There is one event that unites all human beings. This event is the process of growing up and becoming an adult. The transition into adulthood from childhood can be very long and confusing. As a kid most of them can not wait to become an adult but once you experience adulthood you miss your childhood. The novel Catcher in the Rye shows how a teenager on the break of entering adulthood can get scared. Through the main protagonist Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger captures the confusion of a teenager when faced with the challenge of adapting to an adult society. Holden is faced with many problems as some teens are now a days of not wanting to grow up,immaturity, and his struggle of romantic relationships. When the audience first meets Holden he …show more content…
Holden has a limited number of emotional relationships with anyone his age, revealing his struggle to connect with the rest of the world. Ergo it is surprising to the reader to discover that when Jane was upset Holden started ‘kissing her all over’ suggesting that in certain situations, he is able to empathize with people and knows the ‘socially acceptable’ way to react. The reader is given valuable insight into Holden’s mind, which exhibits signs that he is in fact maturing. Holden also knows that one of the aspects of adulthood is having physical relationships with people. During his time in New York, Holden pushes his personal boundaries regarding the degree of social interactions he is comfortable with. He feels that if he fulfils the sexual component of adulthood, he will become one step closer to finding the place he belongs. Unfortunately his encounter with ‘Sunny’ in the hotel did not go as intended and consequently Holden found himself out of depth in an awkward situation. He admits that ‘sex is something I don’t understand too hot,’ which exposes Holden’s weakness as being unable to cope with intense emotion. He oscillates from one extreme to the other- trying to remain a child and trying to reach a level of maturity he is currently not capable …show more content…
Throughout the duration of the book, Holden seems to make little progress in his personal growth, although for brief periods of time it appears he is closer to adulthood than what the reader is lead to believe. When visiting Phoebe’s school he discovers crude language written on the wall. Holden immediately thinks of ‘Phoebe and all the other little kids’ and how he would hate them to see the foul words. This proves that Holden has a natural protective instinct and symbolically takes on the persona of ‘catcher in the rye’ as he wipes the words off the wall. Holden wants to shield the children from seeing the obscenities of adulthood prematurely, just as the catcher wants to protect children from falling off the ‘cliff’. At the end of the novel Holden appears to have more acceptance of the idea of growing up. As he watches Phoebe on the carousel he deduces that sometimes you ‘have to let them fall’ (referring to the children on the carousel.). Holden now understands that growing up is inevitable and fighting it is useless. However, regardless of this new found clarity, he still obsesses about living in an uncomplicated world. He delights in the fact that the carousel goes ‘round and round’ because it continues to fuel his fantasies of staying in one place forever. It would seem that even though he has made progress, Holden still struggles with
In the modern world, everyone must make the transition, no matter how scary or daunting it may be, into adulthood at some point in their lives. Most individuals are gradually exposed to more mature concepts, and over time, they begin to accept that they can no longer posses the blissful ignorance that they once had as a child. Others, however, are violently thrown from their otherwise pure and uncorrupted adolescent lives through a traumatic event that hurls them into adulthood before they are ready. The novel The Catcher on the Rye written by J.D. Salinger, explores the struggle children face to adapt to adult society through the main character Holden Caulfield, a teen that lost his innocence, and is still attempting to cope with the fact that everyone grows up.
It takes many experiences in order for an immature child to become a responsible, well-rounded adult. In J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger’s main character Holden Caulfield matures throughout the course of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Holden is a juvenile young man. However, through his experiences, Holden is able to learn, and is finally able to become somewhat mature by the end of the novel. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s story represents a coming of age for all young adults.
Holden’s childhood was far from ideal, with Allie dying, his dysfunctional parents and the revelation that he had some “perverty” stuff happen to him when he was a kid. Due to this, he isn't ready to step into adulthood and leave his childhood behind. This is why Holden is mostly alienated from adults and connects more to the innocence of children like the girl at the park and his sister, Phoebe. However, Holden is disillusioned with both adulthood and childhood. He already knows how it feels to be an adult; drinking alcohol, being independent, living by himself and caring for Phoebe, but isn’t ready to immerse himself in it.
Before this book was written in it's time frame, Holden deals with some struggles that change and impact his life quite a bit. The author portrays Holden's personality through his actions for the audience to understand him. Some of the actions are going back to visit the museum, calling and visiting Phoebe at home, visiting the park, keeping Allie's baseball mitt, wearing the red hunting hat, and asking about the ducks. These examples all play a part in showing that Holden is afraid of change. Holden is starting to grow up and make the transition into an adult, but the audience can tell Holden is struggling. Holden's decisions such as smoking, drinking constantly, buying a prostitute, and staying out late at night show his attempts to face adult life. However, when faced
The transition from a teen to an adult is one of the major steps in life. This major transition can be really scary. Some people are so scared of becoming an adult, that they try to keep their inner child alive. One person in the book The Catcher in the Rye is Holden Caulfield, Holden is the main character in the novel written by J.D. Salinger. A prominent theme in his novel, The Catcher in the Rye is the painfulness of growing up. As this theme is going on through the novel, Salinger weaves in symbols that Holden happens to use and talk about throughout the novel.
Holden Caulfield is a sixteen-year-old who explores New York City after he is expelled from his prep school (Salinger). He cannot return back home because he is afraid of his parents’ response and takes no responsibility for his actions whatsoever. Holden hates the adult world, where he calls all adults “phonies.” In his world, one can’t go back to childhood, but one can’t grow up because that will make one a phony (Bloom, The Catcher in the Rye 124). Holden is stuck in between a world, where he doesn’t want to remain a child or grow up into the adult he is expected to become. According to Chen, Holden fears the “complexity, unpredictability, conflict, and change” of the adult world. He occasionally acts like an adult, when he hires a prostitute (Salinger 119), checks into a hotel room (Salinger 79), and takes care of his sister, Phoebe. As a result of Holden’s immense fear of growing up, he tends to partake in childish tendencies, such as wearing a bright red hunting hat. These actions are his way of isolating and protecting himself. Holden is stuck in his own little world. These actions are very immature; Holden does not accept the adult world for what it is. He needs human contact, care, and love, but he has built a barrier, preventing himself from these interactions (Chen). He also acts like a child by acting out “pretend” scenarios even when no one is
Growing up and becoming mature can be an intimidating experience; it is difficult to let go of one’s childhood and embrace the adult world. For some people, this transition from youthfulness to maturity can be much more difficult than for others. These people often try to hold on to their childhood as long as they can. Unfortunately, life is not so simple. One cannot spend their entire life running from the responsibilities and hardships of adulthood because they will eventually have to accept the fact that they have a role in society that they must fulfill as a responsible, mature individual. The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger follows the endeavours of Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy who faces a point in his life where he must make the transition from childhood to adulthood. In an attempt to retain his own childhood, he begins hoping to stop other young children from growing up and losing their innocence as well. As indicated by the title, “The Catcher in the Rye” is a book that explores a theme involving the preservation of innocence, especially of children. It is a story about a boy who is far too hesitant to grow up, and feels the need to ensure that no one else around him has to grow up either. His own fear of maturity and growing up is what leads to Holden’s desire to become a “catcher in the rye” so he can save innocent children from becoming part of the “phoniness” of the adult world.
We see during the novel that Holden wants to be able to protect innocence in the world, however by the end of the story he lets go of that desire. This is a point of growth for Holden. He finds that it is impossible and unnecessary to keep all the innocence in the world. While with Phoebe Holden says, “I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye...I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff...That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye” (173). In this moment Holden wants to be able to preserve all the youth and innocence in the world. He doesn’t accept that kids have to grow and change and that they can’t stay innocent forever. Later on in the story when Holden is with Phoebe at a carousel again he thinks, “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the golden ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them.” At the end of the novel Holden realizes and comes to terms with the fact that kids grow and lose their innocence. He moves from his want to be the “catcher in the rye” to...
Holden does not want to enter adults world , but he is doing all the phony stuff which an adult want to do. From smoking to dancing with girls in the club. He once waned to have sexual relationships.” If you want to know the truth, I'm a virgin. I really am”.(Salinger ).Holden never had sex before .Sunny ,the prostitute whom was invited by Holden .Although , he was not able to do sex “Sexy was about the last thing I was feeling. I felt much more depressed than sexy”( Salinger ).It is hi conscious mind which prohibited him from making a sexual relationship , but Holden uncoious desires always absorbs him to negative path. Thus, Holden toy of his own
Some people feel all alone in this world, with no direction to follow but their empty loneliness. The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger, follows a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who despises society and calls everyone a “phony.” Holden can be seen as a delinquent who smokes tobacco, drinks alcohol, and gets expelled from a prestigious boarding school. This coming-of-age book follows the themes of isolation, innocence, and corrupted maturity which is influenced from the author's life and modernism, and is shown through the setting, symbolism, and diction.
There is a singular event that unites every single human being on the planet, growing up. Not everyone can say it was pleasant, but no one can deny that it took place. The transition between childhood innocence and adulthood is long and confusing; often forcing one to seek out the answers to questions that likely have no definitive answer. During the process, the adult world seems inviting and free, but only when we are on the brink of entering this cruel, unjust society can the ignorant bliss of childhood be truly recognized. Catcher in the Rye explores the intimidating complexities associated with adulthood and how baffling it seems to the naïve teenage mind. Through the main protagonist, Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger captures the confusion of a teenager when faced with the challenge of adapting to an adult society.
The dreadful time period of growing up causes misery and awkwardness. Although it cannot be avoided, making the most out of it is possible. Holden Caulfield, despite being an unreliable narrator, guides readers through a self-evaluation that teaches them about growing-up. His problems create a basis for an analysis that everyone should go through to discover their inner self. J.D. Salinger, a cunning puppeteer, turns Holden into a puppet to show his views on life. In the coming-of-age story, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses Holden Caulfield to help readers draw parallels to their own lives. He intended for readers to see their youthful side, uniqueness, and maturity.
Adulthood by definition is the act of being fully developed and mature, relating to, or intended for, befitting adults. Children and teens around the world often marvel on the newfound independence and vast acceptance that comes along with diving down into the depths of the adult world. Except one 16-year-old teen, by the name of Holden Caulfield. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by author JD Salinger, the use of explicit hints towards the fear of creeping adulthood is used to express the protagonists most significant internal conflict; the fear of change. Throughout the story it is clear the bold views on change Holden supports through his actions time and time again and the innocence that is often taken when a child enters the abyss that is the adult world. This fear and reluctance to grow up is displayed through both symbolic and
The number of ways this song can be interpreted and connected to Catcher In The Rye is almost endless. The lyrics to “Jumper” showcase suicide, depression, and mental health, all of them being major factors in Holden’s life. When I read through the lyrics to this song, a couple of questions came to mind. What does the ledge represent? Who is being pushed off of it? What is causing them to want to ‘jump’? One theory I have is a situation in which Holden is the person who is writing the song and he is reflecting back on his own life. Within the first chapter of Catcher In The Rye, we learn that Holden is telling the entire story as a flashback narrative after he has been check into a mental health clinic, or something of the sort.The lines “
Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye reveals to the reader that growing up requires a loss of innocence during childhood as well as an occasional reality check, as displayed through the events of Holden’s meeting with a prostitute, Allie Caulfield’s death, and riding the carousel at the zoo. Throughout the course of the novel, the main character experiences many sudden and unexpected events, which subsequently cause him to undergo a long and painful change of character and of thought, and which force him to lose whatever innocence he had retained from childhood. It is though these actions and events that the novel conveys the harsh reality of growing up, and showcases the amount of sorrow, mystery, and pain that is usually required for it to occur, as well as the fact that it is inevitable, no matter how hard an individual tries to prevent it. Just as many people in today’s world undergo a dramatic metamorphosis from child to adult, so to does Holden, and it is only after which that he realizes the necessity of growing up, and truly realizes its value, just as people in modern society do today. Like Holden, most people come to appreciate their newfound intelligence and maturity, and yet, they seem to desire to return to their prior states, as they can never again be in the state of bliss and care-freeness that they were as children. While most books and novels try to sugarcoat growing up, and display it as an incredible journey of exclusively wonder and excitement, The