The Catcher in the Rye | Techniques
The popularity of The Catcher in the Rye largely depends upon its plot and its language. It employs that most archetypal of all plots: the quest. From The Odyssey on, Western literature has dramatized the adventures of a quester. Escaping from Pencey Prep to New York City, Holden Caulfield encounters various figures in his search for human connection and meaning. The fabulous creatures and adventures of early quest narrative have become realistic here, but Holden's story is no less terrifying than that of Odysseus. Like Odysseus, he finally reaches, thanks to Phoebe, home. Has he learned...
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