America, the land of the free and the land of opportunity: these are .
the qualities we think of when we take a look at America. What .
we dont see is the seamier aspects of the American cultural landscape. In .
J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, he reveals a behind the .
scenes look at American culture using a male teenager as the narrator of the .
book. The behaviour displayed by the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is an .
example of the teenage American culture. Also teenagers are faced with the .
threat of violence in schools. An example that we cant forget are the .
school shootings that happened in the United States. The novel deals with .
issues that our youths face with. Underage drinking and prostitution are .
problems in American society.
The behaviour and attitudes displayed by Holden Caulfield show a .
stereotype of a typical North American teenager. Holden is the protagonist .
in this novel, as well as the narrator. As I read J.D. Salinger's The Catcher .
in the Rye, I found that Holden has a lot of negative attitude. He is very .
judgemental about almost everything and everybody. For example he .
always criticizes people who are so boring, people who are insecure and last .
but not least people who are "phoney". Holden uses the word "phoney" to .
describe people who are very typical, for instance, people who dress and act .
like they are better than him. However, not every teenager in North America .
acts like Holden. At the same time Im sure most of them think about sex. .
In fact, Holden spends most of his time in the novel trying to lose his .
virginity. But Holden is not the typical horny teenager, he feels strongly that .
sex should happen between two people who care deeply for each other. .
Holden is aroused by kinky sexual behaviour and refers to such behaviour as .
"crumby". Although he does admit it is fun, he thinks it shouldnt be.
What are the things you come to think about when you see a school? .