Catcher in the Rye Essay Topics

1. In a well-written essay examine Holden’s behavior and relationships at school and at home to determine what is wrong with him. Is Holden an insane person in a sane world, or is he a sane person in an insane world? What are the criteria for insanity or sanity? How does his world and Holden reflect the criterion as you define them? Use your annotated notes, text with page numbers, to support your ideas.

2. It seems as if Holden is searching for something throughout the course of the novel. Some might argue that he is trying to find comfort and love from others. Using examples from the text, state and defend your view of what Holden was searching for and what might have given him true peace and comfort.

3. Critic Charles H. Kegel suggests that Holden’s problem is “one of communication. As a teenager, he simply cannot even get through to others of his own age”. Kegel also believes that the novel can be read “as Holden Caulfield’s quest for communicability with his fellow man”. Using examples from the novel defend or refute Kegel’s position.

4. In a literary work, a minor character may possess traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. Write an essay in which you analyze how the relationship between various minors and Holden illuminates the meaning of the work (note that your thesis needs to state clearly what you believe to be the meaning of the work).

5. Many novels and plays focus on individuals involved in a struggle to find themselves or to seek a purpose in life. Sometimes the effort pays off; sometimes it does not. Write an essay in which you explain Holden’s search or struggle throughout the novel, assess to what extent it succeeds, and analyze how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. (note that your thesis needs to state clearly what you believe to be the meaning of the work).

6. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye, uses symbolism to support the thematic idea that maturation and the loss of innocence are an inevitable rite of passage for all of humanity. In a well-written essay, prove this thematic statement using three different symbols. Discuss each symbol’s meaning and how it connects and aides the development of Salinger’s message.

7. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes, or values of a character. Consider how Holden must contend with different aspects of the past. Then write an essay in which you show how Holden’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.