The Catcher in the Rye Research Paper
Essay title: The Catcher in the Rye Research Paper
âThe Catcher in the Rye Research Paperâ
Childhood is one of the most critical and important times in a childâs life. Family should play a very large role in a childâs life. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of a family is âthe basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their own or adopted childrenâ (419). A dysfunctional family unit lacks communication, love, and happiness. The children within a family need supportive, attentive parents to demonstrate positive attitudes even through traumatic events. The main character, Holden Caulfield, in J. D. Salingerâs The Catcher in the Rye lives in a dysfunctional family. He matures in a normal household in New York City until his younger brother, Allie, passes away. The once normal family suddenly turns into havoc. This novel portrays many aspects of life within a dysfunctional family, such as the Caulfieldsâ. The Catcher in the Rye is criticized by many people of all ages. Some schools have banned the book; others have argued itâs important within the high school curriculum. Throughout this novel, J.D. Salinger illustrates the characteristics, causes, and effects of the dysfunctional Caulfield family.
The characteristics of a family are very important pieces to defining a dysfunctional family. The novel points out one character in particular who feels the need to hold the family together on a thin string, Phoebe, Holdenâs younger sister. When Holden comes home to visit Phoebe, their parents are not home. As Holden hides in the closet from his parents, he overhears Mrs. Caulfield and Phoebe talking, â âI have a splitting headache,â my mother said. She gets headaches quite frequently. She really does. âTake a few aspirinsâ old Phoebe saidâ (Salinger 178). Phoebe is being the caretaker in this example by replacing what a mother would say to a child with a headache. She is taking the responsibility of holding the fragile family together because her parents are not capable of that responsibility. Miller states, âshe [Phoebe] is also an underaged, undersized mother figureâ (Bloom 69). Phoebe feels the need to become a mother figured within a household that does not have one. She is not being forced to act this way, but feels the responsibility to hold together the family that is falling apart so rapidly. The youngest member of the family, Phoebe, tries to open the lines of communication within the family.
The Caulfield family cannot communicate with each other. Throughout the entire novel, Mrs. Caulfield only appears once. In this scene, she does not even communicate with Holden. Salinger illustrates Holdenâs reaction to hearing his parents arrive home, âI grabbed my shoes and got in the closet and shut the doorâŠI heard my mother come in the roomâŠI heard my mother go out and close the doorâ (Salinger 177). The manner in which Holden hides from his mother and avoids conversation, convinces the readersâ of the poor communication between family members. Kermode states, âThe only time his parents come into the story, he has to remain motionless in the darkâ (Heiserman 489). Holdon and his family evidently have several communication problems. Holden is avoiding confrontation with his parents because he does not know how to communicate with them. In order to have communication within a family, the members of that family must have relationships with each other.
The relationships within the Caulfield family are extremely weak. Holden hides the fact that he got kicked out of another school from his family. He feels that the news would upset his parents too much for them to handle. Holden discusses the reaction his parents would have, âI didnât want to go home or anything till they got it thoroughly digested it and all. I didnât want to be around when the first got it. My mother gets very hystericalâ (Salinger 51). He is afraid of his motherâs reaction, so he avoids the topic of discussion. Phoebe is upset that she has to once again, hold the family together. She expresses this by continually telling Holden, âDaddyâll kill youâ (Salinger 166). Her emotions for Holdenâs bad news are one of the small communication skills found within the Caulfield family. Mitchell states, âHolden avoids confrontation about his being kicked out of Prency Prep. He therefore hides from her as he stays in a hotel or in Mr. Antoliniâs apartmentâ (Telgen 131). Holden makes himself distant from his parents because he does not want their reaction to his dreadful news. A confrontation would involve communication with his parents. Holden does not feel the need for this communication because he has never been introduced to family communication by his parents. The characteristics of the Caulfield family can only lead to causes of the dysfunctional family.
Holdenâs parents have weak