Catcher In The Rye- Themes Essay

Designer clothes, Hollywood, and actors are the priority of many people today. The book that explains all this is J.D Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye. This novel is about a teenager, Holden Caulfield, who notices the world around him. He sees how a materialistic view on life has dominated over a spiritual view. The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger indicates that ways of a material world is present, just the way it is today.

When parents are not there for their children, they will often buy the love of their children with gifts. In the novel Holden talks of ice skates that his mother bought him. He thinks about what his mother did to get the stakes, and how she bought him the wrong kind. As Holden gathers his things he says, " I had to pack these brand-new ice skates my mother had practically just sent me a couple of days before" (51-52). Holden does not want gifts from his parents, he just wants them to love him. When parents have more money and can afford to send their children away from school or hire to have someone else raise them, the child my feel neglected. Because of the parent's wealth however they think if they can buy the children all the toys they wanted and send them gifts, then their child will love them. However they are wrong, children need the love and care of their parents, not the gifts or money. With more items to buy nowadays it makes it easier for some adults to buy their child's love.

Today with instant messenger, text messaging, and email a real conversation with friends and family is not appreciated. As Holden and his sister Phoebe are talking she asks him to tell her something that he really likes. Holden tells her that having a conversation like are right now is something he really enjoys. Phoebe does not think this is really something, but Holden replies, " It is so something really! Certainly it is! Why the hell isn't it? People never think anything is anything really. I'm getting goddam sick of it" (172). Not many people appreciate a real conversation and this bother Holden. From the advancement with technology a conversation between to people can happen with even talking. However that is not a real conversation at all, because you are losing the personality of the persons voice when it is written down. To have a conversation in person and enjoying each other and not having to entertain them, is something that should be