A Comparison of Holden Caulfield and Jake Barnes
Presentation Type
Textual Analysis
Release Option
Event
Description
.
Abstract
This paper aims to compare J. D. Salinger’s character Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye (1951) with Ernest Hemingway’s character Jake Barnes from The Sun Also Rises (1926). While the impact of Hemingway’s work on Salinger has been discussed, such as in Bradley R. McDuffie’s article “For Ernest, With Love and Squalor: The Influence of Ernest Hemingway on J. D. Salinger,” an in depth comparison of the similarities between the two characters has not yet been provided. Both Holden and Jake are critical of those they deem to be insincere, although Holden’s narrative focuses more on his frustration with disingenuous people and Jake’s narrative places more emphasis on his adoration for those he considers genuine. Additionally, Holden and Jake struggle to uphold the standards they hold others to. At the end of each of their perspective novels, Holden and Jake begin to let go of the unrealistic expectations of their loved ones that lead them each to act against their values, leading both characters to reevaluate their own belief system. Despite a few surface level differences in their narratives, Jake and Holden are deeply similar characters who value many of the same things, struggle in similar ways, and begin to heal in largely the same manner.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Olivia Carr Edenfield
Department of Primary Presenter's Major
Department of Literature
Location
Room 1015
Symposium Year
2023
A Comparison of Holden Caulfield and Jake Barnes
Room 1015
This paper aims to compare J. D. Salinger’s character Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye (1951) with Ernest Hemingway’s character Jake Barnes from The Sun Also Rises (1926). While the impact of Hemingway’s work on Salinger has been discussed, such as in Bradley R. McDuffie’s article “For Ernest, With Love and Squalor: The Influence of Ernest Hemingway on J. D. Salinger,” an in depth comparison of the similarities between the two characters has not yet been provided. Both Holden and Jake are critical of those they deem to be insincere, although Holden’s narrative focuses more on his frustration with disingenuous people and Jake’s narrative places more emphasis on his adoration for those he considers genuine. Additionally, Holden and Jake struggle to uphold the standards they hold others to. At the end of each of their perspective novels, Holden and Jake begin to let go of the unrealistic expectations of their loved ones that lead them each to act against their values, leading both characters to reevaluate their own belief system. Despite a few surface level differences in their narratives, Jake and Holden are deeply similar characters who value many of the same things, struggle in similar ways, and begin to heal in largely the same manner.
