Hero Essays
J. D. Salingerâs The Catcher in the Rye illustrates the story of an adolescent going through a period of perception-changing times in his life. The story is told from the point of view of the main character and protagonist, Holden Caulfield, a junior in high school. Throughout the novel, Holden is going through a phase in which he realizes the âphonyâ nature of the people in the world. Overall, the story encompasses themes such as loss and confusion ultimately resolved with advice for finding oneself. Clearly, many young adults undergoing a paradigm shift or a maturing from adolescence can relate the bookâs protagonist on a personal or even spiritual level. Because of his relatable journey, I view Holden Caulfield as a hero, not in the archetypal sense, but as a champion for those struggling to find a sense of direction in their lives. Holdenâs entire character has not been fully established yet as he is still immature and has no definite plans for his future. He had been kicked out of three schools for not applying himself, and he calls people who act âfakeâ in real life âphonies.â However, what makes Holden Caulfield such an important character is that he is going through what many have experienced or are experiencing: the transition from childhood to manhood.
On the contrary, Holden seems to resist this transition as he was never serious about his schools. In fact, he came to the point where he thought of ending his life in chapter 14. He writes, âWhat I really felt like doing was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window.â Of course, many teenagers have had the same feeling, although I am an exception to this. In chapter 17, he explains to Sally everything he resented about school. âItâs full of phonies, and all you do is study so that you can learn enough to be smart enough to buy a goddam Cadillac some day,â he continues. Eventually, he came up with the idea of running away with Sally up north. With this, Holden shows he has never given thought to his actual future and what he plans to be. At this part of the plot, I did not really identify myself with the character of Holden Caulfield anymore.
I on the other hand do plan on attending college for medicine. Holden in chapter 17 embodied the rebellious nature of some teenagers who, much like the protagonist, choose to run away from his/her problems.The symbolism J. D. Salinger inserts into the story can provide more to the theme. There is a recurring thought that Holden has concerning the ducks inhabiting the lagoon in Central Park in New York City and where they go when the lake freezes up. Holden brings up this train of thought in various locations. The first was in his meeting with Mr. Spencer and again on two different cab rides. The symbolism behind this is that the ducks represent himself and his refusal to adapt to a changing environment. It puzzled him how the ducks would have to move and where. This is where I can relate to Holden. Growing up and moving on is difficult, but it is necessary for life. Holden Caulfield is a hero through what he has endured and who he can emulate. I myself do not relate to him as I have already been through what he has gone through, at a lesser degree, of course, but he can be seen, by some, as an example for a refusal to adapt. He is not a hero that is perfect or super strong, but he is a hero that inspires and relates himself to the common adolescent.
Clarissa Harlowe Barton, born on December 25, 1821, in North Oxford, Massachusetts, had a father named Captain Stephen Barton. He was a farmer, horse breeder, and a respected member of the community. Her mother, Sarah, managed the household and taught Barton about the significance of cleanliness. When she turned 17, Clara began working as a […]
Pharmacy Busa, Aida Marae Calalang, Nicudemus Catolico, Kyla Veron Ching, Deniece Justinne Clet, Flavie Ann The Wedding Dance Amador T. Daguio SUMMARY Awiyao and Lumnay is a long married couple from the Mountain tribes. Awiyao is going to marry another woman, Madulimay, because Lumnay was not able to give him a child. Awiyao went back […]
Introduction: Michael Jackson, without doubt, is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He is most remembered for the ecstatic energy of his musical performances. He was as proficient in his dance moves as he was smooth and superlative in his singing. His talents extended to writing lyrics for his own songs as well. […]
My father, one of eight children, was raised in a two room shack in the Appalachia. He struggled to be more as he grew up. He enlisted in the Army, traveling the world. He made it his goal to become as educated as possible. He received two Master’s degrees and received his Ph. D. in […]
Maximilian Kolbe was born as Raymund Kolbe on 8 of January 1894 in Zdunska Wola, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. He was the second son of Maria Dabrowska and of Julius Kolbe. His mother was polish and his father was ethnic German. He had four brothers; Francis, Joseph, Walenty (who […]
Alia Bhatt, an Indian actress and model, gained popularity in Bollywood for her performances in movies. Born on March 15th, 1993 into a family with strong ties to the film industry, her parents Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan, along with her elder sister Pooja Bhatt, are all involved in the entertainment world. Starting at just […]
Kara Walker, an American artist, was born on November 26th, 1969 in Stockton, California. Renowned for her contemporary artwork, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the Atlanta College of Art and achieved her master’s degree at the School of Design in Rhode Island. Throughout her career, she has created over 30 large-scale installations and exhibited […]
My first awareness of race was when I saw some kid who looks completely different from me. He had completely different skin tone, and in many aspects don’t quite look like myself. When I was in China, many of my classmates and peers were all look the same, but different in our own ways. That […]
In Richardâs Wright autobiography âBlack boyâ, Wright describes his childhood as a time where he had to be grateful for what little he had, even though he grew up in the slums and often experienced extreme hunger. Wright uses imagery, which is words and phrases the author uses to appeal to the senses and form […]
Franz Marc was born February 8, 1880, in the German town of Munich. Marc was one of the main painters and printmakers of the German Expressionist movement. He was one of the creators of âDer Blaue Reiterâ or in English âThe Blue Riderâ. His father was his main inspiration because he worked as a professor […]
Joseph Louis Proust was born on September 26, 1754 in Angers, France. Though there is not much information about his family, his father and Joachim, his brother, were pharmicists. Other than being a chemist, Joseph was a teacher at the Chemistry School in Segovia and at the University of Salamanca which were both in Spain. […]
Winston Churchill, a British prime minister during WI, and Lee Iacocca, Former president of both Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Corporation, are two successful businessmen who have written autobiographies. Both texts, which are small parts about their school life, have different tones and structure but therefore share the type of audience. The readers of […]
Mark Zuckerberg is a co-founder and CEO of Facebook. Zuckerberg is in charge of setting the overall direction and product strategy for Facebook. He leads the design of Facebookâs service and progress of its core technology and communications. He began this social network in 2004 with his roommates Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes and best […]
Biography Since Roja hit movie screens in South India in 1992, A. R. Rahman has been redefining the country’s widely popular film music. Generally regarded as the finest Indian film composer of his time (and certainly the most commercially successful), Rahman produced music for nearly 35 widescreen releases during his first five years in the […]
Brett Favor, originally from Guilford, Mississippi and raised in Kiln, Mississippi, is widely recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks in football history. He led the Green Bay Packers to their first Super Bowl victory since the Vince Lombardi era and currently holds the NFL record for most passing yards. Despite playing in a run-oriented […]
In Northeastern Universityâs Race & Ethnicity course the idea of âcolorblindnessâ was discussed at length as being something as powerfully ineffective as racism itself. At Malden High School students of differing racial groups sort of âcoexist,â which is something I hope this action plan will begin to change through studentsâ awareness of racial identity development. […]
Television Journalist. Born September 25, 1931, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of nightclub impresario Lou Walters (owner of New York’s swanky Latin Quarter) and his wife, Dena. In 1937, Lou Walters expanded his business, which caused his family to adopt an itinerant lifestyle, moving from Boston to New York to Miami Beach. Walters […]
When applying for a job, training program, exam, or joining a club or online community, applicants often need to provide a short story about themselves. This can be in the form of an autobiography or resume. There are no strict rules for the format of a biography essay as these documents are usually created freely. […]
Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician and writer, was born on 10 December 1815. Originally named Augusta Ada Byron, she was the legitimate child of Lord Byron and Anna Isabella Byron. Al Capone, America’s most famous gangster, is regarded as a significant symbol of the deterioration of law and order in the United States during the […]
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr, an esteemed authority on Islamic science and spirituality, currently holds the position of University Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University. He has authored numerous books including Man and Nature: the Spiritual Crisis of Modern Man (Kazi Publications, 1998), Religion and the Order of Nature (Oxford, 1996), and Knowledge and […]
Introduction A biography is an account of someoneâs life written by somebody else. It consists of a number of specific sources which contain facts about the person being talked about. In a biography, it is not a must that the person being talked about to be alive. The most important thing is that exaggeration should […]
In the entire history of music, Arnold Schoenberg stands out as a very influential and one of the most controversial figures. Up to the period that preceded the Second World War since the later days of the nineteenth century, Arnold embarked in the production of music that was greatly diversified in terms of styles. This […]
