How Is Holden Caulfield Alienated

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What do you get when you cross a angsty adolescent with constant alienation from both strangers and peers? The punchline is the life of literature’s angstiest alienated adolescent, Holden Caulfield. The novel “Catcher in the Rye” Caulfield is afraid of being emotionally hurt thus he disconnects himself from people he should care about to spend time with those that he doesn’t. The voice of his narration also reveals his secluded, and pessimistic world view. The people once closest to him — D.B., Jane and Allie can no longer support him, as he spirals into adulthood.
Holden Caulfield is afraid of being hurt and so he isolates himself from the few people he truly cares about. Firstly, Holden purposefully distances himself from any meaningful relationships throughout the novel. He is peppered with opportunities to meet with Jane, for example, or to give Jane a buzz or to interact with Jane in some meaningful way. After getting off at Penn station, Caulfield is inside a phone booth when he thinks “of giving Jane Gallagher's mother a buzz, and find out when Jane's vacation …show more content…

Between Ackley and Sally and assorted New York Cabbies, Caulfield dedicates a significant amount of time to “phony” friends and strangers. It’s evident that Holden doesn’t wish to become attached to anyone lest he be hurt losing them again. This takes a toll on Holden because he never fully understands anyone like he ahd with Jane and Allie. In this book, language often is used by Holden to distance himself from his actions. Since Holden is the narrator, much of what is said by him

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