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.
The attraction which results in friendships as well as romantic affairs among people is termed as interpersonal attraction. Studying interpersonal attraction has become a major subject in social psychology. In simple terms interpersonal attraction is associated with the level of how much a person like, dislikes, hates or loves another one. Morry (2007) explains that […]
âSimon Schamaâs Power of Artâ is the eight-part series recounting the story of art as the best delivery of pleasure. In particular, the series present eight narratives of embattled heroes who made the art reasonable, despite confronting misunderstanding and disaster. Power of Art is challenging series aimed at exploring the power and the whole point […]
In my view, power and knowledge are closely intertwined. The famous saying “Knowledge is Power” resonates with me because education equips us with knowledge, which in turn empowers us. According to the dictionary, “Power” refers to the capacity to act or perform energetically and forcefully. This concept of power is often associated with superheroes, mythical […]
The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) is located in Morong, Bataan and was constructed under the administration of President Ferdinand Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law period. Westinghouse was contracted to build the light water reactor, deign to produce 621 megawatts of electricity. This power plant was constructed under loan $600 million for two units […]
Is there a difference between bodybuilding and powerlifting? “Power lifters spend time looking in the mirror. Not in the sense that body-builders do, but more to observe the total structure. More to observe the tremendous power that resides within” (Fred Hatfield). Bodybuilding and power lifting is not just a sport, for some people it is […]
Good morning respected teachers, judges and my dear friends. I am Mayank Apte from class X representing bhakti house and I am going to speak on the topic âeducation- path to enlightenment and power. â Education â the word itself means the theory or practice of teaching. Education has been there since the past times […]
In order to foster global peace, it is crucial to acknowledge and value the various cultures that exist worldwide. Each culture has its own unique characteristics including language, religion, cuisine, social customs, music, and arts. These components together create a culture and have a significant impact on shaping the knowledge, beliefs, ways of life, and […]
On the morning of 16 Jan 1991 images of precision strikes targeting Saddam Husseinâs Baathist regime , brought the employment of airpower to the forefront of global consciousness . Concurrent with images of the attacks, the worldâs media were broadcasting press briefings lauding the ârevolutionaryâ achievements of âsurgical strikesâ conducted by F-117A Fighters; a capability […]
The global market has become an overwhelming incentive for new investments and there occurred a veritable explosion of capacity in cotton based complexes, the most importantly in the Tamilnadu clusters. This has been much silent revolution: The phenomenal growth of the 1990s in cotton spinning in Tamilnadu has been the forefront in the Indian power […]
Bullying, whether spontaneous or premeditated, is a harmful and terrifying behavior that entails escalating aggression and instilling fear. It can happen among individuals or within a group of children. Factors such as media and parental influence play a significant role in bullying, as young children tend to imitate their parents’ emotions, speech, and actions. The […]
The play ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare discusses power dynamics in the seventeenth century while also questioning them. It revolves around Macbeth, a character who has courage and ambition but is haunted by doubt, which ultimately compels him to commit murder in his pursuit of power. While the play mainly focuses on Macbeth’s psychological journey and […]
If I had magical powers, I would bring my best friend back to life. Carla was her name. Her hair was the colour of lemon, her face was round with a tinge of golden hue. She had sanguine complexion which made an excellent job of complementing her deep almost cobalt blue eyes. Whenever she burst […]
âKnowledge is Powerâ one of the most famous educational quotes to this day. Three poems, âCrazy Courageâ by Alma Villanueva, âTheme for English Bâ by Langston Hughes and âMuch Madness is Divinest Senseâ by Emily Dickinson, convey an idea or a certain knowledge that an individual possesses that is essential to a persons individual power. […]
Power is the ability to do or act, in the simplest terms. It is also political or social ascendancy or control and so, it is about having an upper hand in politics. Based on power, politics is an organizational process or principle affecting authority, status, etc. Since power is authority and control, politics affects power. […]
TV is an impactful platform. Nevertheless, Turkish audiences disregard Dutch television, tuning their satellite dishes instead to channels from Turkey. Commercial Turkish channels hold more appeal than the state-run TRT INT which is available through cable. The question arises whether these channels obstruct integration, or if Dutch channels are not putting in sufficient effort to […]
One of The Lion Kingâs primary focuses is leadership and power. Throughout the whole movie, it is a battle of who has power, who wants power, and who is the best leader for the circumstance. Mufasa, the king of Pride Rock at the beginning, and Sarabi, his wife, give birth to their son, Simba, who […]
Girl Power! What does that mean? Women who openly display their power, knowledge, and skill, receiving public recognition and honor. But also females who manage to wield power in societies that try to limit it or decree female submission; where their leadership is stigmatized and their creativity disdained. And women who resist and overthrow oppressive […]
Allan G. Johnson wrote a book called, âPrivilege, Power, and Differenceâ. He has written a very accessible introduction to the concept of privilege: the notion that certain members of society benefit from institutionalized assumptions and beliefs about what is normal. Conversely, attention is also given to various groups that are harmed by these same institutionalized […]
Hitler’s rise to power began In 1919, when he Joined the Political party, Nazi. By 1923 Hitler was leader of the Nazi party, and was looked up to by many followers. With economic situations in Germany being high, Hitler was ready to capture Germany. Hitler came with his groups, and had planned to seize control […]
Two basic assumptions that economists make about Individual and firms are that all individuals act in a way to make themselves as well- off as possible. For example, individuals make the best use of their utlllty and skill, so they can earn more money. The second assumption Is that firms always try to maxlmlze the […]
In Ibsen’s ‘Hedda Gabler’, the balance of power within Hedda and Judge Brack’s relationship shifts from Hedda being in control from Act Two until the end of Act Four, where the power belongs to Brack. The shift in power is used to heighten the tragedy at the end of the play as Hedda is used […]
‘This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will simply try to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by […]
