Character Portrayal Of John Caulfield s The Big Day

emotionally by working fourteen hours a day’ , and his character portrayal reveals nothing about his personality or his relationship with his children, but rather focuses the reader on that with which he is truly concerned: money. This prioritization of wealth over family is implied many times throughout the novel. A clear section of the text that clearly demonstrates the issue is regarding Phoebe’s play. When Holden returns home unexpectedly, Phoebe describes the Christmas Pageant in which she will be acting in. Her pride in and excitement for this opportunity is evident in her exaggeration of her participation, stating that she has ‘practically the biggest part.’ Moreover, she writes Holden a five-page letter ‘all about this play she was†¦show more content†¦Holden frequently asserts that since the death of his brother, Mrs. Caulfield is ‘nervous as hell’ (158). In this incapacitated state, Mrs. Caulfield is rendered unable to confront her children’s problems, hence creating an unsupportive relationship with her children that fails to provide them with the stability and help they need. Holden acknowledges this inability in his statement that upon imagining his death, he ‘kept picturing her not knowing what to do with all my suits and athletic equipment and all’ (155). In this image, Mrs. Caulfield is unable to handle even the simple problem of finding a place to put Holden’s possessions, pointing to her ineffectiveness in solving the issues relating to her children. A lack of parental authority is also demonstrated in the scene where Mrs. Caulfield comes home and notices the smoke left from Holden’s cigarette in Phoebe’s bedroom. Phoebe confesses falsely that she had been smoking because she couldn’t sleep, to which her mother’s only reaction is the slight reprimand; ‘I don’t like that, Phoebe. I don’t like that at all.’ (17 7) This passive and dismissive reaction highlights once again Mrs. Caulfield’s permissive nature as a parent, and in so doing exposes her actions as an example of the lack of attention and supportShow MoreRelatedCatcher in the Rye4413 Words   |  18 PagesActual Catcher in the Rye 4 The Sexual Matter 5 The Caulfield Family 6 Narrator and Protagonist 8 Role Model 9 Mr. Antolini 10 Targeted Audience 10 Guidance 12 It is not Criticism 13 Exposing Culture 13 Conclusion – Fall of Innocence 15 Works Cited List 17 Abstract This essay is a detailed analysis about The Catcher in the Rye investigating whether it is relevant for youth and society[1] in the present day. The essay investigates how the author, Jerome DavidRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesSouthern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric