The inherent aversion to corruption in society often inspires individuals to respond to an issue in an isolated way in hopes of minimizing the effects it may have on them as well as other people. In this way, J. D Salinger in, Catcher in the Rye, and John Steinbeck in, The Grapes of Wrath, each analyze this corruption through the protagonists in their novels as they experience isolation due to a result of society’s corruption. Although both authors entirely address this commentary, they do so from different points of view allowing them to reach differing resolutions.
Both protagonists in each novel experiences isolation as a result of society’s corruption; however, Salinger chooses to displays isolation with one person whereas Steinbeck displays it inadvertently within a group. Furthermore, both Steinbeck and Salinger create a social commentary within each novel due to the idea that corruption in society often times causes one to isolate themselves whether they are choosing of it or not. Alienation due to society’s corruption is a major commentary throughout both novels and is seen through the characterization of the protagonists.
For example, in Catcher in the Rye, Salinger characterizes Holden Caulfield as a socially awkward teenager who distances himself from others due to their phoniness. From the start, Holden’s mindset is directed toward the fact that everyone he encounters is a phony causing him create isolation upon himself. In the beginning of the novel as Holden is speaking to Mr. Spencer about his past schools, Mr. Spencer touches on the fact that Holden has previously flunked out. Immediately, instead of taking responsibility Holden blames it on the fact that “the biggest reason [he] left Elkton Hills was because [he] was surrounded by phonies.
That’s all. They were coming in the goddamn window” (13). His statement plays as an easy escape to ignore Mr. Spencer’s statement, but also shows the great efforts he puts himself through in order to believe that he is alone in this corrupted society. Later on in the novel, Holden has chance to go on a date with Sally Hayes but nearly cancels the date due to her phony language; “If there’s one word I hate, it’s grand. It’s so phony. For a second, I was tempted to tell her to forget the matinee… She gave me a pain in the ass, but she was very-good looking” (106).
As they are talking on the phone, Holden analyzes her language in his head causing him to socially isolate and disconnect himself from her. Furthermore, Holden feels as though he is better than those he labels as ‘phonies’, causing him to bring alienation upon himself. Similarly, in Catcher in the Rye by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck displays Jim Casy as a protagonist who alienates himself from the Christian church due to the thought that the spirit doesn’t lie within him or the people anymore.
From this idea, he believes as though society has corrupted him, ultimately bringing about sin and hypocrisy. When Casy and Tom reunite for the first time, Casy explains his biggest regret in the church; “me- I don’t know where I’m goin’. I use ta get the people jumpin’ an’ talkin’ in tounges…An’ some I’d baptize to bring ‘em to. An’ then- you know what I’d do? I’d take one of them girls out in the grass, an’ I’d lay with her…I figgered there was just no hope for me, an’ I was a damned ol’ hypocrite.
But I didn’t mean to be” (21,22). Here, Casy accepts his wrong doings in the church leading him to the overall idea that he no longer belongs there. As a preacher, Casy admits his actions are wrong, but from that he chooses to isolate himself from the church. To state in what his final decisions were in leaving the church, Casy describes his last thoughts as “’The hell with it! There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do. It’s all part of the same thing.
And some of the things folks do is nice, and some ain’t nice, but that’s as far as any man got a right to say’” (23). According the Casy, the church used to be a group of people he could once get to worship the Lord, but after his wrong doings he felt as though there was no more hope for him or the people, thus causing him to alienate himself from society. In both novels, Salinger and Steinbeck characterize Holden and Casy as individuals who choose to distance themselves away from the corrupt society in order to feel better about themselves.
Not only is isolation seen throughout the characterization of the protagonists, but it is also seen throughout different scenes within each book. For instance, in Catcher in the Rye, Holden is seen as a character who isolates himself from society due to the ultimate factor that he is trying to fit in and find acceptance. From the onset of the novel, Salinger displays Holden’s loneliness as a one of his major issues.
An example of this is seen when Holden attends Pencey Prep’s football game; “I standing ay the hell up on top of the Thomsen Hill… You could see the whole field from there, and you could see the two teams bashing each other all over the place. You couldn’t see the grandstand too hot…because practically the whole school except for me was there” (2). This scene displays Holden’s hardships in trying to fit in as a student. He obviously wants to feel as if he is accepted due to the fact that he even attends events like this, but overall his own thoughts cause him to feel isolated therefore making him stand away from the crowd.
Later on in the novel, Holden sits in his hotel room and watches people in other rooms through his window. These actions of others solidify Holden’s need of acceptance, for instance he states, “I saw…one guy [wearing] all women’s clothes…walking up and down the room, taking these very small steps, the way a women does, and smoking a cigarette and looking himself in the mirror. He was lonely too… Then, in the window almost right over his, I saw a man and a women squirting water out of their mouths at each other” (61, 62).
Later on, Holden goes on to explain his need for affection after watching his lonely neighbor, compared to the happy couple right next to him. He is able to compare himself with the guy he states as lonely because he admits that he too, feels lonely and isolated. Compared to the Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck also demonstrates isolation throughout the major conflict of the novel. For instance, the rich Californian landowners demonstrate that money is the top priority of those who own land, while the poor, seen as worthless families, are the total opposite of them.
These landowners display society’s corruption because they take away everything from these innocent families including food, and a place to live. Because money is on the top of the cruel landowners list, this causes thousands of families to flood into California in hopes of a better life. While the Joad family is migrating to California, Tom explains to his family that Jim Casy had gone on strike due to poor wages and states “’Yeah. What we was a-doin’ was breakin’ strike.
They give them fellas two an’ a half cents. [Pa replies] ‘You can’t eat on that’” (390). Steinbeck demonstrates that with such low wages set, the landowners are isolating these poor families and planning on keeping every penny they can possibly get. This scene displays the fact that isolation was brought upon them due to the corruption of society, in this case, the landowners taking away everything they owned. The landowner’s selfish acts caused the isolation of the Joad family, as well as many others, as they migrated to California in hopes of a better life.
Both Salinger and Steinbeck use different scenes throughout their novels in order to display the social commentary that corrupt society ultimately leads to isolation. Although both authors use characterization of the protagonists and the use of scenes in order to demonstrate isolation due to a corrupt society, they both differ due to the fact that Salinger chooses isolation, whereas Steinbeck displays it inadvertently. For instance, Holden chooses to isolate himself from the rest of the world.
Not only does he continues to think as if he is alone because he is better than the rest of the ‘phonies’ out there, but also because he feels as though he isn’t accepted into this world. This causes him to back off away from the crowd, just as he backs away from the crowd at the Pencey Pep football game. Salinger, on the other hand, does not display isolation as a choice, rather than an order. The cruel landowners take away everything these families have causing them to flood California on a long isolated trip.
Due to the selfish attitude of the monsters taking away all their money, the Joad family has no choice but to become isolated until they receive a better life in California. Both Salinger and Steinbeck express isolation as a way to minimize the effects it has on people through the effects of social corruption. While both Catcher in the Rye, and The Grapes of Wrath, result in isolation due to societies corruption, each novel displays different point of views thus ending in different resolutions.