Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey

Director Robert Zemeckis once stated, â€Å"We dont function well as human beings when were in isolation.† This quotation pertains to the protagonists in both The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger. Both protagonists overcome estrangement when they learn from their siblings the underlying reason behind their feelings of isolation. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield fails to form a connection with others at Pencey Prep and escapes to New York City in an attempt to overcome his alienation. Similarly, in Franny and Zooey, Franny Glass seeks religion to cope with her social isolation at college. Initially, both characters are isolated from their peers because their judgmental attitudes make them unable to form a†¦show more content†¦As each novel progresses, both protagonists seek instant pleasure in attempt to escape from their isolation, but their desperation for comfort leads to their deteriorating health. Holden attempts to escape his f eelings of alienation by going to New York City, but in his desperate attempt to connect with others, his overall health worsens. Struggling with his loneliness, he reluctantly agrees to have a prostitute come to his room at the hotel: â€Å"I was feeling so depressed I didn’t even think† (Catcher 91). Holden’s desperation has made him travel from Pencey Prep, in Pennsylvania, all the way to New York City to escape his feeling of isolation from his fellow students. Even though it goes against his moral values about sex, he desperately reaches out to anyone who might be willing to ease his loneliness, and that leads him to accept the offer of letting a prostitute come to his hotel. Although once she arrives, he feels insecure and refuses to have sex. The prostitute is a symbol of instant gratification that Holden initially thought he wanted to comfort his isolation, but ends up feeling too insecure to have sex because the prospect that his first sexual experience would be with a prostitute depresses him. When Holden refuses to pay the extra charge that the prostitute requests, she gets annoyed and calls her â€Å"boss,† Maurice. Eventually, this situation results in Holden being assaulted. After this beating, Holden feels like he is at hisShow MoreRelatedEssay on Franny and Zooey and Holden Caufield694 Words   |  3 PagesHolden as a Foil ti Zooey Although they are the protagonists from two separate books, Franny Glass, a teenage girl in J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, and Holden Caufield, a young man in Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye, serve as foils to each other. Both suffer unnecessarily due to their interaction with those whom they are close to, due to their relationships with themselves, as well as due to their views on the world. In the end, however Franny and Holden change their values and thereforeRead More Jd Salinger Essay772 Words   |  4 Pages Salinger, J(erome) D(avid) (1919- ), American novelist and short story writer, known for his stories dealing with the intellectual and emotional struggles of adolescents who are alienated from the empty, materialistic world of their parents. Salingers work is marked by a profound sense of craftsmanship, a keen ear for dialogue, and a deep awareness of the frustrations of life in America after World War II (1939-1945). Jerome David Salinger was born and raised in New York City. He began writingRead MoreJD Salinger Research Paper1671 Words   |  7 Pagesauthor best known for his novel, Catcher in the Rye. Although Salinger only published one novel, he wrote several short stories for magazines like The New Yorker and Story. A large number of these stories went on to be compiled into books such as Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey, and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. Despite the fact Salinger has not published any stories in over 45 years, his reputation is still quite popular. Salingers stories are studied in high schoolsRead More Mysterious ways of J.D. Salinger Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pagesin 1945 (French xiii ). His first book was then published six years later in 1951 (French xiv). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I think that the most important and interesting factors of Salinger life happened after 1951 with the publishing of Catcher in the Rye. It wasn’t until this point in the writers life that he really started to feel the all the criticism rush in. This is what I feel, along with all the deception that started to come in convinced him to move to Cornish, New Hampshire only twoRead MoreSummary Of The Great Gatsby By F. Salinger904 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War II, was born on January 1, 1919 in New York City. Little is known about his early life except for his education. He attended schools on the upper west side of Manhattan, which would later be the setting of his most famous novel, The Catcher in the Rye. After flunking out of several prep schools, including McBurney’s, his parents sent him to Valley Forge Military Academy. At Valley Forge he maintained average grades and was involved in several clubs and organizations, many of which had toRea d More The Writings of J.D. Salinger Essay1513 Words   |  7 Pagesand New York University. From 1939 to 1942, he went to Columbia University where he decided to become a writer. Salinger published short story collections and one novel. His best known work, The Catcher in the Rye, was published in 1951. The short stories he wrote were Nine Stories in 1953, Franny and Zooey in 1961, Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction in 1963, Young Folk in 1940 and A Perfect Day for Bananafish in 1948. Many critics have considered J.D. SalingerRead More J.d. Salinger Essay2971 Words   |  12 Pagesquite odd because he would later in life become a recluse (Wenke, 3). Salinger adjusted his writing style to fit the literary marketplace. He was writing for money and began writing for magazines like Good Housekeeping and Mademoiselle. Many of Salinger’s characters have unique character traits. amp;quot;Salinger presents a number of stories that consider characters who become involved in degrading, often phony social contexts,amp;quot; states a major critic (Wenke, 7). These characters are oftenRead MoreSummary Of Salinger s The Catcher Rye And Franny And Zooey 1966 Words   |  8 PagesAmerican writer’s haven’t only impacted this country, but the world as a whole. Specifically, J.D. Salinger. He is a well-known author who has wrote many influential books such as The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey. Salinger’s childhood, education, significant people, major influences,and historical events have all had an impact on how he became the face of a literary movement as well as his contributions to the art of American Literature. Jerome David Salinger was born on January 1, 1919Read MoreJ.D. Salinger is Holden Caulfield1666 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluential twentieth century American writers.† states Biography.com, â€Å"His landmark novel, Catcher in the Rye, set a new course for literature in post World War II America.† The Catcher in the Rye told a story of Holden Caulfield and his struggle to find something pure in a world filled with â€Å"phonies† (Biography). It is arguable that some of Holden’s experiences could be comparitively autobiographical to Salinger’s real life. Much like J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a reserved character, attendingRead MoreA Short Biography of J.D. Salinger1316 Words   |  6 Pages(â€Å"David Jerome Salinger†) In 1932, Jerome was enrolled in Mcburney School. It was a private high school. He was the captain on his fencing team. He really enjoyed fencing. He struggled in private school though because he got terrible grades! Since Salingers grades were very mediocre in private school they sent him somewhere else. He was sent to military school. He started to attend Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania in 1934. While he was there, he worked on the newspaper and yearbook