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Question: How does J!.D!. Salinger use irony to portray the theme of lonliness and depression!?
I talked about him avoiding people as a "cure" to his loneliness and depression, and how he doesn't have anyone to catch him as he falls into reality!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
**Please excuse GIANT length; still, you'll find some good points here**
*I think the irony in 'Catcher' is expressed not so much by Holden 'avoiding people as a cure to his loneliness!.!.!.' but by the fact Holden DOES seek out people, as at least a distraction to the initial major fact he flunked out of school again!. He is afraid to go home and tell the truth about that since he'd been telling his distracted parents he was doing fine!.
*The problem with the people Holden sees/visits is that, ironically, one he admires very much, one person who saw that Holden is actually very bright, is dying!. Holden's fear of that visit to his old professor is real; yes, Allie did die before this story begins!. Holden talks at length about how it will be 'smelly' with sickness, and he sees his professor/friend as 'gray' when he finally does see him!. The irony here is that the professor, though ill, takes time to give Holden a good 'pep talk,' so the visit is an avenue to least feel 'bright,' though Holden doesn't take advantage of it!.
*The 'old lady tourists' Holden gets to buy drinks for him at a bar are, ironically, not just 'old lady tourists' but obviously (at least one of them) is/are having fun!. How can that be, given Holden's initial view of them as pathetic!? He is not having fun: ironic!.
*When, earlier, Holden tries dating an old girlfriend, his hopes for 'real' conversation are, ironically, ripped to shreds by the girl's eye for other & older guys!. She is superficial and literally phony in most of what she says!.
*He also goes to see another teacher he respects at a 'cocktail party,' where that man, ironically seen first as successful and happy --things Holden wants to be-- is not!. As you know, the man ends out scaring Holden so much Holden leaves in a great hurry with no regard for health; he just loathes the man and his wife for being 'phony' and the way the man 'touched my head; why did he do that!? he's a queer!. what's up with his weird wife!?' etc!.
*Holden watches kids go in the NYC museum of Natural History and thinks about the mummy exhibit, which used to a favorite of his; then thinks the kids going in as he watches will be scared by the mummy exhibit and their teacher is 'phony' and 'stupid' to allow them inside at all!. Even the dinosaur-bone greeting at that museum, put together and looming above visitors, may scare those kids!.
Ironically, this is a reflection of how Holden is scared and not yet quite realizing it!.
*Holden asks where the ducks in Central Park go in the winter a few times, and one answer that sticks in my mind is: 'I don't know, kid!. What's it to you!? Ducks are ducks!. They just go away!.'
Ironically, though the answer doesn't satisfy Holden, it's the truth; but it scares Holden!.!. Questions about the fish in the pond are ironic as well: 'what do they eat!? are they alive under the ice!?' because Holden can't answer them and doesn't believe any answer he does get are impossible!. Again, irony, because the questions reflect Holden's so-far hidden questions involving himself!. Where will HE go!? How can he survive!?
*Holden DOES actually have someone who 'catches' him before a public blowout: Phoebe!. He tell hers an (ironic) thing: that he is going away (he believes that he can do it) and that he will work on a ranch (partial truth; he thinks 'maybe' but knows Phoebe would like that)!.
*Ironically, the way Phoebe helps him is by showing up ready to go with him!. He refuses her, but she cries and insists so much, he tells her he will not go and to ride the carousel (an ironic symbol of what Holden himself has been doing-- going 'round & 'round, up & down)!.
*Phoebe also lets Holden know the song they used to sing together 'When a body catch a body coming through the rye!.!.!.' has a word wrong: the word 'catch' is actually 'meet!.' Phoebe and Holden agree to stick to their version, but ironically, Phoebe 'meeting' Holden at that juncture is a way Holden is 'caught' before falling too far!.
*The last lines of this book are ironic!. Holden tells 'everyone' --'don't talk about stuff this way, ever!. Just don't ever do it!. It only makes you miss everyone you talk about, even Stradlater!. You miss 'em all!. Don't ever do what I've done!.' Ironically, this seems to negate the book's purpose as it actually reinforces the need to examine certain things in life!.
*All quotes are paraphrases, but accurate!. Luck on your essay!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

From Shmoop Literature on The Catcher in the Rye


Theme: Sadness

Sadness permeates The Catcher in the Rye!. Main character Holden Caulfield finds nearly everything depressing, from receiving gifts to hearing people say "please!." The conclusion drawn, however, is that isolation and alienation from others is the greatest source of unhappiness!. The difficulty comes from the fact that escaping this isolation is a battle in itself – one that can often be, unfortunately, quite depressing!.

http://www!.shmoop!.com/theme/literature/j!.!.!.

Theme: Isolation

Isolation in The Catcher in the Rye refers to the personal, social, and mental isolation of one individual, seventeen-year-old Holden Caulfield, from the rest of the world!. The novel explores the tension between the desire to observe, judge, and alienate with the need to meet, converse, and connect!. We constantly see the desire to reach out mitigated by hesitation and passivity!.

http://www!.shmoop!.com/theme/literature/j!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think it has something to do also with the birds he mentions in catcher in the rye!.!. how they leave for the fall/winter and come back in the spring!.!. people always leave him, he always goes away (left his home for school!.!. being switched from school to school!.!.!.) also, his brother died, so that was a big BIG factor in it -- with the baseball glove/cap (I forgot which it was, it's been a while)!. I wrote a 10 page paper on Catcher!. It's a fantastic book!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Meibi isier, if you stay ¨in¨ place on word Salinger; if you read on your truly lenguaje
and sal in ger is switch in your truli live day!.Www@QuestionHome@Com