The Catcher In The Rye: The Nuns And James Castle

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The Catcher in the Rye: The Significance of the Nuns and James Castle By Alie Yu The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is a novel narrating the story of Holden Caulfield, a troubled teenager who is searching for an escape from the flaws of society. After leaving his boarding school and traveling aimlessly for days, he decides to visit his little sister, Phoebe. Upon his arrival, Phoebe realizes that he has been kicked out of school and begins to hound him with questions. When Phoebe asks him to name one thing that he likes, Holden immediately thinks of two nuns that he recently met, and a former classmate named James Castle.

My topic is, “When asked by Phoebe what he likes, Holden can only think of the nuns and James Castle. Why do you suppose he thinks of these people? ”. Throughout the novel, Holden struggles with the concept of the “phoniness” of society. He believes that all adults are deceiving, materialistic people who only act in greed and conceit. Holden thinks that children are practically the only “non-phonies” in the world, and he wishes to stop them from maturing into adulthood. He only respects children and those who prove to be selfless, compassionate, and always stay true to themselves.

As a result, when he is asked what he likes, Holden thinks about the nuns and James Castle. These figures are among the few people that Holden admires and acknowledges as “non-phonies”. Holden meets the nuns a few days before he visits Phoebe. While eating breakfast at the Grand Central Station, the nuns sit next to him, and they strike up a conversation. They are dressed in a dark, homely fashion, and they talk openly about their professions and interests. He learns that they are working as schoolteachers. The nuns treat him in a kind manner, and thank him profusely when he decides to donate to their charity basket.

Holden compares the nuns with phony people in his life, such as his aunt and Sally Haye’s mother. He knows that neither of these people would be willing to work as selflessly and generously as the nuns. Holden respects the nuns for being compassionate and diligent in what they do, and for working for good causes even though there are not many benefits for themselves. He is impressed by their lack of greed for money and attention, and they consequently join the list of what Holden likes. James Castle was Holden’s previous classmate at one of his former schools, Elkton Hills.

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• Catcher In The Rye Quotes About Growing Up

After he called a popular boy conceited, he was bullied by a large group of boys in an attempt to make him apologize. James stood his ground, and instead of apologizing and taking back his words, he jumped out of the window. Holden was greatly traumatized by this event, but he was also deeply amazed by James’s defiance and strong will. Instead of phonily asking for forgiveness, he stuck by his opinion and refused to give in. By killing himself instead of expressing

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