Big Ideas and Themes
The Catcher in the Rye, undoubtedly, displays the Unit 10.4 theme of the importance of family several times throughout the story. For example, the importance of family is emphasized through Holden's relationship with his sister, Phoebe. Holden has a tendency to alienate himself. He constantly thinks he is better than all of the "phonies" he knows, which results in his isolation. Every interaction he attempts to make with his “friends” leave him even lonelier and more depressed; For example, when he tries to connect with Sally Hayes, his evening is ruined by constantly pointing out the negative aspects of her personality such as the shows she watches, the ivy league, snotty boys she talks to, and how “marvelous” she finds the Lunts. On the other hand, Holden shows a different side to his personality when he is with Phoebe. He watches her ride the carousel and feels the happiest he has felt in the entire story. He also reveals his first signs of true maturity by putting Phoebe's needs before his own and denying her requests to take her with him when he runs away, yet he never considered Sally’s feelings before begging her to run away. Therefore, it is obvious that family is exceptionally valuable to Holden. The Unit 10.4 theme, the importance of family, is also displayed in The Catcher in the Rye, through Holden's relationship with his deceased brother, Allie. Although Holden generally has a negative perspective on people in his life, he speaks positively and proudly of Allie, boasting about his intelligence, kindness, and his lovability. Holden continually explains that Allie “…was terrifically intelligent. He was also the nicest, in lots of ways. He never got mad at anybody” (Salinger 38). He is also very sensitive towards Allie. This is shown when Holden completes a homework assignment for his roommate, Stradlater, in which he describes his brother's unique baseball mitt. His roommate rejects the composition because Holden described the mitt instead of a room like he had asked him to, which causes Holden to rip the composition out of anger and start a fight with Stradlater. Holden also is sensitive towards people visiting Allie’s grave; people who hardly knew Allie would come to the grave and leave when it started to rain, leaving Allie alone to lie in the mud and rain, which continues to frustrate Holden. He didn't care that it was raining because Allie was there and would have to endure the weather forever. This love for his brother made it especially difficult for Holden when he passed away. Holden slept in the garage the night he died and broke every window. He was then hospitalized and was going to be psychoanalyzed because of his abnormal mental state. Both Allie and Phoebe have, clearly, greatly impacted Holden’s life. Due to the undeniable love Holden feels for Allie and Phoebe and the impact that they have on his life, it is evident that the Unit 10.4 theme of the importance of family is very relatable to The Catcher in the Rye.
In The Catcher in the Rye, the theme, truth has no meaning when people only believe what they want to believe, is also clearly demonstrated. As previously mentioned, Holden has a difficult time interacting with other people. In several adult situations that he finds himself in, such as dealing with Maurice’s scams, a prostitute named Sonny, or simply a fight with his roommate, Holden’s initial reaction is to start crying. He chooses to ignore his unusual difficulties in social situations, and he makes excuses for himself by saying that the other characters are the one’s with problems. Holden choses to believe in his fantasy that adulthood is just a world of "phonies." As a result, he continuously tries to resist growing up, rather than facing the truth. Holden's uncomfortable feelings about growing up are displayed when he is at the Museum of Natural History. At the museum, he discusses how much better life would be if some things could be kept out of motion and in glass boxes like the Eskimo and Indian displays. He clearly states that he never wants to become a "phony" like everyone else eventually does, and, in a similar way to the Eskimos and Indians, he wants to remain fixed in his fantasy instead of acknowledging the truth that adults aren’t all “phonies” and that he is does not thrive in social encounters. Similarly, the theme of truth having no meaning when people only believe what they want is displayed through Holden’s reactions to Allie’s death. It is obvious that Holden knows that Allie has died because he explains the cause of his death and his experiences with death early on in the story; however, he is still disconnected with reality because he mentions Allie as if he were alive. For example, after Holden is cheated by Maurice and Sonny, he tells the readers, “What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed. I keep telling him to go home and get his bike and meet me in front of Bobby Fallon’s house” (Salinger 98). When Holden can’t sort out a difficult situation, he turns to his brother as if he was still alive and chooses not to accept the truth. This denial of the truth is revealed for a second time when Phoebe accuses Holden of hating everything in life. He argues that he likes Allie, to which she replies by saying it doesn’t apply because Allie is dead. Phoebe’s statement quickly sparks anger in Holden, and he tells her that it is possible to still like someone when they are dead. By choosing to deny the truth of Allie’s death and his inability to react maturely in social situations, along with choosing to believe that the adult world is only “phonies,” it is evident that truth has no meaning when one only believes what they want to believe in The Catcher in the Rye.
The Big Idea from Unit 10.4 of dreams and visions is demonstrated in The Catcher in the Rye, as well. The most obvious example is revealed when Phoebe asks Holden about his dreams in life. His response is the incorrect recitation of a song lyric, "If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye" (Salinger 173). He tells her, “ I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around- nobody big, except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff… I have to catch everybody if they start going over… I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be” (Salinger 173). This dream is a symbol of the childhood and innocence that Holden wishes to protect. The cliff is the harsh jump from childhood to adulthood, and Holden wants to protect the children from the "phoniness" of adulthood. This dream is essential in the development of Holden's character because it helps the reader understand that he was forced to make the jump into adulthood without anyone to catch him, and that he wishes he could remain an innocent child forever. The Big Idea of dreams and visions is also displayed through Mr. Antolini's discussion with Holden. Mr. Antolini has a vision of Holden having a major fall in life that will leave him frustrated with the world and the people around him. This fall parallels Holden's dream about catching the falling children, but unlike Holden, Mr. Antolini believes that if he does not mature, he will fall off the cliff to his own doom. He tells Holden, “The man falling isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit the bottom. He just keeps falling and falling… [It’s] designed for men who were looking for something their own environment couldn’t supply them with” (Salinger 187). Mr. Antolini's vision is significant because it is the first time that Holden takes interest in avoiding such a fall and applying himself in school. Also, Mr. Antolini's criticism forces Holden to face the adult world that he often chooses to deny. Both Holden and Mr. Antolini's ideas prove that. In The Catcher in the Rye, dreams and visions are essential Big Ideas.
In The Catcher in the Rye, the theme, truth has no meaning when people only believe what they want to believe, is also clearly demonstrated. As previously mentioned, Holden has a difficult time interacting with other people. In several adult situations that he finds himself in, such as dealing with Maurice’s scams, a prostitute named Sonny, or simply a fight with his roommate, Holden’s initial reaction is to start crying. He chooses to ignore his unusual difficulties in social situations, and he makes excuses for himself by saying that the other characters are the one’s with problems. Holden choses to believe in his fantasy that adulthood is just a world of "phonies." As a result, he continuously tries to resist growing up, rather than facing the truth. Holden's uncomfortable feelings about growing up are displayed when he is at the Museum of Natural History. At the museum, he discusses how much better life would be if some things could be kept out of motion and in glass boxes like the Eskimo and Indian displays. He clearly states that he never wants to become a "phony" like everyone else eventually does, and, in a similar way to the Eskimos and Indians, he wants to remain fixed in his fantasy instead of acknowledging the truth that adults aren’t all “phonies” and that he is does not thrive in social encounters. Similarly, the theme of truth having no meaning when people only believe what they want is displayed through Holden’s reactions to Allie’s death. It is obvious that Holden knows that Allie has died because he explains the cause of his death and his experiences with death early on in the story; however, he is still disconnected with reality because he mentions Allie as if he were alive. For example, after Holden is cheated by Maurice and Sonny, he tells the readers, “What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed. I keep telling him to go home and get his bike and meet me in front of Bobby Fallon’s house” (Salinger 98). When Holden can’t sort out a difficult situation, he turns to his brother as if he was still alive and chooses not to accept the truth. This denial of the truth is revealed for a second time when Phoebe accuses Holden of hating everything in life. He argues that he likes Allie, to which she replies by saying it doesn’t apply because Allie is dead. Phoebe’s statement quickly sparks anger in Holden, and he tells her that it is possible to still like someone when they are dead. By choosing to deny the truth of Allie’s death and his inability to react maturely in social situations, along with choosing to believe that the adult world is only “phonies,” it is evident that truth has no meaning when one only believes what they want to believe in The Catcher in the Rye.
The Big Idea from Unit 10.4 of dreams and visions is demonstrated in The Catcher in the Rye, as well. The most obvious example is revealed when Phoebe asks Holden about his dreams in life. His response is the incorrect recitation of a song lyric, "If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye" (Salinger 173). He tells her, “ I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around- nobody big, except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff… I have to catch everybody if they start going over… I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be” (Salinger 173). This dream is a symbol of the childhood and innocence that Holden wishes to protect. The cliff is the harsh jump from childhood to adulthood, and Holden wants to protect the children from the "phoniness" of adulthood. This dream is essential in the development of Holden's character because it helps the reader understand that he was forced to make the jump into adulthood without anyone to catch him, and that he wishes he could remain an innocent child forever. The Big Idea of dreams and visions is also displayed through Mr. Antolini's discussion with Holden. Mr. Antolini has a vision of Holden having a major fall in life that will leave him frustrated with the world and the people around him. This fall parallels Holden's dream about catching the falling children, but unlike Holden, Mr. Antolini believes that if he does not mature, he will fall off the cliff to his own doom. He tells Holden, “The man falling isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit the bottom. He just keeps falling and falling… [It’s] designed for men who were looking for something their own environment couldn’t supply them with” (Salinger 187). Mr. Antolini's vision is significant because it is the first time that Holden takes interest in avoiding such a fall and applying himself in school. Also, Mr. Antolini's criticism forces Holden to face the adult world that he often chooses to deny. Both Holden and Mr. Antolini's ideas prove that. In The Catcher in the Rye, dreams and visions are essential Big Ideas.