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The Catcher in the Rye


            The various literary elements each contribute considerably to work's overall effect as wished to be presented by the author. Some, however, are more prevalent and vital to the novel's general composition. Undoubtedly, within The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger presents a number of such elements, including character, setting, plot, symbolism, conflict, and theme. The latter is without question the primary literary component Salinger focuses on within his book as is clearly evident through the first-person perspective of the novel, the position of Holden (the main character and narrator) in life, and his thoughts and comments. .
             Due to the fact that The Catcher in the Rye is told using a first person point of view, a number of literary elements, mainly including character and plot, are severely restricted. Holden is in no way omniscient or unbiased toward his descriptions of others as well as events. Therefore, the reader is introduced only to this limited perspective. As a result, many characters are described simply like that of Ackley: extremely underdeveloped. "He hardly ever went anywhere. He was a very peculiar guy He was one of those very, very tall, round-shouldered guys - he was about six four - with lousy teeth Besides that, he had a lot of pimples And not only that, he had a terrible personality- (19). The characters are portrayed to the reader through the eyes of Holden as opposed to an impartial, omniscient narrator. Through this perspective, however, the main character's own personality, views, and brief life anecdotes can be seen. The books numerous themes are clearly imparted due to this style. One such theme, that the nave nature of adolescence, specifically innocence, should be preserved, is portrayed through Holden's internal comment while pondering over how the exhibits in the Museum of Natural History remained the same, yet one endured so many personal changes between visits.


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