Although plenty of users from Goodreads.com claim Holden to be hypocrite, I would also view Holden as a tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is portrayed as a “literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction” (Aristotle, 1). In this case, Holden accurately represents the image of a tragic hero spoken by Aristotle because he is unable to do the right things in the eyes of a “phony” and pedantic society. He also faces the task of searching for a place he can fit and become accepted into. As a result of his callow and rash actions, it contributes to his emotional breakdown and and leaves him uncertain in regard to his own life. Prior to the hole that Holden has dug for himself, …show more content…
the premier stage of his journey is the “Ordinary World.” As described by prolific writer Joseph Campbell, the Ordinary World is when “the hero is shown against a background of environment heredity, and personal history” (Campbell, 1). At the start of his journey, Holden points out his hatred regarding his experiences at his previous school, Elkton Hills prior to getting expelled from his current school Pencey Prep. “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies“ (Salinger, 15). He also states, ““It drives me crazy, it makes me so depressed I go crazy. I hated that goddamn Elkton Hills” (Salinger, 14). Holden claims that “phonies” cause him to despise his school but his immature and vapid behavior and attitude shapes his feelings about Elkton Hills. In accordance to Immanuel Kant’s theory, he claims that “we all shape our experience of things through the filter of our mind” (Kant). Holden’s behavior towards school in general begins to surface once he approaches the “Call to Adventure.” He flunks and fails all of his classes at Pencey Prep (Salinger, 15). His careless attitude towards his education is reminiscent of Tom Sawyer in chapter 1 of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer when Tom decides to skip a day of school and decides to go swimming instead (Twain). Holden’s actions are surfacing problems in the future but are typical of a teenager such as Holden to have strong rancor because of their experiences in school. Neurologist Judy Willis reasons that a child’s hatred towards school is “evidence that his brain is functioning appropriately” (Willis). Holden’s feelings of apathy and bitterness towards school bears consequences, but is natural for a teenage individual like him to act accordingly. Holden’s actions lead him into his ”Crossing of the First Threshold.” Before leaving Pencey, Holden recalls that “One thing about packing depressed me a little” (Salinger, 51) and that prior to his departure he “stood for a while next to the stairs and took a last look down the goddamn corridor. I was sort of crying” (Salinger, 52). His sense of uneasiness and compunction presents Alfred Adler’s Compensation Theory which states that compensation is when one “covers up, consciously or unconsciously, weaknesses, frustrations, desires, feelings of ineadequacy or incompetence in one life area through the gratification or (drive towards) excellence in another area” (Adler). In this case, Holden’s naivety is evident before he steps into the real world. Holden predicts that he can do better apart from being at school and makes one last remark before departing saying, “Sleep tight, ya morons!” (Salinger, 52). His arrogance presents the “God Complex.” Holden’s decision to depart Pencey Prep along with the arrogant demeanor he has brought with him is an attempt to find a better life away from the “phony” society he claims he is in. This triggers Holden’s “need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.” (Bayer). Bayer’s article regarding Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) which is also known as the “God Complex” corresponds to Adler’s Compensation Theory that applies to Holden. Holden still feels uncertain in regard to where he will go but sticks with the decision to depart Pencey. Holden’s ill-advised actions in his “Crossing of the First Threshold” will eventually result in the decadence of his emotional self and will begin to shape Holden’s image as a tragic hero. Holden’s initial feelings following his departure cause him to feel more relieved.
He now does not have to deal with the “phonies” he complains about at school. Holden’s attitude immediately changes when he faces his “Tests” upon his arrival in New York. He begins to feel uneasy claiming that New York is “terrible when somebody laughs on the street very late at night. You can hear it for miles. It makes you feel lonesome and depressed” (Salinger, 81). Holden goes on to struggle with himself by being judgmental “I was surrounded by jerks. I’m not kidding. At this other tiny table, right to my left, practically on top of me, there was this funny-looking guy and this funny-looking girl” (Salinger, 85) and feeling miserable “Depressed and all. I almost wished I was dead” (Salinger, 90). Holden’s view of the charlatan at the bar and Holden’s helplessness in the city reflects on Adler’s Undercompensation theory. Holden feels lost and his experiences dissuade which “includes a demand for help, leads to a lack of courage and a fear of life” (Adler). This propels Holden to be insecure about himself and exacerbates his problems regarding his own life. What propels him to become the image of a tragic hero is that he cannot overcome his insecurities. As psychoanalyst Eric Fromm says, “The task we must set for ourselves is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity” (Fromm). Holden is unable to tolerate his insecurities and begins to experience an emotional breakdown …show more content…
as well as the growing fear on where he might land in life. The setbacks resulting from the “tests” Holden experiences have created concern for his own self. Holden’s next experiences further explore his troublesome and naive self. At the “Approach” stage of his journey, he encounters a man named Maurice at an elevator who offers Holden a prostitute at his room (Salinger, 91). Holden accepts to acquire a prostitute for the night in an attempt to relieve his troubles. The prostitute arrives, revealing her name to be Sunny and Holden does not feel ready to have sex with her (Salinger, 97). His actions divulge to stage 3 of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which is belongingness. In consonance to Maslow’s pyramid belongingness which requires “friendship, intimacy, affection and love, - from work group, family, friends, romantic relationships” (Maslow), Holden does not have those qualities. With Sunny in the room with Holden, it allows him to vent his emotions with Sally since he is a callow teenager and is in need of affection because he does not gain any at school or at home. Holden then meets Sally which he eventually insults her, “You give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth” (Salinger, 133). Holden’s deterious comments to Sally causes her to leave in tears. As a result, Holden feels problematic about himself and thinks that maybe there is something wrong with him. With Holden’s needs for affection and belongingness, he damages the chance because of how crudely he treated and remarked Sally at that instance. This causes Holden to become devastated with himself and it breaks him down emotionally. Holden reaches a crucial point in his life when he comes across the “Ordeal” and “Reward” stages.
He meets his sister Phoebe as well as his reaction upon entering his brother D.B.’s room. He “went around the room, very quiet and all, looking at stuff for a while. I felt swell, for a change” (Salinger, 159). The comparison between Holden and D.B. relates to Adler’s inferiority complex where “..neurotic behavior is a result of feelings of inadequacy and inferiority caused by, for instance, being the youngest in a family or being a child who is trying to compete in an adult world” (Adler). In this case, Holden is trying to compete to be like his brother D.B. so that he can be accepted by his family. Holden also imagined, “picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around nobody big, I mean except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff” (Salinger, 173). To relate to Holden’s thoughts, author Bill Knaus claims that “others fail to prioritize their own problems for fear of appearing selfish” (Knaus). This triggers Holden to realize that he was focusing trying to help others but left little time to focus on himself which led him to do poorly in school along with his hasty actions and also caused a personal emotional breakdown for him. Holden’s relation to Phoebe compares to Erikson’s 5th stage of psychosocial development which explores the adolescence identity versus the role
confusion. Holden learns “the roles he will occupy as an adult” (Erikson). In this case with him and Phoebe, he serves as a role model to her since he is the older brother. Holden slowly tries to find his way back to the right path after his encounters. Holden faces his “Resurrection” and “Return” stages when he gambles whether or not he should return home or continue fleeing on his own. Holden initially thought that “I’d go away. I decided I’d never go home again and I’d never go away to another school again” (Salinger, 198).Holden thinks about continuing to run away from home so that he will not face the same problems again. However, Holden’s choice whether to keep running or come home for good are based entirely on Gleiser’s article regarding free will. Gleiser’s article states that free will is “the ability to make one’s own choices” (Gleiser). Regardless, what Holden plans to do with his life next, it is all on his control and by his own accord. His thought about his promise to Phoebe however, prompts him to go home and that he “...wasn’t lying to her. I really did go home afterwards” (Salinger, 212). Holden’s decision signifies that he has reached the “Return” stage in his journey. It also shows a comparison to Ponyboy Curtis from the Outsiders because Ponyboy decides to go “home” by technically returning to school and getting away from the chaos of gang violence he went through (Hinton). Holden’s “Return” is when he looks back and claims that society should not “..ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody” (Salinger, 214) before the novel ends. It is similar to Huck’s ending in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when he states "I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there before" (Twain, 303). The relationship between both Holden and Huck’s statements leave both of their fates and whereabouts unknown to the audience at the final stage of the hero’s journey. In the end, plenty of users from Goodreads.com will still claim Holden to be a rebel but I would see him as a tragic hero. The reason being that his journey as a tragic hero is demonstrated throughout the novel. Holden does not know much being the troubled and naive teenager he is while also being unable to fit into a society he sees as “phony.” In reality, Holden is the “phony.” His careless actions contribute to his fall in society thus making him a tragic hero.
Since Holden was isolated from his family, in order to not get hurt again he tries to find hypocrisy in people to stop himself from trusting others. Holden feels isolated after being sent to a boarding school that “was full of phonies” by his parents (Salinger 90). Salinger’s message to the audience with this quote is that when
Immaturity of Holden in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden, cannot accept that he must move out of childhood and into adulthood. One of Holden’s most important major problems is his lack of maturity.
Holden is not just abnormal, he has problems that other teenagers, including the students at Pencey, experience going through adolescence. An example of this is Holden's jealousy towards Stradlater when he finds out he is going on a date with Jane Gallagher, “Boy,was I getting nervous” (42). Every teenager has bouts of jealously especially about the opposite sex, and Holden is no different. Holden's rebellious nature, to an extent, is typical for a teenage boy. His rebellious nature of smoking when it is not allowed, “You weren't allowed to smoke in the dorm...I went right on smoking like a madman.” (41-42). Holden is also anxious about change, which again to an extent is normal, “Do you happen to know where they go, the ducks...”(60), and he has the right to be; change,especially during adolescence, is a terrifying but exciting ride into the unknown, and similar to other adolescents Holden is afraid but intrigued about the unknown.
Holden’s childhood was far from ideal, with Allie dying, his dysfunctional parents and the revelation that he had some “perverty” stuff happen to him when he was a kid. Due to this, he isn't ready to step into adulthood and leave his childhood behind. This is why Holden is mostly alienated from adults and connects more to the innocence of children like the girl at the park and his sister, Phoebe. However, Holden is disillusioned with both adulthood and childhood. He already knows how it feels to be an adult; drinking alcohol, being independent, living by himself and caring for Phoebe, but isn’t ready to immerse himself in it.
Holden Caulfield is a sixteen-year-old who explores New York City after he is expelled from his prep school (Salinger). He cannot return back home because he is afraid of his parents’ response and takes no responsibility for his actions whatsoever. Holden hates the adult world, where he calls all adults “phonies.” In his world, one can’t go back to childhood, but one can’t grow up because that will make one a phony (Bloom, The Catcher in the Rye 124). Holden is stuck in between a world, where he doesn’t want to remain a child or grow up into the adult he is expected to become. According to Chen, Holden fears the “complexity, unpredictability, conflict, and change” of the adult world. He occasionally acts like an adult, when he hires a prostitute (Salinger 119), checks into a hotel room (Salinger 79), and takes care of his sister, Phoebe. As a result of Holden’s immense fear of growing up, he tends to partake in childish tendencies, such as wearing a bright red hunting hat. These actions are his way of isolating and protecting himself. Holden is stuck in his own little world. These actions are very immature; Holden does not accept the adult world for what it is. He needs human contact, care, and love, but he has built a barrier, preventing himself from these interactions (Chen). He also acts like a child by acting out “pretend” scenarios even when no one is
He also exhibits honesty; as a child, he chopped a cherry tree by accident but confessed and told the truth when asked by his father. Now, let’s view at Holden and see how he fits in when compared to one of the most known hero of the United States. Holden lacks honesty as he confesses to the reader how, he’s the “most terrific liar” (16). Another clear example is when Holden talks to Ernie’s mother at the train station. From when they first met, Holden already lied by telling her that his name was Rudolf Schmidt, an obvious phony lie. As the conversation went on, more lies were told about Ernie. Holden “shot the old crap” by saying how everyone adored Ernie, while Holden thought that he “was doubtlessly the biggest bastard that ever went to Pencey” (54-55). This shows how that Holden can’t even manage to tell the truth which shows a character trait that a hero wouldn’t display. In addition, Holden clearly lacks courage, which is a vital thing a hero would have. One example is when Holden narrates his story of his
Vin Diesel once said, “It's insecurity that is always chasing you and standing in the way of your dreams.” In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden struggles with insecurity and accepting his personality and intellect. We get glimpses of these very traits Holden is insecure about through his observations of certain people he looks up to, namely his brother Allie and his old friend Mr. Antolini. It can’t be a coincidence that the people he admires happen to have certain ideal traits on which Holden expresses self-doubt. Salinger uses the description of characters that Holden holds in high regard to represent key traits that Holden is insecure about within himself.
Since Holden relies on his isolation to sustain his detachment from the world and to keep intact a level of self-protection, he frequently sabotages his own efforts to end his seclusion. When Mr. Spencer explains that “life is a game that one plays according to rules” Holden reveals that he feels imprisoned on the “other side of life” where there are no “hot-shots”. Here, Mr. Spencer is lecturing Holden on his failed attempts at schooling and illuminating key aspects of Holden’s character. After hearing this advice from Mr. Spencer, Holden immediately goes on the defensive and internalizes his thoughts of not belonging in this world. This event shows Holden’s failed attempts at trying to find his way in this “phony” world that he feels is against him and leaves him feeling alone and victimized.
First, he goes to Mr. Spencer, his history teacher, who provides advice for his life and his future and even says “I’m trying to help you, if I can” (Salinger, 18). Because Mr. Spencer gives realistic advice to Holden to prepare him for his future even though it is not obligated, Mr. Spencer can be considered a mentor for Holden. Before Holden packs and leaves, he says “I was sort of crying” and “then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, ‘Sleep tight, ya morons!’” (Salinger, 59). Although he becomes emotional when he realizes the company he is going to miss by leaving Pencey, he still acts immaturely as a result of an adolescent pitfall called invulnerability, when adolescents makes decisions without proper regard for their consequences (Adolescent Pitfalls). Holden finally leaves to take a train and reveals his love for riding trains at night (Salinger, 60). He is setting out on an adult journey by leaving Pencey, but he is still grasping to child interests by usually becoming excited to ride trains. Concluding sentence
S.N. Behrman, in his review for The New Yorker, also took a sharp look at Holden's personality. Behrman found Caulfield to be very self-critical, as he often refers to himself as a terrible liar, a madman, and a moron. Holden is driven crazy by phoniness, an idea under which he lumps insincerity, snobbery, injustice, callousness, and a lot more. He is a prodigious worrier, and someone who is moved to pity quite often. Behrman wrote: "Grown men sometimes find the emblazoned obscenities of life too much for them, and leave this world indecorously, so the fact that a 16-year old boy is overwhelmed should not be surprising" (71). Holden is also labeled as curious and compassionate, a true moral idealist whose attitude comes from an intense hatred of hypocrisy. The novel opens in a doctor's office, where Holden is recuperating from physical illness and a mental breakdown. In Holden's fight with Stradlater, his roommate, he reveals his moral ideals: he fears his roommate's sexual motives, and he values children for their sincerity and innocence, seeking to protect them from the phony adult society. Jane Gallagher and Allie, the younger brother of Holden who died at age 11, represent his everlasting symbols of goodness (Davis 317).
Holden often talked about how phony people in his life were, however, he was also a phony, which made him a hypocrite. Holden would often mention things he hated that someone did, but sooner or later Holden was guilty of doing the exact same thing. In chapter one Holden is hypocritical towards his older brother, D.B. He says “Now he’s out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute.”(Salinger
When Phoebe asks Holden what he wants to do with his life he replied. This reveals Holden’s fantasy of an idealistic childhood and his role as the guardian of innocence. Preventing children from “going over the cliff” and losing their innocence is his way of vicariously protecting himself from growing up as well. Holden acknowledges that this is “crazy,” yet he cannot come up with a different lifestyle because he struggles to see the world for how it truly is, and fears not knowing what might happen next. Holden’s “catcher in the rye” fantasy reflects his innocence, his belief in a pure, uncorrupted youth, and his desire to protect it. This fantasy also represents his disconnection from reality, as he thinks he can stop the process of growing up, yet he
Many of the times that Holden criticizes people, it is something he does himself. (Pg 13) “. one of the reasons I left Elkton was that I was surrounded by phonies.” Holden himself is many times what he refers to as a “phony”. He knows that he lies and pretends to like people that he would rather not be with.
Upon introduction, Holden Caulfield gives the impression of being a textbook teenage boy. He argues that Pencey Prep, the all-boys academy at which he studied, is no greater than any other school and is “full of crooks.”(Salinger, 7) His harsh language only further argues that he is situated in an all-male environment and has no apparent filter for when swearing is inappropriate. Despite all of the indications that Holden is typical, it soon becomes evident that Holden’s personality does not conform to the teenage stereotype. Although he appears to have some friends, namely, his roommate, Stradlater, and ‘Ackley kid’, it is clear that he does not integrate well with his peer group. Holden’s inability to read social cues leaves him in the dust when all of his “friends” have matured enough to recognize his need for improvement. He is constantly making jokes out of everything without any thought as to how h...
Holden doesn’t like the complexity of life and relationships. This is why he distances himself from his family and friends. After Holden is expelled from his school, he tries to stay away from his parents for fear of their reaction, even though learning of his expulsion is inevitable. He visits his sister Phoebe in their home multiple times throughout the novel because due to her young age, his sister and his relationship is simple. "For instance, within Holden, the desire to reject others conflicts with the desire to be accepted by others: he doesn't want to lend Stradlater his coat, but his overt actions belie this covert, warring want: he despises Ackley, but he invites him to see a movie; he hates movies, believing them to foster phoniness in society” (Mitchell). Holden struggles to “catch” others because he believes he is not accepted by others.