Catcher in the Rye

I know I'm new here and I hate to have this be my first post, but I have to write an exploratory essay explaining my final paper for my lit theory class and I'm reading The Catcher in the Rye. I've decided to look at it through New Historicist theory, but I'm not really sure exactly under that theory I should write about. I think I want to talk about the issue of marginalization. I also have to give a textual example that supports my reading. So I'm sort of stuck. I need a good textual example and to be able to say what I want the paper to do. I think if I had a good example that I could easily do the rest. I just can't think of anything. I'm getting close to the deadline...it's at 12am. I have to e-mail it in. Please help.

i've never read catcher in the rye, but in case anyone has and wants to help you, what time zone are you in? because here it's 71 minutes to midnight but if it isn't for you -

I'm in the eastern timezone.

Sorry, but I have no idea if you missed the deadline already or not. However, I read Catcher in the Rye last year, and coincedentally just re-read it last weekend and wrote a bit about it for a column. Did you have anything particular you wanted help with? Sorry if I missed you, I just joined about five seconds ago.

New Historicist theory isn't going to help you a bit with somthing written so recently.

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Originally Posted by amuse

i've never read catcher in the rye, but in case anyone has and wants to help you, what time zone are you in? because here it's 71 minutes to midnight but if it isn't for you -

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You really should read Catcher in The Rye. You won't spend forever with it...I did in 3 days.

Sorry I haven't replied in a while. I've been busy studying for finals. I didn't miss the deadline. I pulled enough out of my butt to get by. The problem now is that I have to do my final paper on the book. What I need help with is putting my ideas together and just the paper in general. I'm still using New Historicism to look at the text, but now I'm looking at language and communication.

The purpose of my final paper is to explore the issues of language and communication in The Catcher in the Rye through New Historicism. By doing so, I hope to draw some comparisons to those aspects of our society today and to also explore how the book has shaped certain texts and ideals since its publication. I think I can accomplish this through looking at how Holden communicates throughout the book and the language he uses to communicate, as well as how the story itself is written to communicate its ideas in connection with its time period. I would then look at how that communication was received by the reading audience and how the interpretations of those messages have in turn influenced our culture. Thus, it is possible for some interesting conclusions to be drawn about how it was shaped by its time and how it has shaped the future.

I need to address the significance of the argument that I'm making. I also need to answer questions like (1)What does such a reading add to our understanding of the novel? (2)Does it challenge, support, change some structure within society? (3)Does it reveal some hidden agenda, uncover some latent element?

I'm supposed to consider why I think this reading is important and what I see it doing in terms of “opening up” the text to alternative understandings of history, language, communication, and narrative.

My final paper has to be turned in on May 9th before 5:00PM just to let you know what kind of time I'm working with. I have the intro part done, but the rest is coming really slow I also suck at finding good sources so I need help with that too.

I know thats alot, but this has been a rough semester for me and my mind is just killing me. I need major help and I would appreciate any that you could offer. Thanks everyone.

if you post the material you've written already for this paper, that might help.

i'm on the same time crunch as you, well more so - paper on Coming of Age in Mississippi, due monday at noon, starting on it tonight.

well, good luck with this! and perhaps we'll see you in other parts of the forum as well?

Well I had to write this big essay about The Catcher in the Rye. My question to answer was why the story was so endearing. So for my answer, I wrote that youths today can relate to Holden Caulfield as he struggles through life picking the wrong paths. I'm done everything except for a creative title for the essay. Can anyone help me with a good creative title?

I aint great at titles but how about "keep on holden on"

hmmm...of course it would have to fit your paper,
but i always loved the ducks.
how about something straightforward like 'i wonder where the ducks go...'
or something outlandish and ironic (ie pseudo-academic) like 'ducks on the pond: the creative errancy of holden caufield'
or how about a playful one like 'ducking the bastards'
ok, i might be getting carried away...

"Catcher in the Wry: The Unique Perspective of Holden Caufield"

lol those are all good ideas. Thanks guys:)

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Originally Posted by Basil

"Catcher in the Wry: The Unique Perspective of Holden Caufield"

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I like this one. :nod:

This is one of my top five greatest books of all time. Please add a discussion here about the book.

thanks,

Fenton