Growth of a Hero
Are all heroes true heroes from the beginning or are their journeys what define them as a heroic? Holden Caulfield, from J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, is proof that not all heroes begin as heroes, but rather become heroes through their experiences. Holden, much like most boys his age, is trying to find his direction in life. This urge leads him into trouble and, more importantly, causes him to transform from a boy into a man, or better yet, a hero. Within this trek, Holden learns many lessons from strangers, old friends, and family members that mature him. Holden is forced to make decisions that not only affect himself , but also affect people around him, bringing Holden to the realization that he is failing himself
…show more content…
Upon receiving a notice that he is being removed from his school, Pencey Prep, Holden makes the childish yet extreme decision to run away before his parents are notified of his removal. He feels if he can avoid going home until the beginning of winter break his problems will vanish. At the same time, Holden is trying to find who he is in life, however, he repeatedly ruins great opportunities that are presented to him. Much like Holden, young Chris Kyle, author and main character in American Sniper, is trying to find himself in Texas while living like a cowboy. (Quote about how Chris Kyle is not sure where to go in life)+ …show more content…
He is under the misconception that, in the end, his plan is flawless and will ultimately work in his favor. This, sadly, is not how the world works. Chris McCandless, from Into the Wild, hated society because of conflicts and mistrust that spiraled within his own family. Rather than being mature and facing his problems, McCandless ran away from his family and commited himself to finding his persona and the greater meaning of life throughout a long journey to Alaska. He, as a result of his upbringing, was disgusted with society and knew he did not belong. McCandless viewed living in society as “QUOTE ABOUT PLASTIC” . In McCandless opinion, society influenced everyone in a certain, repulsive way, something he was not fit to be a part of. Both McCandless and Holden felt like misfits and both of them immaturely embarked on wild journeys attempting to avoid their problems. Similarly, both faces obsticles and even graver consequences ahead. (Quote McCandless’ view of society vs. Holden’s reasons to not go
phonies and all he hates. By being in the stage where he is, he manages to avoid change, control his world with his own hands, yet. creates a paradox between what he is, and what he wants to be. Possibly the main reason why Holden doesn’t want to become an adult. is his perception of ”phoniness” and hypocrisy surrounding adult.
Holden, before leaving for New York, attended a boarding school named Pencey Prep. He makes it clear that he thinks everyone, teachers and students alike, is a “phony.” At one point, his roommate Stradlater goes out with a girl who ends up being Jane Gallagher, a childhood friend and crush of Holden. In his eyes, this is a betrayal. Holden is annoyed
Holden’s apparent desire to be separated from the majority of his family and friends appears to have been triggered by the death of his younger brother Allie. From Allie’s there has been a downward spiral in Holden’s relationships, as he begins to avoid contact with others and isolate himself more. The reason I believe this is because we can see how immense his anger is after Allie’s death, ‘I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist’. The death of Allie has become like an awakening to Holden, and has alerted him how precious childhood innocence is, when Holden comes to this realisation he convinces himself to do everything within his power to protect the innocence of himself and those around him, to protect them from what he sees as a false adult world. Although Holden clearly fails to protect himself, as he falls into all sorts of situations which hardly boasts of innocence and virt... ...
Holden choices to seclude himself rather than face potential disappointment in relationships. The death of Allie deeply affected Holden and his view of the world. The pain of Allie’s death forced Holden to cut off emotional ties with others for self-preservation. In the opening chapters of the novel, Holden detached himself from his peers at the football game stating, “I was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill”(1.3). Holden isolated himself from others instead of bonding with his friends and peers. Holden saw and heard his classmates, but they were unable to see him. This disconnect protected Holden from forming a bond that would ultimately have to be broken when Holden left Pencey Prep.
Ultimately, Holden Caulfield’s decisions were incredibly based on his yearning for innocence in life when it is slowly fading away from the world. The audience feels sympathy towards Holden because they know Holden’s past years have been traumatizing with his brother’s death and his moving of schools. The audience knows now that Holden’s alienation is because he does not want to lose his or anyone’s innocence. Thus, the overall lesson is that one cannot prevent another person to do what they want to do, and if they fall, let them.
In life there comes a time when everyone thinks that they are surrounded by phoniness. This often happens during the teen years when the person is trying to find a sense of direction. Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old teen-ager is trying to find his sense of direction in J.D. Salinger's, "The Catcher In The Rye." Holden has recently been expelled from Pency Prep for failing four out of his five classes. He decides to start his Christmas recess early and head out to New York. While in New York Holden faces new experiences, tough times and a world of "phony." Holden is surrounded by phoniness because that is the word he uses to identify everything in the world that he rejects.
At Pencey Prep Holden feels isolated and like he doesn’t belong. For example Holden feels isolated when he described his feelings during the football game as this “Anyway it was the Saturday of the football game… I was standing way the hell up on
Costello, Donald P. "The Language Of The Catcher In The Rye." Critical Insights: The Catcher In The Rye (2011): 251-264. Literary Reference Center. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
From the protagonists’ point of view, the adult world Holden and Franny are entering and living in is a very superficial place. Holden who is sixteen years of age is going through a time of crisis where he is almost forced to become an adult. This concept is the very thing that makes Holden afraid, causing him to misbehave at school. His latest school, Pencey Prep, expels Holden due to his failing grades. When asked for the reason of his lack of academic enthusiasm, Holden simply states that he is not interested in anything. In every school he has attended, Holden has managed to find different reasons not to care and possibly even hate the institutions.
There are many novels that are written with a purpose like “ the Catcher of The Rye, “ by J.D. Salinger. Salinger purpose was to show teens that stressing out over things is not the solution, it's okay to make mistakes. He started out with a character named Holden, who has been recently kicked out of Pencey Prep and slow introduces the anxiety he has of becoming an adult. Holden’s absence of adulthood cause him to do wrong decisions because he doesn't think of the effects it will do to his life. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher of The Rye approached his theme with symbolism which led to the theme of you can’t always be innocent to the world.
At some point in life every person will become dormant to other peoples words and actions, however in Holden’s case it became his lifestyle. As the story progresses Holden seems to let others
The concept of adversity brings with it a sense of formidability and opportunity for growth. But with every adversity comes change and change harbors a sense of fear. Fear of change is quite distinct from a fear of insects or nose picking toddlers. The individual trapped in this predicament of angst begins to foresee few outcomes that are favourable and more that are doomed and. Thus, the judgement of the individual making the life-altering decision is hindered. This fear is born when foresight no longer comforts, when a tomorrow is no longer certain.
At the beginning of his story, Holden is a student at Pencey Prep School. Having been expelled for failing four out of his five classes, Holden leaves school and spends 72 hours in New York City before returning home. There, Holden encounters new ideas, people, and experiences. Holden's psychological battle within himself serves as the tool that uncovers the coming-of-age novel's underlying themes of teen angst, depression, and the disingenuous nature of society. The novel tackles issues of blatant profanity, teenage sex, and other erratic behavior.
Growing up poses challenges to most people at some point in their lives. 16-year-old Holden Caufield is no exception. He is an apathetic teenager who’s flunked out of many schools. Underneath the cynical exterior, though, Holden is troubled. He has different methods for escaping his problems, but in the end they just cause him more problems.
Both Amir and Holden grow and change over the course of their journeys in The Kite Runner and The Catcher in the Rye, but whereas the courage and inner peace that Amir gains enable him to come to peace with his past, Holden’s slow growing, understanding of people and maturity do not specifically result in any colossal changes in his life ; unlike Hosseini, who suggests heroism is something you gain through redeeming yourself and having peace with the past, Salinger suggests that heroism is not about the end point where you finally accomplish greatness, but along the journey where you ameliorate yourself.