Catcher in the Rye Essays: Free Examples and Writing Guide

What Is The Catcher in the Rye Essay

Let us perhaps start with a general definition of Catcher in the Rye essay and how long it should be. Definition: It is an article that discusses Salinger's novel and its main protagonist, settings, events, and themes. Here we offer free and high-quality samples in pdf precisely on this topic.

Nevertheless, like any other article, all samples have an introduction, main body, and conclusion. However, their length will depend on your grade, professor, and requirements. If they have at least 400 words available, students can think about a traditional 5-paragraph structure.

You should always remember that introduction is only 10% of your overall work. Same goes for every conclusion. However, your main body is 80%. It is your biggest part of any article. So, be mindful of your structure once you start writing your article.

Free Catcher in the Rye Essay Examples

We should talk a little bit more about The Catcher in the Rye essay examples. These articles can be of different types. A majority of them will be either literary analyses or argumentative papers. As you are analyzing a literature essay, be prepared to use quotations from your author and evidence retrieved directly from your book.

Of course, you can also try your hand when it comes to narrative, expository and definition articles. However, they rarely allow as much analysis as types we have already discussed. That is why we want to introduce you to argumentative and literary analysis papers. They have proven to be interesting, highly academic, and informative.

Catcher in the Rye Argumentative Essay

Looking for Catcher in the Rye argumentative essay topics? There are a number of things students can argue here. We have prepared several ideas you can use for your article. Argue that:

Holden didn't become an adult even after his epic journey.
This novel is relevant even for this day's teenagers.
Its author created first archetype of a sullen teenager.
Holden still had a chance to live out his childhood dreams.
Apart from childhood years, American dream also plays a huge part in this novel.

These are only some ideas students can use for their papers. However, they must remember that it is an argumentative article. Therefore, their points and arguments must be strong and proven by using evidence. Our free argumentative essay examples will come in handy!

Catcher in the Rye Literary Analysis Essay

We also would like to talk about a Catcher in the Rye analysis essay. There is one major thing all students must remember when completing their literary analysis. They are not writing a summary. It is, first and foremost, an analysis. Therefore, they must use evidence, quotations, or even secondary sources. It helps to understand main theme of a chosen literary piece. Any analysis paper example from our database will be helpful for you.

Catcher in the Rye literary analysis essay topics include:

Comparing protagonist to antagonist (if any).
Comparing Holden with other popular adolescent protagonists (Pevensie family is a good example).
Analyzing metaphors and infer contextual elements.
Seeing how setting influences this plot.
Choosing quotations that can possess double meanings.
Conclude whether this novel's themes are still relevant today.
Analyzing author's language.
Comparing and contrasting this novel and its adaptations, if available.
Taking symbols into consideration.
Summarizing lessons of your chosen Salinger novel.
Compare Holden with any other "typical sullen kid" as seen in modern media.

Catcher in the Rye Essay Outline

Before we analyze anything else, we are offering students a Catcher in the Rye outline for essay. An outline can be filled with evidence, short phrases, or your thesis.

Example of Catcher in the Rye essay outline

Introduction

Introduce your chosen novel (by Salinger, considering our case).
Give more context. Mention background including history and date when it was written. Write fewer details though.
Thesis: Let us imagine that you're arguing that Holden does everything to ensure that his sister Phoebe remains a child.

Main body: Holden helps his sister using these ways:

By not taking her with him as Holden leaves town.
He takes her to their local zoo.
Holden's relationship with his sister as his final success in wishing to become a catcher.

Conclusion

Restate thesis by mentioning that Holden didn't save his innocence, yet his sister's.
Summarize main points, including a zoo.
Close your article by reminding readers that children should remain kids as long as possible without knowing all fears of adulthood.

Catcher in the Rye Essay Introduction

We will go step-by-step, analyzing traditional structure and outline, starting from Catcher in the Rye introduction. Here you can state that this novel was written by a famous author, Salinger. Students can either talk a little bit more about his biography or about this novel itself:

When was it written or published?
Why was it written?
Is there any event that triggered writing of this literary piece?

Overall, any introduction will only take 10% of your whole paper. So, be mindful of what you can discuss here. Besides, citations and usage of resources for your introduction are not advised. Give a brief background and leave all evidence you have for your main body paragraphs.

What is more, an introduction comes easier after reading examples. This way students can copy tones, structure, and voice fitting for academic writing. That is why we recommend checking articles offered here.

The Catcher in the Rye introduction paragraph example

The Catcher in the Rye is a classic novel which was written by Jerome David Salinger in 1951. The novel is Salinger's masterpiece and is considered one of the most controversial books in the contemporary literature of North-America (Frangedis, 1988). The novel portrays Salinger as a strange writer because of his ability to combine rebellious character and unusual manners in a story and still catch the attention of the audience leaving them moved by his work. His book is about the difficulties teenagers face when growing up. What makes it controversial is the way he seems to give his main character, who is a rebel, credit for his life, which many can view as a careless one.

Catcher in the Rye Essay Thesis Statement

Catcher in the Rye thesis is yet another important part of any article. Thesis statements usually introduce main ideas of this author and what will be argued for your further paragraphs. We also advise keeping your thesis statement to only one sentence. Use it as long as you write your article.

Moreover, any successful thesis statement will give readers enough information to understand at least your article's main message. It gives a clear understanding of your work context. Don’t use evidence or cited sources. Using your own words is always a plus and even a must.

Catcher in the Rye essay thesis

Salinger's novel uses an adolescent protagonist to focus on loss of innocence, importance of childhood, and dangers present when it comes to adulthood.

Catcher in the Rye Essay Body Paragraph

Catcher in the Rye first paragraph goes after your introduction. It will be considered your main body paragraph. Normally, we recommend having at least three body paragraphs. However, everything depends on your requirements and number of words you are allowed to use.

Students should know that each main body takes 80% of their overall work. They are encouraged to use quotations, evidence, and secondary sources to prove their arguments.

Each body paragraph must focus on one distinct point. Students should also link these points to their thesis statement. That is why having these statements near you is always a great advantage.

Still, before writing your main body, always check available samples. Every article that we offer was previously donated by other students. So enjoy!

The Catcher in the Rye paragraph essay example

The Catcher in the Rye story is mainly about a teenage boy, Holden Caulfield, who experiences difficulties with his school and social life. The title of the book is from Caulfield's fantasy of being a sole guardian of thousands of children playing in a field with overgrown grass cover; rye located at the edge of a clip. He pictures himself as having the job of catching those children whenever they come close to falling over hence the title "The Catcher in the Rye." Caulfield is living in an institution in New York City where he had put up to recover from some type of mental breakdown. He is from a wealthy family and attends the best schools in the city from which he keeps on getting kicked out because of his poor grades. Caulfield's relation with almost everyone seems to end up sour all the time. He gets into disagreements with his dorm mates in the institution and even fights one of them for going out with a girl his brother likes.

Catcher in the Rye Essay Conclusion

Our last point concerns a conclusion for Catcher in the Rye essay. A major part of students recognizes that conclusions are very similar to introductions. So, writing them both within one day will save a lot of time.

All conclusions start with a thesis. Take our previous example into consideration. You can start your own conclusion by stating that your main protagonist lost his innocence when he entered adulthood.

Nevertheless, students should never try to include new information in their conclusions. It is much better if you summarize what was already said before.

Last but not least, try making an impact with your conclusion's last sentence. Invoking an emotional response or leaving a recommendation is something that we would recommend doing. Look at our sample and know how it is better to write it.

The Catcher in the Rye essay conclusion example

The Catcher in the Rye is definitely one of the most intriguing books in American Classic Literature. Its greatness does not come from unique literary devices or its fantastic plot, but rather the universal and timeless nature of the feelings it evokes among its readers. The themes, character development and setting have been used to develop the story by covering the life of a teenager who grows up in a rather cruel world.

Bonus: Use our essay conclusion generator any time you need.

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