Growing Up, The Catcher in the Rye Essay Example for Free

Growing Up, The Catcher in the Rye Essay A young man going through puberty, not knowing what he is doing or where he is headed, in a world in which he feels he doesnt belong in, and feels he is always around a bunch of phonies. This would describe the position of Holden Caulfield, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye (1951) written by J.D. Salinger. The book, all narrated by Holden in first person, in its very unique and humorous style, is about Holden, and all the troubles he has encountered through school, family, friends, and basically life. Holden has been expelled from a private school in Pennsylvania because of failing classes, and decides to go to New York for three days before going home to his disappointed parents. At the beginning of the novel, Holden seems to be like any other 16-year-old young man. But the novel progressively displays through various examples of symbolism that Holden has many problems coping with the world around him. Holden likes to reminisce about his childhood and visiting the Museum of Natural History in Central Park. He loved to visit the museum, for many reasons, and he even said that he got very happy when he thought about the museum. He tells us of the symbolic details in the museum, by saying, The best thing, though in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobodyd move. Nobodyd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you(121). Holden likes this kind of world, and wishes that he lived in it. He wishes things would stay unchanged and simple. Holden is almost scared by change, and cant handle the conflicts in his life. Another very symbolic example in the book is the title itself. On the first night of his three-night excursion, Holden decides to sneak into his house and visit his sister, Phoebe, who he adores very much. Phoebe asks Holden what he would like to do with his life. Holden ponders the question and tells Phoebe about the poem, Com in Through The Rye by Robert Burns. He tells Phoebe, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobodys aroundnobody big, I meanexcept me. And Im standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliffI mean if theyre running and they don look where theyre going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. Thats all Id do all day. Id just be the catcher in the rye and all(173). He wants  to save the kids of their innocence, and protect them from the adult world. This indicates Holdens insecurity of the world in which he lives in, and his disgust with becoming an adult. Holden is a very unique individual. He thinks he is different than everyone else he meets, and he is quick to point out how phony everybody else is. While in New York, Holden buys a red hunting hat. It was a very odd hat to wear out in public, especially at a prep school, and the other kids were always giving him a hard time for wearing it. Holden describes it, â€Å"It was this red hunting hat, with one of those very, very long peaks. It only cost me a buck. The way I wore it, I swung the old peak way around to the back—very corny, I’ll admit, but I liked it that way†(18). Holden is always proud that he is different than everybody around him, and he sees that hat as a part of his independence. He always likes to think that he is not a â€Å"phony† himself, and will do anything possible to show how different he is than all the other â€Å"phonies.† Another thing Holden likes to recollect is the lagoon in Central Park, and the ducks that occupied it. He ponders,† I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over†(13). Knowing it or not, Holden is curious about the ducks in the lagoon, because he himself doesn’t know where he is going, or how he is going to get there. He has been kicked out of numerous schools, and he needs a scapegoat such as the lagoon freezi ng over in order to find out where it is he is going. Holden shows the reader how disgusted and disturbed he is by this adult world in which he is growing into. He wishes to stay young, and keep everything simple, and to keep away from all the â€Å"phonies† out there. After recalling all the people he has met, and admitting how sick he is, Holden realizes that he is just as phony as everybody else. He ends the story, adding,† Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody†(214).

Essay --

When we analyze a work, it is easy to judge the characters by the standards of our time, but this is not very fair to them. They do not follow our rules; they follow the standards of their societies. In addition, unless the characters’ thoughts are revealed to us in soliloquies or asides, we cannot tell if the person knows of his or her actions’ consequences. To determine if a character is â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad,† we must set a standard and evaluate it for each text we examine. We shall define â€Å"goodness† as performing actions whose outcomes are net positive, intended or not, and â€Å"badness† as the opposite. Through this lens we shall examine King Claudius of Hamlet, discovering that while Claudius might be a good King, he is definitely not a good person. When we first meet Claudius, he is holding court and giving a very long and eloquent speech with frequent use of the â€Å"royal we.† He begins by unifying himself with the audience in grief over â€Å"our dear brother’s death† (1.2.1) and then explains he will marry Queen Gertrude to both solidify his rule and bring â€Å"mirth to funeral† (1.2.12). However, it is odd that King Hamlet’s son, Hamlet, did not inherit the throne. Claudius explains, referring to his near marriage, that the nobles â€Å"have freely gone / With this affair along† (1.2.15-6), so it is likely that he convinced the nobles to vote for him as King instead of Hamlet, who was away. Instead of taking the crown by force, which Laertes and Fortinbras will later attempt, Claudius became King without any harm whatsoever, excepting the murder of King Hamlet. His ease with the royal court and the trust he places in the nobles are signs of his good Kingship, however much hidden blood there may be. Claudius is not just friendly with the nobles. ... ...m; the poisoned goblet makes Hamlet realize Claudius’s plan and results in Hamlet killing him with the same goblet. Although we quickly see through Claudius’s sham, his â€Å"bad† qualities might be the reason for his â€Å"good† Kingship. After all, a King who is ambitious, manipulative, and selfish would want to keep the throne, and since Claudius dislikes confrontation, he has evidently decided to remain in power by being a just and wise ruler. He might have had the wrong motivations and a terrible character, but royal policies were, on the whole, good for Denmark. But we must not forget his terrible choice; instead of giving up his sins’ rewards, he chooses to keep them and kill Hamlet to assure his crown. Make no mistake, Claudius was a bad person, but Denmark had experienced an extraordinary King, ended with poisoned drink in his throat and poisoned sword in his chest.

How I Believe America has changed since 9/11

The 9/11 incident is a unique one being considered as one of the worst catastrophes not only in America but all over the world. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and of the Soviet Union in 1991 a period of extreme optimism opened, with markets triumphant and globalization as the universal panacea (Evans, 2003, para.3). Such nations who experienced failure in one way or another have shifted and depended on their sanguinity for success and advancement through the United States of America.However, after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the world was in shock that even the world’s greatest superpower has met some vulnerable moments against an uncertain force. The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda (Bush, 2001, para. 13).Following the 9/11 disaster, one aspect of change which should be analyzed is how Americans perceive freedom now after this event. U.S. President George W. Bush has applied an aggres sive and one-sided approach in dealing with the terrorist issue.The Bush administration is presently the prime mover of the long running â€Å"war on terrorism.† Everything has changed in the sense that the war on terrorism has given U.S. foreign policy a focus not seen since the height of the Cold War (Garrett, 2002, para. 1). The invasion and occupation of Iraq is a result (politically, of course, not logically)†¦(â€Å"What has changed since 9/11?,† 2006, para.2). Undaunted and unapologetic, the Bush administration continues to argue the virtues of staying the present course (Connetta, 2006, para. 6). Can the Americans live in the real essence of freedom with this road the Bush leadership is taking?Will the Bush Administration sacrifice civil liberty for the sake of national security? America has always takes pride of being a free nation embedded with dignity and glory. But after 9/11, the Americans have lived in fear, ambiguity and doubt.ReferencesBush, G.W. ( 2001). Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.htmlConnetta, C. (2006). Pyrrhus on the Potomac: How America's post-9/11 wars have undermined US national security. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.comw.org/pda/0609br18.htmlEvans, L. (2003). America and the World: What Has Changed Since 9/11? Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=3552Garrett, G. (2002). One year after 9/11: What Has Really Changed? Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=2617â€Å"What has changed since 9/11?† (2006). Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://ask.metafilter.com/41748/What-has-changed-since-911  

Descriptive vs Normative Statements - 1298 Words

Question 1 To explain the distinction between Descriptive and Normative Statements one first has to understand the difference between Descriptive and Normative Ethics. Descriptive ethics primarily describes people’s moral beliefs, claims and behaviors. This form of ethics is studied primarily by psychologist, sociologist and anthropologist. With Normative ethics we deal with the attempt to discover what actions are in fact right or wrong, good or bad and what it takes to be a moral or immoral person. This area of ethics is studied more by philosophers and theologist. To simplify, Descriptive statements are statements about what is; while Normative statements are statements about what ought to be. When we describe what people believe†¦show more content†¦However, one definition is that laws are a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior. By this definition we can already see why the study of ethics and laws should not be intertwined. The smoking gun in this claim is the statement, â€Å"guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior†. We see that the words social institutions are used. A social institution is nothing more thanShow MoreRelatedDeontological Moral Systems : Ethics1532 Words   |  7 Pagesthat no complete account of the universe is possible without reference to final causes...the principle of intrinsic finality which, according to Aristotle and St. Thomas, is primary, while extrinsic finality is derived and secondary. Aristotle s statement that nature adapts the organ to the function, and not the function to the organ... But, If organs are so many mechanisms, it remains to be indicated how these mechanisms were organized. If appeal is made to evolution, it must be remembered thatRead MoreJob Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment1669 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluence on satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and commitment. A self-administered survey that included both structured and open-ended questions was more convenient to administer and compare the level of satisfaction among primary care providers. The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) became very useful to measure different dimensions of job satisfaction in the company of PA faculty members. Keywords: job satisfaction, work motivation, work environment INTRODUCTION Job satisfaction has been definedRead MoreEgoism And Ethical Egoism1291 Words   |  6 PagesPsychological Egoism states that human actions are based on self-interest, even if the action appears to be selfless. It is a theory that all human actions are aimed at avoiding some personal loss or gaining some personal benefit. Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory about how we do behave; it does not tell us how we ought to behave. This theory has goals that are our Strongest Desires, Expected Benefit, and avoiding Misery. We always do what we most want to do and we do what makes us feel good. Altruism†¦Read MoreThe principle of right or wrong2773 Words   |  12 Pagestheoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions and how their truth-values (if any) may be determined; Normative ethics, about the practical means of determining a moral course of action; Applied ethics, about how moral outcomes can be achieved in specific situations; Moral psychology, about how moral capacity or moral agency develops and what its nature is; and Descriptive ethics, about what moral values people actually abide by. may be defined as the actions an individual takes onRead More Explanation, Understanding, and Subjectivity Essay3357 Words   |  14 Pagesunderstanding. One can get a sense of understanding from an account that is not wholly true. Genuine understanding can come only from a genuine explanation. By contrast, the sense of understanding one gets from a potential explanation containing false statements is not genuine. We can refer to it as sham understanding. At this point, the distinction between genuine understanding and sham understanding depends entirely on the distinction between a true explanation and a merely potential explanation. It isRead MorePositive Accounting Theory2425 Words   |  10 PagesCompare and contrast normative and positive accounting approaches: Definition of PAT: Watts and Zimmerman (1986) defined Pat as a theory that seeks to explain and predicts particular phenomenon. It is concerned with explaining accounting practice. The three basic hypotheses as outlined by Watts and Zimmerman (1978) underlying PAT are: 1. Bonus plan hypothesis: The bonus plan hypothesis is that managers of firms with bonus plans are more likely to use accounting methods that increase current periodRead More Thoughts on a Possible Rational Reconstruction of the Method of3257 Words   |  14 Pagesanalytic philosophy. Nevertheless, we encounter-even if only in a very few specific publications-a vague image of it. This is due on the one hand to the problem of the intentions of application, i.e., of the normativity of rational reconstruction (descriptive/prescriptive-ambivalence). It is also due on the other hand to the problem of the significance of the method in the field of history of philosophy (systematic/historical-dichotomy). The varied usage within analytic philosophy, as well as the increasinglyRead MoreSoc 108 Exam 1 Study Guide Essay2442 Words   |  10 Pagesresearch theoretical rather than philosophical or normative talking abt what is rather than what should be deals with social regularities *it is probabilistic and contingent patterns of behaviors aggregates rather than individuals categories of ppl; not specific individuals â€Å"aims† to generalize systematic research ques plan going into the research empirically based: actual evidence Purposes of social science research (Pure/Basic research vs. applied) basic -- is done to learn somethingRead MoreEvolution of Accounting Thought6174 Words   |  25 Pagesstate level and the individual citizen level, records in great detail were kept relating to all manner of things: public works, running the army, affairs of state, personal estates. It is likely that this record-keeping activity was not merely descriptive of events which had occurred. The information was likely used for budgeting, that is, for planning and control purposes. Throughout the Dark and the Middle Ages (up until about the year 1300), ‘accounting’ did not evolve. There were no pressuresRead MoreFactor Affecting People Investing in Mutual Fund7240 Words   |  29 PagesChapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Background 1 1.2.1 Benefits of Unit Trust Scheme 2 1.2.2 Disadvantages of Unit Trust Scheme 3 1.2.3 Types of Unit Trust Funds 4 1.2.4 Growth of Mutual Fund in Malaysia 6 1.3 Problem Statement 8 1.4 Research Objectives 10 1.5 Research Question 10 1.6 Definition of Key Terms 11 ii 1.6.1 Mutual Fund / Unit Trust Fund 1.6.2 11 Federation of Malaysia Unit Trust Managers (FMUTM) 12 1.6.3 Net Asset Value (NAV) 12 1.6.4