Holden Caulfield: Typical American Teenager

It is difficult to really define American teenagers, but they’re seen as confused and without any real identity age wise. Although not as prominent as in the 20th century, teenagers have to deal with a misleading phoniness in society today. The teenage years are when a person really decides (or has a decision forced on them) how their views will develop, such as living with optimism or pessimism. Because of pressure from media, peers and parents, teenagers either try to grow up too quickly or simply refuse and get left behind. All of these characteristics are related to Holden Caulfield in various ways. Even just on the surface, Holden is a typical teenager, with his low self esteem and bad language. Therefore, based on what it means to be an American teenager, The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger is supposed to be the picture of a typical teenage experience.

Generally, the American teenager has enough to be confused with in his own life but society’s phoniness can greatly add to that uncertainty. Most of a person’s adult behaviors are learned in the teenage years, but with people such as politicians being “phony,” teenagers are getting more upset and confused by the appropriate way to act. If they see people in these kinds of powerful positions lying and embezzling, what would they assume to do other than imitate that behavior? That’s why there is a lot of teenage crime in this country- the crimes of “phonies” in prominent standing that, to some extent, are endorsing these bad and sometimes ilicit activities. In Holden Caulfield’s case, he lets phoniness run his entire life. The biggest insult he can give something is that of “phony,” and he stops doing things he would like to do, not wanting to be perceived as a ph...

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...t from his own parents. They keep sending him to private schools away from home and that’s forcing him to grow up because there’s nobody else to rely on really. That is the case with most teenagers like Holden, they try to grow up too quickly and miss some potentially great childhood moments.

In conclusion, The Catcher in the Rye is a picture of a typical teenage experience because Holden is confused and without any real identity. He has strong views, like most teenagers, on phoniness, view of life and growing up. Holden is a typical American teenager, maybe a little less fortunate than some others, having to fend for himself, really. Nonetheless, nearly all teenagers go through a time in their lives that is emotionally like that of Holden Caulfield.

Work Cited

Salinger, JD. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston, Mass: Little, Brown and Company, 1951