What Makes a Book Gold?

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What Makes a Book Gold? What makes some books gold? What makes a book unforgettable and timeless? Good Morning teachers and students I am John Smith and I am here to tell you why The Cather in the Rye is a ‘gold’ book and why it should be kept in our curriculum. Holden is sixteen, expelled from his prep school for failing to many subjects. He travels to New York where he drinks, smokes and sees a prostitute. Mostly Holden ruminates on people he has met past and present. Put simply The Catcher in the Rye is a novel where not much happens. Yet this story of a couple of days in the life of a teenager has sold tens of millions of copies since its release. There are not many novels from the 1950s that can be found persistently hovering around a top 100 best “insert title here” list. This is a testament to J.D Salinger’s use of universal themes and his accomplished use of symbolism. This is what makes this story gold, relatable to teenagers today and why is should be kept in our curriculum. The Cather in the Rye relies heavily on symbols to demonstrate Holden’s discomfort with his loss of innocence and his rebellion against the adult world. Holden’s red hunting cap is inseparable from our image of Holden. This hat is a symbol of his uniqueness and individuality. This hat is outlandish and indicates Holden’s desire to be different from everybody else around him. At the same time Holden is self-conscious about the hat. He doesn’t want to wear it if he knows anyone around. Holden uses his hat as a form or protection. He uses his hat as one might use a beloved teddy bear or comforting blanket. At the end of the book Holden states “my hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way, but I got soaked anyway”. This hat was a shield from what pained him in the world, although not completely. Salinger’s use of symbols keeps this book alive, memorable and gold.
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