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In J.D. Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is seen by some critics as a drop-out student destined for failure in life, but I see him as a symbol of an adolescent who struggles to adapt to the reality of adulthood. Adolescents have a much more strenuous time responding to the dilemmas that arise due to their simple way of thinking that does not compare to the cognitive thinking that adults possess. Because of this, Holden’s behavior does not reflect what may seem like an inevitable negative outcome, but actually a motivation for a life changing plan. In Holden’s ordinary world, problems in many aspects of his life are filled with demoralizing dilemmas that portray him as a failure in life. One of the first pieces of background …show more content…
The idea of running away from the metropolitan to live with Sally in a cabin in the woods excites Holden (Salinger, 146). Running away from the issue is an act of denial or avoidance, which is the first stage of depression that Holden fails to address because it is a natural occurrence in a lot of depressed people (Axelrod, 1). Although Holden tries to circumvent this problem, the grief cycle prevents that from occurring. This act of avoidance is prevented by Sally, who tells Holden of the flaws with his idea by saying “we’re both practically children” (Salinger, 147). This statement confirms that Holden has a childhood perspective and running away will not solve his problems. After Holden’s failed attempt to avoid his problems, he learns that the only method of resolving them is to take actions to address them …show more content…
Strolling around Broadway, Holden finds a “Little Shirley Beans” record, which is a rare record that he wanted to buy Phoebe, and decides to purchase it for five dollars and desperately attempts to find her afterwards (Salinger, 129). The amount of effort invested in Phoebe shows that Holden respects the childhood innocence of his younger sister more the “prostitute” ways of D.B., his older brother. This is similar to Huckleberry Finn enjoying the company of Jim, a former slave that becomes Finn’s comrade, more than the company of anyone else. After making his way home, Holden reads Phoebe’s journals which are full of touching accounts that supposedly “kills him” (Salinger, 177). The gratification the journals give Holden further strengthens the argument that he sees the innocence in children and he wants to preserve them with all his capabilities. Specifically, Holden utters a slightly modified line of a poem to Phoebe that says “If a body meet a body coming through the rye” by saying “If a body catch a body coming through the rye” (Salinger, 191). The misquoting of the poem with the word “catch” presents his desire of a person preventing others from falling into the rye. This can be interpreted as Holden’s eagerness to save children from falling into adulthood because he knows the negative effects of it. The
In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden, cannot accept that he must move out of childhood and into adulthood. One of Holden’s most important major problems is his lack of maturity. Holden also has a negative perspective of life that makes things seem worse than they really are. In addition to Holden’s problems he is unable to accept the death of his brother at a young age. Holden’s immaturity, negative mentality, and inability to face reality hold him back from moving into adulthood.
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.
Catcher in the Rye is one of the most famous books in American literature. Written by J. D. Salinger, it captures the epitome of adolescence through Salinger’s infamous anti-hero, Holden Caulfield. Holden Caulfield learns about himself and his negative tendencies, and realizes that if he does not do something to change his perspective, he may end up like his acquaintance James Castle whom he met at Elkton Hills. Holden tries to find help to mend his outlook on life through Mr. Antolini so he does not end up like James, who did not want to face the problems he created for himself. This is proven by the similarities between James Castle and Holden, Mr. Antolini’s willingness to try and help Holden, and Holden’s future being forecasted by James.
In J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is seen by some critics a a drop out student destined for failure in life, but I see him as a symbol of an adolescent who struggles to adapt to the reality of adulthood.
Since Holden relies on his isolation to sustain his detachment from the world and to keep intact a level of self-protection, he frequently sabotages his own efforts to end his seclusion. When Mr. Spencer explains that “life is a game that one plays according to rules” Holden reveals that he feels imprisoned on the “other side of life” where there are no “hot-shots”. Here, Mr. Spencer is lecturing Holden on his failed attempts at schooling and illuminating key aspects of Holden’s character. After hearing this advice from Mr. Spencer, Holden immediately goes on the defensive and internalizes his thoughts of not belonging in this world. This event shows Holden’s failed attempts at trying to find his way in this “phony” world that he feels is against him and leaves him feeling alone and victimized.
Holden Caulfield, portrayed in the J.D. Salinger novel Catcher in the Rye as an adolescent struggling to find his own identity, possesses many characteristics that easily link him to the typical teenager living today. The fact that the book was written many years ago clearly exemplifies the timeless nature of this work. Holden's actions are those that any teenager can clearly relate with. The desire for independence, the sexually related encounters, and the questioning of ones religion are issues that almost all teens have had or will have to deal with in their adolescent years. The novel and its main character's experiences can easily be related to and will forever link Holden with every member of society, because everyone in the world was or will be a teen sometime in their life.
When Phoebe asks Holden what he wants to do with his life he replied. This reveals Holden’s fantasy of an idealistic childhood and his role as the guardian of innocence. Preventing children from “going over the cliff” and losing their innocence is his way of vicariously protecting himself from growing up as well. Holden acknowledges that this is “crazy,” yet he cannot come up with a different lifestyle because he struggles to see the world for how it truly is, and fears not knowing what might happen next. Holden’s “catcher in the rye” fantasy reflects his innocence, his belief in a pure, uncorrupted youth, and his desire to protect it. This fantasy also represents his disconnection from reality, as he thinks he can stop the process of growing up, yet he
Salinger describes Holden as someone who wishes and desires to have an intimate relationship with Sally, but based on Freudian theory, Holden’s slip of the tongue reveals that he is bothered by Sally and her counter-argument to his proposal of moving together out of New York. Another defense mechanism that is manifested by Holden is denial. In “The Psychodynamic Perspective,” Robert F. Bornstein from Noba informs readers that denial is the failure to recognize negative effects of an event or experience. While Holden fails to succumb to the realization that he must release himself from the negative effects of Allie's death, he also struggles to submit to another necessity: growing up. Salinger includes a conversation between Holden and his sister Phoebe on page 173, where Holden reveals to Phoebe that he would want to be a catcher in the rye, where he would stop children playing on a cliff in a field of rye from falling. In other words, the protagonist desires to prevent kids from maturing and losing their innocence. Holden deflects his
In his novel Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger portrays childhood and adolescence as times graced by innocence when his protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is faced with the reality of becoming an adult. Holden’s desperation to maintain his innocence and the manner in which he critiques those he deems to have lost theirs, emphasizes his immaturity and ignorance while highlighting the importance the author places on childhood.
In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, Holden is deals with one of the largest obstacles one would ever face in one’s lifetime. He must deal with the concept of development and the idea that he’s growing up, that he’s no longer a child and must accept maturity. This internal struggle is evident in multiple aspects of this novel, particularly highlighted when Holden visits the museum and the carousel at the conclusion of the novel.
In J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caufield believes that innocence is corrupted by society. He exposes his self-inflicted emotional struggles as he is reminiscing the past. For Holden, teenage adolescence is a complicated time for him, his teenage mentality in allows him to transition from the teenage era to the reality of an adult in the real world. As he is struggling to find his own meaning of life, he cares less about others and worries about how he can be a hero not only to himself but also to the innocent youth. As Holden is grasping the idea of growing up, he sets his priorities of where he belongs and how to establish it. As he talks about how ‘phony’ the outside world is, he has specific recollections that signify importance to his life and he uses these time and time again because these memories are ones that he wont ever let go of. The death of his younger brother Allie has had a major impact on him emotionally and mentally. The freedom of the ducks in Central Park symbolize his ‘get away’ from reality into his own world. His ideology of letting kids grow up and breaking the chain loose to discover for themselves portrays the carrousel and the gold ring. These are three major moments that will be explored to understand the life of Holden Caufield and his significant personal encounters as he transitions from adolescence into manhood.
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.
We approach the world of adulthood in many ways. Graduating from high school, heading to college, attaining your dream job, buying a new house to later call home, or even getting married. We move on from our childhood because that is the way of life. As human beings we change for the better. As we reach adulthood, we can still cherish the memories we had as children but we no longer are fully attached to them. However, the main character Holden Caulfield from the novel The Catcher in the Rye, struggles with facing reality and maturity. He fears change and wants to remain in his childhood bubble forever. Throughout the novel, multiple symbols are used to convey Holden’s fear of moving on and losing his innocence. Both the author J.D. Salinger and critics Dennis McCort and S. N. Behrman offer evidence from “Hyakujo’s Geese” and “S. N. Behrman on Holden’s Innocence” to show Holden’s doubts about progressing into the adult world. Throughout J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden shows a fear of maturity therefore grasping onto his innocence and dreading entering the phony adult world.
Upon introduction, Holden Caulfield gives the impression of being a textbook teenage boy. He argues that Pencey Prep, the all-boys academy at which he studied, is no greater than any other school and is “full of crooks.”(Salinger, 7) His harsh language only further argues that he is situated in an all-male environment and has no apparent filter for when swearing is inappropriate. Despite all of the indications that Holden is typical, it soon becomes evident that Holden’s personality does not conform to the teenage stereotype. Although he appears to have some friends, namely, his roommate, Stradlater, and ‘Ackley kid’, it is clear that he does not integrate well with his peer group. Holden’s inability to read social cues leaves him in the dust when all of his “friends” have matured enough to recognize his need for improvement. He is constantly making jokes out of everything without any thought as to how h...
...one of us faces the struggles of growing up. We can either complain and rant and blame everyone else, or we can stay positive and try our best to rise above the challenges. Holden showed me how we can keep grumbling and keep whining, but that is not going to make the situation better. We should not let our hardships and challenges defeat us, but rather we should conquer our challenges. It is so much better if we stay positive in facing our challenges than if we just complain and whine about our hardships. Holden, despite his bitterness, is a character that has surprisingly inspired me to be more positive in facing my life’s challenges. After reading this novel, I really hope that the ‘Holdens’ of today will realize that being pessimistic and isolated is not cool; I hope they will be able to grow up someday and face their challenges in a more hopeful, positive way;