ABCD

It is a painful truth that most people will have to deal with saying goodbye to someone they love who has died. For an adolescent, whose sense of self is just beginning to emerge, this experience can be particularly traumatic. Sophocles once said, “Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waiver.” In other words, the loss of a loved one can throw even the most stable individual off balance. Two novels that explore the effect of grief on young people are The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. The Catcher in the Rye is the story of a teenager, Holden Caulfield, whose emotional turbidity derives from his inability to accept his brother’s untimely death. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows Francie as she struggles to come to terms with her beloved father's death from alcoholism. Through characterization, symbolism and internal and external conflict, Salinger and Smith explore their protagonists' struggles to resolve their grief.

1. Introduce the general topic.

2. Introduce the quote.

3. Explain the quote.

4. Introduce the literature.

5. Relate the literature to the quote.

6. Thesis statement/road map.