The Catcher in the Rye: History, Behavior and Social Issues

This books takes place in what i believe to be the 50's or later. The way they acted and expressed themselves were much different than how we do today. This young boy was not afraid to walk the streets at night by himself when in today's world people are frightened of the men who prowl the streets waiting for unsuspecting victims to theft, rape and murder. Holden could also walk into a club, and because of his height, order a drink, usually a scotch and soda, and the waiter would not even question him on is age(Salinger,185). There was never anyone in the place to card people for their identification to make sure that you were of age. No one seemed to have really cared. Holden could also buy tobacco without anyone questioning him of his age even though he was just a teenager.

The behavior of the people in the time period were also different. They may call you "Mac" when today no one ever says that. Times do change along with expressions, but this is a well known word that people just do not use. Today they do not play the news when you go to the theaters because we see it on television, but back then they would show a newsreel before the movie and that is how you would know what is going on in the world. In today's society and education program there is no way that a student could only take five classes and there is also no way that a kid could just decide to leave the school and not come back without some kind of state lockdown and an entire search for the kid (maybe an exaggeration) . Then the school must have just figured he would be alright. The parents were not even informed that Holden had flunked out of school, when today that is the first person they go and rat you out to even if you do something so minuscule that it should not even given any attention.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print

The Catcher in the Rye: Techniques

J.D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher in the Rye, has to use techniques to keep the reader engaged so that they get the feeling that they do not want to put the book down until it is done. This book did not have many of the usual tools used by authors including mystery, suspense, or symbolism. However J.D. Salinger used a lot of humor when writing this book.

Humor is said to be the lowest form of entertainment but everyone likes to laugh. I do not know if he meant to makes this book funny but when reading it there are many parts that make you chuckle and crack a smile. Holger is a boy with a very well formed vocabulary but he is also very fond of the "curse" word. It is not that the words themselves are funny because that would be seen as immature in today's social world, but the context that the words are used in are humorous to me. When Holden is talking about when of his good friends he says "I'd double-dated with that bastard a couple of times" (Salinger,52). Holden's entire dialect and his tone and attitude are humorous in the way that he thinks everyone is a "phony". Movies are "phony" too. Holden says that his older brother is a "phony" because he moved to the most "phony" town ever, Hollywood. He has an opinion about everything even money. "Goddam money. It always ends up making you blue as hell"(Salinger,147). Some people may not feel that the way Holden speaks and the way his mind work are humorous and that may be true but I think that it depends on the reader. The book is not "haha" funny, but it is the only technique in this book that i feel Salinger would have used to hook the reader. During some circumstances mystery could be hinted but it is not meant to be any kind of detective book. The reader may wonder who is at the door banging as hard as they can just to get another five dollars from him and maybe Holden did hear wrong. Humor seems to be evident in this novel though.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print

What are the causes, gains, and losses of the conflict dealt with in The Cather in the Rye?

The conflict of The Catcher in the Rye can be very difficult to understand because it is very tricky to understand what the conflict in this book is. Holden decides to leave school early because he absolutely hates it. If this is the conflict then the causes of this is the fact that he struggles in his classes. He is expelled from the school because he managed to pass just one out of five courses(Salinger,6). Another cause of this particular conflict is that Holden thinks the entire school is full of phonies because no one is who they think they are or Holden believes they have so many undesirable traits that he has decided they are awful as a person. The gains in him leaving school is that he gets to see his favorite person in the entire world sooner, his little sister Phoebe. He also gets some life experience by living on his own means for three days. He meets some interesting characters and encounters some of his old peers and lovers. With gains comes losses though. He is no longer able to go back to his house as soon as he leaves because he does not want his parents to know of his unfortunate fate yet. He also is kicked out of another great school and has to try and enroll in a new prep school. Holden also has to spend a small fortune on living expenses that he would not have had to pay if he had stayed at the school for his remaining three days there until Christmas break.

Another conflict could be between him and his parents. Holden does not want to disappoint his father and he does wish a heart attack upon his mother, because he believes that is how she will react. The reasons of their disappointment would come in the fact that Holden was expelled from another expensive prep school for failure to keep his grades at the schools high standards or any standards really, because he only managed to pass one subject and it is because all the other classes were full of jerks and phonies.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print

Catcher in the Rye: Who is the "Hero"?

The "hero" of The Catcher in the Rye is Holden Caulfield. A boy who has grown up in the life of higher-class New York. He has attended many prep schools through out his education career and I say many because he has flunked out of a few of them. Holden sees the world in a different point of view then everyone else. He has opinions about everything and everyone and he does not seem to have any trouble in expressing them (provocatively). Almost everyone he meets, other than his kid sister Phoebe, is a phony. "I was surrounded by jerks. I'm not kidding." (Salinger, 111) All of the boys at school, all his teachers, everyone who was ever involved in the making of a movie, Hollywood, his brother who moved to Hollywood, random people in hotels and clubs, they all are phonies. He was born with a great vision and perception of what beauty is and if something is not beautiful then it is phony. Holden seems to be very intellectual boy but says that he does not want to apply himself at school because of how phony the whole concept of school and everyone in it is, except for him of course. Which is one of his traits, being judgmental.

He seems to also be very giving especially towards his sister Phoebe. He buys her records, likes to talk to her the most, spends a lot of time with her, taking her to the zoo, buying her tickets for rides, and much more. Holden is not mean or cruel in this book he just knows what he likes and does not like at all and Phoebe is someone he cares deeply for.

Holden also has a taste for the good life. He manages to spend all of his money in just three days on drinks, food, taxis, hotels, even a prostitute and he is not use to not having much money(Salinger, ). Holden almost stops eating and has to ask Phoebe for some money just to get him through the other few days(Salinger,232).

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print

What people, ideas, and events probably influenced this author?

I think that an author can be influenced and inspired by many people. Ernest Hemingway talks about Joe DiMaggio on many occasions and i believe that this baseball player had some effect on this author. I also think that the sinking of the Titanic could have related to him when he was writing this story. When that ship was sinking those people did everything they could do to survive and be victorious over Death and some of them were. Santiago is also fighting a great force and he is doing it all by himself. He has to hunt and use all of his experience from over the years to ensure that he makes it back to the shore or port safely. The idea of courage most likely inspired Ernest also. All of the characters in this book could be considered courageous for some reason. Santiago is courageous for fighting the bearing sea alone and catching a mammoth of a marlin(Hemingway, 64). The fish does all he can to escape the clench that Santiago has on him and he does not give up until he can physically keep fighting. Even the boy is courageous when he thinks for himself and goes behind his parents to stop fishing with the more prosperous boat and to return to fish with the old man. Companionship was also important to him. As an author you would probably have to spend a lot of time by yourself to think about what you are saying. I do not know for sure but it is possible he had only a few close friends and that is how it is for Santiago. The boy is literally the old man's only friend that the reader knows of. All of the other villagers are not kind to him because they think he is a joke and nothing but a beggar.

An author of novels can not just think of stories from his imagination. They must have some kind of inspiration for what they are writing and we can never know where it comes from but they may pick things close to them, their childhood, past memories, or even things they have just seen walking on the street one day.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Universal Themes

Hemingway uses pride as a source of power and motivation in his novel for both the marlin and Santiago. Pride is the reason Santiago fishes and the reason the fish fights. They both have much pride and swagger about them and they can not give in or they think that they will lose pride and much more including their lives. Santiago feels like he is prideful even though he does not catch many fish and all of the other villagers give him no credit for trying alone at his age. Catching this fish is what he was meant to do and fighting it was an honor for him which also effects his pride. If he had had an altercation with a smaller fish it would not make him feel as good as this great Marlin does.

Hemingway spends a good deal of time drawing connections between Santiago and his natural environment: the fish, birds, and stars are all his brothers or friends, he has the heart of a turtle, eats turtle eggs for strength, drinks shark liver oil for health, etc.(Hemingway, 98) Also, apparently contradictory elements are repeatedly shown as aspects of one unified whole: the sea is both kind and cruel, feminine and masculine, the Portuguese man of war is beautiful but deadly, the marlin is beautiful but strong, the mako shark is noble but cruel, etc. The novel's premise of unity helps succor Santiago in the midst of his great tragedy. For Santiago, success and failure are two equal facets of the same existence. They come together without affecting the underlying unity between himself and nature. As long as he focuses on this unity and sees himself as part of nature rather than as an external antagonist competing with it, he cannot be defeated by whatever misfortunes befall him.

The author understands that humans are determined to get done what they must to ensure survival. Santiago cut up his hands many times in this book and endured much pain for the sake of his pride and his lively hood in catching this fish. The author knows what the reader feels for him as he fights for survival and this fish and he knows that we want the old man to succeed at all of his ambitions.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

How does this novel reflect the history, behavior and social issues of the time?

The Old Man and the Sea is a book that took place somewhere from the 1930's to the 1950's. I know this because the Old Man and boy are always talking about if the Yankees won(Hemingway, 14). Santiago talks about Joe DiMaggio many times referring to how he played that day and I personally know that Joe played in that time period. This novel reflects the history by the tools and things they used during this time. Santiago has to paddle out to sea and he also uses a string on a stick as his fishing pole when today we would use motored water-crafts and high-tech fishing poles that do not break or have very strong line on them. He does not have any of this advantage when he is out at sea by himself. He also has no type of navigation device which he could have used when he is wondering which direction the fish is pulling him.

The social issues that took place back then also still take place today. People get judged on how much money they make and in Santiago's case it is how many fish he catches. All of the other townspeople think him to be poor and an awful fisherman when he is very wise and rich in spirit. He also is not very popular by their standards because it seems that his only friend is the boy.

The behavior of this time was a little different also. Today people do not stop to help someone in need, they just keep on with their own business. But in The Old Man and the Sea, the young boy stops to offer to help the old man on many occasions. The children are expected to be seen not heard unless spoken to and everyone knows that this is very different today. There is so much disrespect towards parental figures and sometimes it can seem that the parents have no control over their spawn.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

What does the writing reveal about the author's values....

By reading The Old Man and the Sea reader can understand a little about Ernest Hemingway. We can interpret what he values in life and what some of his attitudes are. These values and attitudes can be understood through the characters and their actions. I can tell that Hemingway values courage, companionship, and determination through the actions of Santiago.

I know that Hemingway values courage because of how Santiago acts when he is in the boat by himself. He reels in and defeats an enormous fish and he went farther out then any other boat which takes a lot of courage especially when you are in a boat all by yourself at his age(Hemingway, 21). Hemingway also values companionship. For the majority of the time that the old man is in his boat fighting with the marlin he says how we wishes the boy was here. He understands that everyone needs friends and i am not sure the old man would be able to survive without the boy. The boy gives him food, bait, and helps him to carry his equipment and the old man may not be able to do all of these tasks by himself and still have time to go out and fish and get some rest.

Hemingway also values determination. Santiago worked as hard as he physically and mentally could for a couple days trying to catch a magnificent marlin. By never giving up he was able to reel in the massive fish and regain some respect from other members of the village and he was able to feel good about himself again. He never gave up and i think that is very important to Ernest because you can not get anywhere in life if you decide to just give up.

Ernest Hemingway writes from the perspective of third person. The narrator does not take part in the story however he does sometimes tell from the inside of Santiago's thoughts and feelings. The narrator could also be interpreted as the other, Ernest.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Why do we still read this book?

This book has become a classic due to its message and because it is easy to understand even for high schoolers and younger kids. Ernest Hemingway has not been deceased for that long and already has his books become timeless pieces of art for everyone to enjoy. The characters in this book are so real that a lot of readers can relate to them. In our day, many high school kids can relate to the boys situation. You know that your friend (the old man) may not be cool or popular but you are still friends with them because of who they are, but your parents want you to like the cool kids more because of their social status. The old man is in a different situation. Many people believe that he can not fish which is what he loves to do, but every morning he still gets out of bed to go do what he loves and he proves all of them wrong by not giving up and to push though the pain and all the hardship that he has to go through before he catches the fish of a lifetime(Hemingway, entire battle with the Marlin).

Never giving up is one of the messages that this book leaves us with after we have read it. The old man is weakened from being at sea for so long but he does not give into the giant fish at the end of his line. It is so important for us to believe in what ever we are doing. If you do not think you can do then you won't. But if you keep on pushing and don't give up then you can accomplish anything. So many things can be taken away from this book but especially that message. Too many people in the world just give up half way when they get tired or decide that they will never be able to do it but they just have to believe.

This book is still read for its relatable characters and its messages that can be taken away from it. I would encourage everyone to read this book and try to understand the meaning behind what Hemingway is saying because it is a life lesson that we can apply to and live by today.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

What are the causes, gains, and losses of the conflict dealt with in this book?

The conflict of Old Man and the Sea begins that morning when Santiago leaves the harbor for sea. He decides to go out farther than any other fisherman and after a while he hooks a magnificent Marlin, which is the cause of the conflict in this story. The conflict of this book is the struggle between man and fish as they both battle as hard as they have to for survival.

During this great battle many things are gained. The old man gains self worth because before this day he had not caught a fish for a very long period of time and everyone made jokes about him(Hemingway, 13). He also gains respect for his worthy opponent because he puts up a hard fight for many days and at this time the old man has no control over the fish or even the direction his boat is traveling. Santiago also gains an understanding of the beauty and ugliness of nature. He catches this beautiful Marlin that he respects very much but the fact that he had to kill it in turn kills him. He is also disgusted by the fact that his extraordinary fish is slowly devoured by sharks that he can barely fight off.

Many things are also lost in this story. Santiago loses the magnificent fish that he struggles so long for to the sharks. He fought so hard against this fish, but in the end he was fighting for the fish trying to keep it beautiful against an enemy that is sly and of great number. Santiago also loses a few of his possessions during the conflict. While fighting the sharks after he catches the marlin he loses his knife to the watery depths of the sea. He also loses a good amount of blood while trying to hold onto the line with the massive fish at the other end.

The cause of the conflict between Santiago and the marlin and the sharks is due to Santiago needing to fish to survive. He does it everyday and on this day he got lucky and unlucky.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Author's engaging Techniques

Ernest Hemingway uses many techniques in Old Man and the Sea to engage the reader and keep them interested in his book. Even though it is required that I complete the book, I did not find it difficult to keep reading it like I do with others. The suspense that is present in the book is great especially when the old man is at sea fighting the spectacular fish at the other end of the line and the reader is not sure who will come out of the battle victorious(Hemingway, 35), or if the old man will even survive so long at sea without many of the needed nutrients to stay alive.

Symbolism is another of Hemingway's technique evident in this book. The marlin that Santiago is fighting can be interpreted as the perfect enemy or opponent. Santiago knows that he is lucky to be pitted against such an amazing creature and this current struggle in his life makes him think about everything he knows and believes in. Hemingway is able to keep the reader interested because of his symbolism. The story that he has created makes the reader think about things that not all books do. The book makes you look deeper into just the surface of what is being said, like a hidden meaning in everything.

Although this book does not contain any comedy it does contain a small amount of mystery. The reader wonders if the old man eats any other time then when the boy gives him some food and we are lead to believe that he doesn't, but then how does he survive? The reader is also left in mystery when the old man hooks the fish because we do not know what kind of fish he has hooked, which also could be suspenseful. There is also some mystery in the fact that Hemingway does not ever tell the reader what body of water the old man is fishing in even though that is something the reader may like to know.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Characters: The Boy

Even though Manolin is not one of the main characters in the book, I believe he is still vital to the story line. When the old man is out at sea he thinks about one person, and that is the boy, saying how he wishes he had the boy because it would be so much easier to catch this fish with the boy(Hemingway,30 ). When he is at home the boy is the only person to care for the old man. He brings him food, coffee, and helps him with his fishing gear by carrying heavy items or getting the old man bait for the next day(Hemingway,early story ).

The boy misses the days of fishing with the old man because even though they did not catch fish, he learned a lot about fishing and he loved their talks about baseball and if the yankees won or not. His parents decide that he is not to fish with the old man anymore and he is saddened by this which shows his loyalty(Hemingway, 10) . After the boy leaves he knows that he is on a better boat but is not sure that this is the right thing for him and his parents do not understand that everyone has to march to their own drummer.

The boy has many good qualities about him and his loyalty is one of them. He is also very caring in the fact that he is the only person to check on and help the old man. He shows love and devotion for the old man, who does not seem to have any other friends because everyone thinks that he is a joke because he does not catch any fish. But the boy knows who the old man really is and in the end of the book rejoins him in his boat because he knows it is the right thing to do. He knows that they may not catch many fish but he is back with the person he loves even if it goes against his own father.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Character: Santiago

Santiago is a sad old man who has gone eight four days without catching a fish (Hemingway, 17) and if you do not catch any fish then you will not catch any respect. He becomes the laughing stock of the town until his lucky day when he hooks a Marlin. Even though he gets some respect back, he does not make any money of the fish because it was eaten by sharks. But even after all this happens his spirit does not appear to be broken or affected by his great loss.

Throughout the book he shows much courage and strength especially for his age. He shows a lot of courage by fishing alone. The other boats have two, maybe three or more people in them and they still struggle to catch a big fish. Santiago catches this great marlin after a long struggle and all by himself (Hemingway, 98). Santiago also shows much sadness in this book also. When he hooks the big fish, he is sad because he knows he will have to kill the great fish or be killed by the bearing sea(Hemingway, 52). The big fish is a worthy opponent for the experienced fisherman even though he does not catch many fish.

The old man talks to him self throughout the entire book and it is kind of sad. This makes me think that the old man is a little lonely in the boat by himself. He used to have the boy to talk to until he had to leave the old man's boat for a more prosperous one. Occasionally the old man will talk to the fish and say how tough he is but that he will lose the fight, but i think that he wants to have someone to talk to especially the boy. The boy is the old man's only friend and he is also the only person who takes care of the old man. In the story, it never talks about the old man eating except for when the boy feeds him, which leads the reader to believe he does not eat that often if at all when he is on his own.

The old man is the type of character that we are supposed to feel bad for because he seems so helpless. But in fact the old man does very well on his own. He is smart, strong and courageous and the only thing that the old man cares for in the entire world is the boy which he can not have because all of the townspeople say that he is a bad fisherman.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.