Compare And Contrast Holden Caulfield And Into The Rye

Statistics believe that eleven percent of peoples in the entire world is currently facing depression and anxiety. These two famous character have a strong connection with eleven percent of the world population. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer main character has similar view of society and challenges. Holden Caulfield and Chris McCandless suffered from depression and despair. However, they have very distinctive characteristics and personalities. Holden Caulfield is a teenager that always assumes society is full of phonies. Chris McCandless is an educated person with a college degree and wanted to be free from the ugliness of society and their way of life. Caulfield’s thoughts and opinions about society

Caulfield had poor grades because he was always in his own world. Caulfield does not really have a bright future. He was always obsessed of wanting to save the innocence of little children from the ugliness of reality. He mentioned to Phoebe, “you know what I’d like to be? I mean if I had my goddam choice?” (Salinger 173). Then he continued to say, “you know that song ‘if a body catch a body coming’ through the rye’ I’d like-” (Salinger 173). Caulfield had a wish to save the innocence of little children from falling off the cliff in the big rye field. In the novel of Into The Wild, Chris McCandless has a bright future ahead of him. “Chris brought home good grades” (Krakauer 114) says Hathaway. Chris McCandless went into the wild without wanting to save anyone from society. It is the opposite of what Caulfield wanted to do which is to save the innocence of little children from falling off the cliff. It is an evidence that Caulfield wanted to escape society not just for himself but also the innocence of little children. McCandless escaped society only for his own good. Caulfield will judge McCandless just like any other people around him. Caulfield occasionally feel lonely, and always desperate for someone to talk to. In the other hand, McCandless was always trying to isolate himself from society. It was impossible that Caulfield and McCandless will be friends

There are stories behind quotes that Chris McCandless and Holden Caulfield said. Holden Caulfield famous quote is, “don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody” (Salinger 214). This last quotes of the novel simply means that once you know someone, you’ll start to miss them. In Caulfield’s eyes people are phonies. People are unpredictable because they leave, and betray others. This can be an evidence that Holden used his hunting hat to protect himself from peoples that will betray him. Furthermore, Chris McCandless famous quote is “happiness only real when shared” (Krakauer 189). McCandless believe that unshared happiness is not happiness. This quote clarified that McCandless wanted to return to civilization. McCandless found out that living in the wild is hard and complicated. McCandless wasn’t happy about his new life in the wilderness. He need someone he can share happiness with. Chris McCandless ended up wanting to go back to the human community. Holden Caulfield will judge McCandless as a phony on how he wanted to keep in contact with