Catcher in the Rye Essay
The 1950s was a decade when many Americans lost their innocence as a result of events
during that time period. Holden Caulfield faced a similar dilemma in The Catcher in
the Rye. Write a four paragraph essay where you compare Holden’s loss of innocence
to the loss of innocence of Americans during the 1950s.
Paragraph 1- Introduction. Go from general to specific. Use your intro paragraph to provide concise
background for the 1950s and Holden. Mention the historical context of the 1950s -two sentences should be
enough. Include Title, author, and theme. A single sentence of background on Holden should be enough.
Don’t go into too much detail in your intro; save the details for the body paragraphs. Conclude your intro
paragraph with a thesis statement that unites Holden’s loss of innocence to the loss of innocence of the event
from the 1950s you selected.
When you write your body paragraphs, try to avoid writing them in a way that it seems as if you are merely
following a formula.
Paragraph 2- Introduce Holden as trying to hold onto innocence. Describe the scene where he tries to
prevent the fall from innocence. Integrate the quote with proper citation. Explain why the scene is
significant. Explain how this shows Holden is trying to hold onto innocence. Concluding sentence.
Paragraph 3- Use a transitional topic sentence to introduce your historical event. Your second body
paragraph should have a specific focus on something that occurred during the 1950s that caused Americans
to lose their innocence.
The historical event I selected is ______________________________________________ . This shows a
loss of innocence for Americans because _____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________ .
Give the necessary background and then use details in describing the event. Tell how this event made
Americans lose their innocence.
Paragraph 4- Have your conclusion tie together the essay. Begin your conclusion with a restatement of
the thesis(but do not use the exact same words) . Review your two main points, and then end with an
extension of that idea that is relevant to a reader in the year 2012.
In order to support your ideas, you must include properly integrated and cited quotes. When writing about
literature, use the present tense. When writing about history, use the past tense. Do not use
contractions. All papers should be typed and follow the MLA format. This means papers should be double
spaced, 12 point size, one inch margins, Times New Roman, and contain the correct heading.
The paper is worth 100 points: focus (15), content (15), organization (15), style (15), conventions (15),
quotes and citations (20), and MLA format (5). A rubric will give you more specific guidelines.
If you need help on the paper, do not wait until the last minute. I am available to help you after school.
Schedule a time with me and I will be happy to help you. The majority of this paper will be done outside of
class.
Due date is Thursday, April 19 at the START of class. Late papers will not be accepted. If you are absent,
you should email me your paper at Mrosser@lmtsd.org
Your final copy should be submitted with the rubric stapled to the back AND with an
electronic copy of your paper. Please drag and drop an electronic copy of your essay
into my INBOX. There will be a folder “Catcher essay- FINAL copy.”
Make sure your essay is a WORD document that is clearly labeled “YOUR LAST
NAME- Catcher essay. See me in advance if you anticipate difficulties.
Roy Bittan
Bittan 1
Mr. Rosser
American Studies
19 April 2012
Title of Paper
Additional pages will not contain the information in the top left corner. Instead only
Bittan 2
would appear in the top right corner of page 2.
Catcher in the Rye is the title of the novel; it should not be the title of your paper.