Examples Of Holden Caulfield And Holden Caulfield

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The novel, The Catcher in the Rye, written by JD Salinger, touches on the themes of innocence, death, and the artifice and the authenticity in the world, while following the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, through his weekend trip to New York City. As the story unfolds, Holden, as narrator, becomes more vulnerable to the reader, and starts to express his feelings surrounding the death of his brother, Allie, as well as his feelings about himself. Holden is faced with a truth that has haunted him for many years: adulthood. Many of the qualities Holden exhibits, which he sees as negative, are those of the average person: struggle, loneliness, deep sadness. He is one of many classic protagonists that encourages the reader to relate to them on …show more content…

They understand that other people have different opinions but they press on. . A contrasting aspect within the two missions that allows one to see the difference between an anti-hero and a hero is that the anti-hero. Holden Caulfield, is selfishly motivated in his quest, one, whereas the hero, Atticus Finch, has purer motives, for the greater good. A hero, in literature, is the main character in a story who in the face of danger, will often make a personal sacrifice, whether that be the sacrifice of their life, a personal item, or their morals, for the greater good. Heroes are also displayed as the “perfect person”, attractive, intelligent, likeable, selfless, and courageous. These attributes are ones that most of us admire. . Holden, just like most of us, does not carry these qualities. Holden Caulfield is not a hero, he is not special in society, nor is he displayed as anything other than purely normal. There are many examples of this within the novel: I was sixteen then, and I'm seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I'm about thirteen.
It's really ironical, because I'm six foot two and a half and I have gray hair. I really do.
The one side of my head – the right side – is full of millions of gray hairs. I've had them ever since I was a kid. (2.22. Salinger

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