Catcher and the Rye

Outline

Thesis statement: The relationship Holden and Blanche have between family and people in society leads them to an inner turmoil, which eventually results in their psychological breakdowns.

I. Family

A. Positive relationships in The Catcher in the Rye.

1. Phoebe is the only person who Holden needs

2. Holden is proud of D.B’s accomplishments

3. Holden truly admires the personality Allie had

a.) “He was two years younger than I was, but he was about fifty more times intelligent” (38).

B. Positive relationships in A Streetcar Named Desire.

1. Stella and Blanche are very close, telling each other everything

2. Stella takes Blanche in when she has nowhere else to stay

3. Blanche wants Stella to escape from Stanley

a.) “Animal habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one!”(72)

C. Negative relationships in The Catcher in the Rye.

1. Holden gets angry when his family/siblings do something he does not like

2. Holden does not get along with his parents

a.) “Daddy’ll kill you”(166)

3. Holden thinks D.B has turned into a phony

D. Negative relationships in A Streetcar Named Desire.

1. Blanche flirts with Stella’s husband, Stanley

2. Blanche makes fun of Stella’s lifestyle

II. Society

A. Role in society in The Catcher in the Rye.

1. Holden despises when people refer to him as a minor.

a.) “The waiter came up… a Scotch and a soda for myself, but the sonuvabitch wouldn’t bring me one, so I had a Coke, too”

2. Holden does not have and direction in his life

Zago 2

B. Role in society in A Streetcar Named Desire.

1. Blanche has no job

2. Blanche tries to live off of others

a.) “I have always had a strong dependence on the kindness of strangers” (142).

3. Blanche had no direction in her life

C. Relationships with peers in The Catcher in the Rye.

1. Holden is infatuated with Jane

a.) “She said I was wild and that I had no direction in life” (59).

2. Holden views everyone as “phonies”

3. Holden always gets into fights and arguments with his roommates

a.) “About all I know is, I sort of miss everybody I told about. Even old Stradlater and Ackley, for instance” (214)

D. Relationships with peers in A Streetcar Named Desire.

1. Blanche plays with Mitch’s mind