The Catcher in the Rye and 1984: Alienation
Alienation is defined as the state or experience of being isolated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved. In the novels The Catcher in the Rye and 1984 alienation is a main theme. Catcher in the Rye and 1984 show characters who are not normal and who are different from the rest of society which results in their Alienation. Alienation is a feeling of not belonging. One of the biggest factors that cause alienation is the need to fit in and be accepted in society. Whether it is alienation from civilization or alienation from society, drastic changes occur; just like in 1984 and the catcher in the rye. Both these novels show proof of how alienation can change a person and their whole life. Alienation is shown in the catcher in the rye by how Holden alienates himself from society . In 1984 Winston feels alienated because he thinks hes the only person who wants to rebel against big brother and he thinks hes the only one who can remember the past. Both these stories shows many examples of alienation and it is what destroys the main characters in 1984 and the catcher in the rye.
From the very first scene of Catcher in the Rye, when the main character Holden doesn't go to the football game that the rest of his school is going to, it is clear that Holden doesn't fit in and that he is alienated from the rest of society. Throughout the novel, Holden is excluded and victimized by the world around him. As he says to Mr. Spencer, he feels trapped on “the other side” of life, and he continually try's to find his way in a world where he thinks he doesn’t belong. As the novel continues, we see that Holden’s alienation is his way of protecting himself. The truth is that interactions with other people confuse and overwhelm him. Holden try’s to alienate himself from all the
“phonies” around him because he doesn't want to turn into them. Holden’s alienation is the cause of most of his pain. “When I finally got down off the
From the very first scene of Catcher in the Rye, when the main character Holden doesn't go to the football game that the rest of his school is going to, it is clear that Holden doesn't fit in and that he is alienated from the rest of society. Throughout the novel, Holden is excluded and victimized by the world around him. As he says to Mr. Spencer, he feels trapped on “the other side” of life, and he continually try's to find his way in a world where he thinks he doesn’t belong. As the novel continues, we see that Holden’s alienation is his way of protecting himself. The truth is that interactions with other people confuse and overwhelm him. Holden try’s to alienate himself from all the
“phonies” around him because he doesn't want to turn into them. Holden’s alienation is the cause of most of his pain. “When I finally got down off the