether I had a good view or not. Pg. 54 The adjective, crumby conveys Holdens trouble to his environment and absence of belonging to pla ce. Holdens inability to belong to himself is as well as highlighted through the adjective, too and abstract noun, depressed.I cant sit in a corny place like this cold sober. Cantcha stick a little rum in it or something? (Holden asks the waiter).. Pg. 62 Holdens reliance on alcohol is evident here as he is unable to connect with people or his environment and does not have a well-established and stable sense of belonging to himself. This is achieved through the pronoun, I, adjective, corny and abstract noun, sober.In the first place it was one of those places that are very impish to be in unless you have psyche good to dance with or unless the waiter lets you buy real drinks kind of of just Cokes. There isnt any night club in the world you can sit for a long time unless you can buy some liquor and get drunk. Pg. 68 Holdens absence of sense of self is exhibited here, which has an impact on his ability to find belonging through place, through his reliance on alcohol. This is demo nstrated through the adjective, terrible, the verb, dance and noun, drinks. The adjective, drunk.Belonging to FamilyI certainly wouldnt have minded shooting the crap with old louvre (Holdens young sister) for a while. You should see her. You never saw a little nipper so pretty and so smart in your whole life. Shes really smartAs a matter of fact, Im the only dumb one in the family. Pg. 60 The use of the colloquial phrase, shooting the crap, demonstrates Holdens attempt to connect with his sister. The repetition of, so used in conjunction with the adjectives, pretty and smart, demonstrate Holdens adoration of his sister. The adjective, dumb used by Holden to describe himself juxtaposes against those used to describe his sister, while the adverb, only creates a divide between Holden and his family, thus implying his absence of belonging.When she (Phoebe) was a very tiny little kid, I and Allie used to take her to the park with us, especially on Sundays. Allie had this sailboat he used to like fool around with on Sundays and we used to take old Phoebe with us. Shed wear white gloves and walk right between us, like a lady and all. Pg. 61 The anecdote evokes Holdens sense of connection with members of his family, his brother Allie and sister Phoebe.Belonging through FriendshipI know old Jane like a book-I still couldnt get her off my brain. I knew her like a book. I really did. I mean, besides checkers, she was quite fond of all athletic sports, and after I got to know her, the whole summer long we played tennis together almost every morning and golf almost every afternoon. Pg. 69 The repetition of the simile, like a book, conveys the connection through fellowship that Holden has with Jane. The adverb, together and repetition of the adjective, every, further emphasize this connection and accomplishment of a sense of belonging through friendship.