1. Second Semester Thesis Paper The Catcher in the Rye Or The Time Machine

2. Details 10 paragraphs/200 points. Intro/Conclusion will be done first. Stick to the prompt. Avoid informal language. Do not make references to “you” and “I” or “we”, etc. Avoid spelling errors, run-ons, and sentence fragments. (-1 for each two errors).

3. Dialectic Journal Two quotations and two responses are required for each chapter of the novel. These are to be focused on a chosen thesis prompt. Flip-flopping the quotation and response results in a statement with proof. These can be supplemented with logic and will, thus, form an argument in support of the thesis.

4. The Catcher in the Rye Prompts Essay Topic 1: Sexism Is The Catcher in the Rye a sexist novel? Essay Topic 2: The Role of Industrialization What are the meanings of the industrial objects, processes, and images in The Catcher in the Rye?

5. Catcher Prompts continued Essay Topic 3: Psychological Character Analysis of Holden Caulfield Using theories from psychology, determine whether Caulfield could be diagnosed with a mental illness. Refer to the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and determine whether Caulfield’s exhibited symptoms are consistent with the diagnostic criteria for a mood or personality disorder.

6. Catcher Prompts continued Essay Topic Four: Adolescence and Adulthood: The Developmental Trajectory Identify the points at which Holden’s ability to navigate adolescence successfully began to break down. What could Caulfield have done to achieve a more successful resolution of this complicated developmental period?

7. Catcher prompts continued Essay Topic 5: The significance of the title Analyze the Robert Burns poem and how Holden misinterprets it, applying his inaccurate interpretation to his own desires and frustrations. Explain how an accurate interpretation might have altered Caulfield’s perceptions and his actions. How is Caulfield’s misunderstanding ironic?

8. Catcher prompts continued Essay Topic 6: Morality ◦Is Holden Caulfield morally corrupt or merely troubled but capable of redemption? Explain. ◦Essay Topic 7: Phoniness ◦Why is Holden so obsessed with the concept of phoniness? Is Holden, ironically, phony? Is the society he lives in phony? Is there an adult/youth distinction regarding phoniness?

9. Catcher prompts continued Essay Topic 8: Isolation ◦Why does Holden isolate himself from others? Is this affecting him psychologically? What is the reason for this behavior? How does the behavior not match his desires?

10. Time Machine prompts Essay Topic 1: Class Struggle ◦How does class struggle persist or evolve in the novel’s distant future? Essay Topic 2: Technology What is technology’s role in the evolution or devolution of mankind?

11. Time Machine prompts Essay Topic 3: Take sides ◦Which is more deserving of support and/or sympathy: the Eloi or the Morlocks? Expand on this. Essay Topic 4: Evolution or Devolution Is society evolving or devolving? How is the world similar and how is it different from that of the Eloi and the Morlocks? Which way is mankind heading as a species?