The Total Package of an American Essay -- Literary Analysis, J.D Salin

The definition of what it means to be an American is difficult to outline in exact terms however, by means of the characters in Catch-22 and backstop in the Rye, Joseph daemon and J.D. Salinger manage to do translated that. American spirit, identity, culture, and determine ar four aspects of America that are the radix of what it means to be an American. The characters in Catch-22 and Catcher in the Rye provide the reader with a solid base of what Americans are altogether about. virtually Americans are independent, fun loving, patriotic, and firm in their beliefs however, some but a few(prenominal) Americans are greedy and imbecilic. Through the works Catch-22 and Catcher in the Rye, Heller and Salinger respectively use characters to showcase the true essence of being an American through American spirit, culture, identity, and values.Deep d receive in every American, a sense of American spirit and pride is contained. Since the birth of America, citizens have specify empha sis on their love for independence, exploration, and red-hot take aims, an aspect of American participation that is evident in both Hellers Catch-22 and Salingers Catcher in the Rye. In Catch-22, the American spirit is conveyed through the new roommates Yossarian acquires in chapter thirty-two. When Yossarian catches his first glimpse of the roommates, he thinks, They were frisky, eager, and exuberant ... They were glad the war had lasted presbyopic enough for them to find out what it was really like (346). Heller notes that the boys are excited to be in a new place and to canvass new things, supporting the idea of American spirit in that the boys are overjoyed at the chance to be in a new place with new surroundings, even if it is in the middle of a war. The like feeling of American spirit is expressed in Salingers Catc... ...Holden on the right path in life. Salinger puts Mr. Spencer in the story to symbolize all of the wise Americans, be they teachers, parents, or adults i n general, who try to steer children in the right direction, whether it is what is best for the children or not. Unfortunately for Holden however, Mr. Spencers beliefs conflicts with Holdens own views in that he is not looking for the most excellent didactics at the most excellent school, he is looking for a place to belong a home. Salinger creates a sense of the many American values in Catcher in the Rye by using characters who symbolise these values. Throughout both Catch-22 and Catcher in the Rye, Heller and Salinger give the reader a strong insight into what it truly means to be an American by intertwining American spirit, identity, culture, and values through the characters personalities and the storyline.