Catcher in the Rye Essay: Holden - The Thinking Man :: Catcher Rye Essays

Holden: The Thinking Man of The Catcher In The Rye Margaret Atwood defined the â€Å"thinking man† as on who resists, believes survival is a necessity, is isolated and alienated, and who is aware of the elements that make one's psyche and physical being disappear. Atwood's "thinking man" is exhibited in Holden Caulfield through the use of character, plot, and symbolism. The "thinking man" is clearly portrayed through Holden Caulfield's character. One characteristic of Atwood's "thinking man" is that of being isolated and alienated. Holden is a very lonely character. An example that shows this is his direct reference to David Copperfield in the first paragraph of the novel when he says "...and all that David Copperfield kind of crap."(pg.1) When David Copperfield was a child he was alienated from his mother, and was very lonely. This points to the fact that Holden had a very lonely childhood and, like David Copperfield, his innocence as well. Like the "thinking man" Holden was aware of the elements that make one's being disappear. This segment of Holden's character is helped by symbolism. For Holden, it was too late to stop himself from entering adulthood, a kingdom he resisted entering, a kingdom he viewed with disgust. For this reason he wanted to help other children, and save them from "disappearing" over the edge of the rye field too, to preserve their innocence and to save them from the dreaded adulthood. Also, Holden had resisted one of the factors leading towards the loss of his innocence; losing his virginity. He "had quite a few opportunities to lose [his] virginity...[he] came quite close to doing it a couple of times...she keeps telling [him] to stop, and [he] stops." This not only shows that he doesn't want to lose his purity, but that he cares for the girl's innocence too, and does not want her to lose it. Next, "Catcher In The Rye" uses plot to create the "thinking man". Holden Caulfield has a deep struggle within himself. He wants to be positive, and her wants to work with and for the positive, and yet he is continually drawn to the negative aspects of life. In one scene he is at a food stop eating, when two nuns approach him. Even though they didn't ask for money, Holden donates $10 from his fast depleting funds. Nevertheless, he is drawn to the negative aspects of life too.