Catcher In The Rye Holden's Struggles Essay

Holden Caulfield is the main character and narrator, in the novel Catcher in the Rye by Jerome David Salinger. He is a teenager (16/17) who refuses to grow up, and is continuously struggling with the fact that life goes on. The novel portrays him as a struggling teen that is stuck right in between the world of innocence, childhood, and the tricky world of adulthood. Holden’s’ two younger siblings Allie, who is no longer alive, and Pheobe are the main interest for him because he sees them as 2 people that are able to be saved from the adulthood and be kept innocent from the adult world. Holden despises the adult world due to the amount of responsibility an adult usually has because he is simply afraid of it.

The opening stories, those dealing with childhood, are written in first person narrative, through the eyes of a boy and present the beginning of paralysis describing the frustration of the boy’s increasing desire to escape from the tedious Dublin life. In each story, the child is frustrated by his environment which progressively corrupts and imposes its values on him. In the stories of adolescence (with “adolescence” Joyce did not refer to the physical stage, but to a stage of spiritual immaturity) the characters are defeated by the obstructing fears and prejudices the city has planted in them; they are unable to react and follow their hopes (paralysis of the will). The following stories, advancing in time and expanding in scope, concern

It acts as barrier to self-reinvention, something many want to happen quickly. Theme: This further exemplifies the separation in John marriage, as he doesn’t even feel comfortable sharing thoughts with his long time wife. Theme: This quote begins to explore John’s lifelong trauma which lead to the many difficulties in his life. He deals with the trauma by repressing memories, and attempting to wipe some completely from his memory. Symbol: John’s enjoyment of magic symbolizes his desire to be loved by others, and his enjoyment of manipulation, and an escape.

(his older brother). Or simply anyone who fits into society norms, for example, Sally Hayes. Holden’s obsession stems from his fear that he may become a phony one day. So, he spends the book running from adulthood by doing childish things and struggling to keep his life from changing. We see Holden’s fear of phonies shine throughout The Catcher in the Rye.

Matt is insecure, therefore, creating many conflicts within himself and others as well. These insecurities are the result of Matt not feeling accepted in society, and Matt not accepting himself as well. Each decision that a person makes shows their character, and impacts the circumstances later in life. Both

He uses the depression and angst that coincides with the struggles of youth, an age that is an uncouth time for all. Speaking of how youth have to hid in order to “pass” among heterosexual peers. The hopes of marriage and a family that young people aspire to is out of the reach of these budding youth. In order to pass, these youth develop a structured life, centered around a career or academics, but this can lead to an overwhelming depression, as Sullivan presented in his description of a man who, while living his structured life, woke up one morning to find himself paralyzed. There was no forward,

Kaylee Tokumi Mr. Inouye English 10 (6) 10 March 2016 Fear of Change and Adulthood A classic novel that captures the confusion of growing up, Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is told from the perspective of sixteen-year old Holden Caulfield as he attempts to avoid change and adulthood. Burdened by loneliness and displeased by the spurious behavior of adults, Holden struggles to find a way to retain his innocence and avoid growing up. After losing the fencing team’s equipment after a trip to New York, Holden purchases a hunting hat for a dollar, attracted to the hat despite how corny it appears. Constantly worn during times of vulnerability and uncertainty, Holden’s hunting hat develops into an important symbol, representing Holden’s desire

Growing up is often a difficult part of life. During adolescence many people struggle with the idea of growing up and moving on. Additionally, many teenagers and struggle with losing their innocence and understanding the consequences and realities of living life on their own. While offering different perspectives on the topic, The Catcher in the Rye and The Book Thief both are both similar because they address the importance of innocence and how it is significant to one’s childhood. The Catcher in the Rye is a story written by J. D. Salinger that narrates the thoughts of an adolescent boy during a difficult period of his life.

The Oppressive Nihilist Troy Maxson, the hero of August Wilson's exemplary play, "Wall", is constantly battling with tolerating the progressions around him. Troy's childhood and individual disappointments have caused him to live as a skeptic whose narcissistic and narrow minded. Troy lives by his own standards and is not able to acknowledge the decisions of others that conflict with his own particular logic. "Fences" is presented in the late 50's amid a period when bigotry and separation was still endemic crosswise over America. Wilson starts the story with a look of history and presents the condition of Maxson's adolescence.

Blindness or the lack of self-awareness seem to be a recurring theme in the story. Characters’ inability in seeing the truth often resulted in reprehensible decisions: Edmund’s perception of his life resulted in schemes that would eventually cause great strife in the story, the two fathers who are unable to see the true intentions of their children, paving the way for the events that make the play so tragic, and a man who was blinded by love, leaving his wife uncontested. Nonetheless, once these characters are able to see the world for what it is, they are able to relieve the tension of the ending through reconciliation and the implementation of justice where “The wheel [has] come full circle” (5.3.200). The two more prominent characters of the play, Lear and Gloucester, shows us the importance of humility. Lear is finally able to understand his circumstances when he finally detaches himself from his title and status.

Salinger’s book The Catcher of in the Rye shows a teenage boy going through fear, signs of depression, and his concerns about adulthood. Holden Caulfield, sixteen years old, goes through a crisis identity. Caulfield won 't accept the fact that his childhood will eventually slip away into adulthood.”Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules”-Mr.Spencer (Salinger 8). He fears that the world is against him, like he is the victim.

J.D. Salinger explores the difficulties associated with the passage from youth to adulthood in his novel, The Catcher in the Rye. The author especially highlights the importance people staying connected to others to successfully transition from childhood to adulthood. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in the novel, is desperately clinging to his youth. Holden is obsessed with the phony nature of adults and judges the people around him based upon their degree of insincerity, two-facedness, and pretension.

As controversial as it is, I found The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, captivating and relatable. In the novel, dysfunctional teenager named Holden Caulfield struggles in the world between childhood and adulthood. He divulges little about his childhood or parents in the novel and seems cynical from the start. His relationships fall apart easily and often at due to his own frailty.

Sometimes when one pushes people away, it is to protect themselves. In the Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield, creates reoccurring gestures of isolation throughout the novel. Holden clearly suggests the requirement of love and affection, however, fails to generate the opportunity to maintain a formulated conversation. During his childhood experiences, Holden becomes emotionally scarred which brings him to push people away. As Holden believes he is protecting himself, he is actually harming himself, as well.