essay

Research paper outline and annotated bibliography

Melissa Gonzalez

ENC1102

11/12/18

1. Outline

1. Introduction: The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of Holden who is attempting to connect socially with people, but he has failed to do so. This has caused him to dread adulthood, choosing to remain a child (Salinger, 1951). The book narrates of Holden’s story in a manner where he desires to have a relationship with adults, but his efforts have been derailed by his past experiences of encountering cab drivers, tourists, nuns, former classmates, which resulted into anger and resentment (Bishop, 2001)

1. Thesis Statement: This paper aims at discussing the elements of literature used in telling the story such as the tone and the theme, as well as their role in literature. In addressing the theme and the tone, I will identify examples of these aspects of literature as used in the novel.

1. Topic 1: Significance. The tone of the narration helps the reader in understanding the emotions of the narrator. Tone is one of the most important elements in literature as well as novels as they communicate the mood of the story in general

1. Theme: The main theme in the novel is about the alienation of Holden from the rest of the society.

1. Tone: The tone used by Holden to narrate his state can be described as full of bitterness, disgust, nostalgic longing, and cynicism

1. Humor: In narrating his experiences in the story, Holden uses humor when he says he would rather remain young than being an adult

1. Satire: One of the examples of satire is when Holden is walking to his hotel and observes “fifty-one gorgeous blocks”

1. Conclusion: In conclusion describes the troubles encountered by Holden as he lives in a totally broken society where there is no social support to help him while he is in trouble

1. Annotated Bibliography

Bishop, Bonnie. “On Rereading ‘Catcher in the Rye.’” The English Journal, vol. 91, no. 2, 2001, p. 105., doi:10.2307/822359.

This journal was written by Bonnie Bishop as a description of the original “Catcher in the Rye”. He explains his experiences when first read the novel, prompting him to re-read it again because he thought it was worthy the second read. He explains some themes which he had not seen in the first reading, giving some more insights on the contents of the novel. Bonnie is a renowned lover of novels and he has reviewed several books of literature. I will use this information to get more insights and understanding of the book. It is true that reading “Catcher in the Rye” prompts the reader to go back to the book for study. Through reading this description by Bonnie, I have discovered the novel is rich in literary work and touches on several themes.

Chen, Lingdi. “An Analysis of the Adolescent Problems in The Catcher in the Rye.” Asian Social Science, vol. 5, no. 5, 2009, doi:10.5539/ass.v5n5p143.

This article by Lingdi Chen is a reflection of the main problems concerning the adolescent problems which are thematic in the book. First, Holden displays childish behavior by saying that if the norms of the society dictate that a person must respect an elder even when the situation does not allow, eh would love to remain young throughout his life. It is also crucial also evident by the behavior of Holden where he goes to a friend’s house and the friends’ shoes are smelly, he instructs him to take the shows outside. Lingdi explains that the problem of Holden was that he had refused to grow up to adulthood, hence the many problems he had faced. He had been frustrated by life and therefore he chose to remain a child. Through this book, I have learned that adolescence can be a real problem, especially when it is not handled when. It can result into engagement into crimes such as drug abuse.

Salinger, J. D. “The Catcher in the Rye, Boston: Little, Brown, 1951.” The Twentieth-Century American Fiction Handbook, 1951, pp. 256–260., doi:10.1002/9781444393675.ch50.

This is the original novel written by Salinger in his creativity to bring out several themes in his literary prowess. The book depicts a talented author in fiction work who had deep sense of the societal problems in the 20th century. The novel has several main characters and Holden has come out as the main character who goes through several problem of the society. Salinger uses Holden’s character to bring out several themes such as the broken social fabric, drug abuse, homosexuality and adolescent problems. This novels help me to understand the problems of the society especially the broken social fabric were nobody cares what other people are going through such as when Holden is falling off a cliff. The author is a renowned fiction writer who has been quoted in many peer-reviewed journals

The Catcher in the Rye, a novel by J. D. Salinger (book)

This book is a description of the novel in a more detailed manner. The book explains the characters in the novel and the role played by the characters. Additionally, the book describes different themes as stated in the novel, as well as explaining the different scenes of the novel. The book also describes the fiction novel at length, giving it the major explanation missing the novel. Through the book, I am able to understand the missing links and get more insights of the book, especially in some areas where I am not able to decipher from the novel. The book is useful in understanding the major themes in the novel as depicted in each scene

Wang, Cui, and Xiaofen Zhang. “Returning to Youth and Nature —The Catcher in the Rye in Ecocriticism.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, vol. 1, no. 3, 2010, doi:10.4304/jltr.1.3.269-273.

The book by Cui Wang and Xiaofen Zhang is a reflection as well as an analysis of how nature treats the people as well as how people decide not to grow out of their youthful age due to different reasons. The book criticizes the behavior of Holden of not growing out of the youthful age yet he has become an adult. The problems experienced by Holden make him remain a youth. This is shown through different scenes where he states that he is better-of when he is young than growing old and facing many problems. The authors criticize the behavior of Holden of not accepting the laws of nature and grow up out of the youthful life. This book gives me insight of the reasons why some people may choose not to grow up out their age. It will help me understand why some people behave the way they behave childishly. The two authors are voice to reckon with when it comes to literature and fiction.

Yahya, Wan Roselezam Wan, and Ruzbeh Babaee. “Salinger’s Depiction of Trauma in The Catcher in the Rye.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 4, no. 9, Jan. 2014, doi:10.4304/tpls.4.9.1825-1828.

This book by Yahya Wan and Ruzbeh is explanation on the link between theory and practices as far as concerned. The two authors attempt to describe the trauma experienced by Holden in his narration. Holden describes his broken life and desire to live a life free of his troubles. He has endured a lot due to the disintegrated societal values and norms, lacking people who can stand with him in his troubles, but he seems to have been left alone in an unforgiving society where everyone lives for his own. The book describes how social support and interactions are important in one’s life. The book will help me in studying in depth the importance of social interactions in day-to-day life and how people. The book describes the problems which a person may encounter he is left without support from the society.