Hometrees and Roleplaying: How Instability Affects "The Catcher in the Rye's" Holden and "The Flick's" Avery in Their Pursuit of Belonging

Authors

Caleb Hoelscher, Taylor University

Document Type

Document

Publication Date

Fall 2018

Abstract

Avery, a socially anxious movie buff working on a theater cleanup crew, and Holden, a prep-school flunkout wandering the city of New York, are both emerging adults seeking a place to belong. They desire to connect with others based on shared commitment to a center of meaning. However, the instability and fakeness of their worlds and the people who inhabit them frustrate their pursuit, leading Holden and Avery to demonstrate similar patterns of behavior that further isolate them and diminish their sense of self. In addition, despite Holden’s disgust with movies, particularly ones he deems “phony,” both Holden and Avery act out roles they have seen in films from their respective contexts. Because Avatar and Pulp Fiction are prominently featured in The Flick, the contrast between the films’ key images and concepts can be applied to Avery to gain insight into his longings, frustrations with the world, and patterns of behavior. By extension of his similarity to Avery, they can be applied to Holden as well.

Notes

Course: ENG 492 - Senior Project Research
Faculty Project Director: Dr. Nancy Dayton

Recommended Citation

Hoelscher, Caleb, "Hometrees and Roleplaying: How Instability Affects "The Catcher in the Rye's" Holden and "The Flick's" Avery in Their Pursuit of Belonging" (2018). English Senior Capstone. 3.
https://pillars.taylor.edu/english-student/3