Holden Caulfield Mistakes

The Reality of Mistakes At first glance, a world without any mistakes would be a utopia. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Mistakes are essential to learning and deciphering right from wrong. Even some of the most useful inventions today were created by mistake. Mistakes are a crucial part of the learning process and can help build up character or strength over time. Humans frequently make errors, therefore, mistakes shouldn’t be perceived negatively. Mistakes are essential for improvement, whether that’s in science or in social situations. Every error a person makes brings them closer to the right answer or a new discovery. For instance, the discovery of penicillin was based upon a mistake. However, the effect wasn’t a negative

On the bright side, errors can build up one’s character. It’s more impressive for someone to fix their mistakes and return stronger than before, than get an answer right the first try. Bouncing back from an error is a difficult process, therefore, it’s often applauded when someone does fix their mistakes. Holden Caulfield, from Catcher in the Rye, makes a dozen mistakes over the course of the book. However, it’s not about the mistakes he makes, it’s the aftermath. Holden failed classes, left his school, and ran away from home. Without these mistakes, would the book have even a fraction of the intensity? Mistakes helped deepen the plot and become more relatable. Readers can relate to Holden since every person has messed up before. Holden shouldn’t be recognized for his series of mistakes, rather his bravery for coming home and going to therapy. His mistakes didn’t build him as a person, it was his actions following the errors. Holden coming back home and taking the initiative to go therapy showed that he cared about his sister and family. Without the mistakes, Holden would most likely continue distancing himself from his family. The series of mistakes brought his true character and values to the surface. Even though Holden suffered some consequences as a result of his mistake, the lesson he learned afterwards matters the most. If Holden never messed up, he wouldn’t realize that he actually cares about his parents. Even the character Scout Finch, from the classic book To Kill a Mockingbird, made the mistake of thinking her neighbor was an evil man. She created tales about him with friends and spread nasty rumors. When Scout found out that Boo Radley wasn’t all that evil, she realized she was in the wrong. Yet, without her interest in Radley, she may have never been saved by him during the attack, as well as not realizing the severity of being prejudice. By Scout and Jem frequently visiting Boo’s house, he began to take