Holden Caulfield Innocence

True innocence is defined as the absence of experience; where one is pure and trusts the idealism of the world. More often than not, this innocence is shattered as one gains insight into the reality of mankind. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, along with, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz, questions the innocence of reality through the eyes of both Holden Caulfield and Oscar Wao respectively. Holden’s quest to see the true reality of the adult world is shaped by the influence of his sister, Phoebe and the people he encounters during his journey. In comparison, Oscar’s teenage years of life create struggle by convincing him he does not fit the required stereotype necessary to live a happy life. Through eye opening experiences

and newly obtained wisdom, each of the protagonists’ views on the reality of the real world are similarly altered. Both authors explore human nature by dramatizing the protagonist’s transition from pure innocence to maturity. While both characters experience the negative effects of alienation from themselves and others, as they grow, they are transformed through strong family bonds.

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, is told through the eyes of a teenage boy named Holden Caulfield. His story recounts the days following his expulsion from a prestigious private school, Pencey Prep. After having a physical altercation with his roommate, Holden packs his bags and leaves for New York City where Holden interacts with nuns, prostitutes, old friends and family members while trying to work through his own problems. The Catcher in the Rye illustrates a misguided teenager’s ability to detect phoniness in everyone but himself. Similarly, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz, follows the story of Oscar and his family as they emigrate from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey. The novel focuses on the struggles Oscar

faces in fitting in and adapting as an “un-pure” Dominican male. Throughout the story, Oscar looks to find the true purpose of his life and finds himself in harmful situations by doing so.

In the early chapters of both novels, Holden and Oscar turn to isolation as a method of coping with the problems they face. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, the theme of alienation is evident through Holden’s separation from society and love. Holden constantly shies away from society because of the fear of change and fake people. The first sign of alienation is evident when Holden chooses to sit alone at the final Pencey football game saying, “I remember around three o'clock that afternoon I was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill. […] You could see the whole field from there, and you could see the two teams bashing each other all over the place. […] You could hear them all yelling,” (Salinger, 5). Holden strays away from the sense of being part of something such as a school community because of his fear of being secure. Holden faces these fears at Pencey Prep on a daily basis and chooses to avoid them by isolating himself and not confronting. Furthermore, Holden is also alienated from the world his inability to love. While on a date with a former flame, Sally, Holden says, “I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it. I’m crazy, I swear to god I am,” (Salinger, 163). Following this, he simply gets up and leaves, showing complete disregard for Sally’s feelings. Holden’s capacity for love is non-existent, ultimately eliminating his possibility of connecting with individuals on an intimate basis. In turn, Holden’s feelings towards love cause him to isolate himself on an even deeper level. In comparison, Oscar Wao, in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, deems himself an outcast from society based on his appearance and decides to shy away from his insecurities by pushing away those around him. Near the beginning of the novel, Yunior, a friend of the family’s, explains the toll adolescence has taken on Oscar’s life by saying, “Everybody else is going through the terrors of their first dates, first kisses while Oscar sat at the

back of the class.

[…] Sucks to be left out of adolescence, sort of like getting locked in a closet,” (Diaz, 23). The whole reasoning behind Oscar’s alienation originates from his “unnatural” transition of a young boy to a mature man. Oscar’s subpar appearance and minimal confidence leads him to believe it is best for him to stay isolated from others in order to protect himself from embarrassment. Both characters deal with diverse problems leading to the conclusion of alienation as being the best solution to deal with them. Oscar and Holden both look towards closing themselves off from society in order to deal with the problems they cannot face on their

own.

Along with alienating themselves for protection, both characters seek a certain level of intimacy and sexuality in order to cope with the thought of being lonely.

When Holden leaves Pencey in search of the idealism of the adult world, he comes across many conversations in which it is very evident he is desperate for affection. Both physical and emotional situations serve as a scapegoat to Holden providing a way to for him come out of his isolated shell. However, Holden’s desire for love and sexuality has a certain limit before which it becomes a fear. When Holden is faced with the situation of a prostitute in his hotel room, he has the chance to engage in sexual intercourse, but instead, he sees the innocence in the prostitute and repels away from sex. Right after she lifts her dress over her head, Holden asks, “Are you in a very big hurry?” (Salinger, 124), she looks at him like a madman yelling, “What the heck ya wanna talk about?” (Salinger, 124). Holden’s desire for sexuality is non-existent where it is evident his only wish is to share a certain level of intimacy with individuals before he reaches a stage of uncomfortableness. Conversely, Oscar shares both the same feeling for intimacy and sexuality as Holden but, Oscar’s desire for both is much greater. Oscar is constantly surrounded by Dominican Men, which only attributes to the constant reminder that Oscar cannot attract woman. This inability to share a level of intimacy with females drives Oscar into an even

stronger desire for woman. While falling for yet another

girl, Yunior explains Oscar’s situation by saying, “He was totally and irrevocably in love with Ana. What he used to feel for those girls he'd never really known was nothing compared to the amor [love] he was carrying around for Ana,” (Diaz, 44). Oscar is a heavy romantic and is known for falling head over heels very easily in the blink of an eye. His strong feeling towards women symbolize the importance intimacy carries in his life. In addition, Oscar’s prominent relationship in the novel with Ybon, a former prostitute, leads to his eventual death. While Oscar is thinking about Ybon and their relationship, Yunior says, “The road where he became so nuts over a girl he stopped thinking. The road where very bad things happened. You should stop right now, he told himself. But he knew, with lapidary clarity, that he wasn't going to stop. He loved Ybón,” (Diaz, 292). Oscar’s desire to love makes his decisions irrational and blinds him from foreseeing the negative possibilities of certain situations. Both Holden and Oscar seek after intimacy with others, but Oscar’s desire is much greater in all aspects.

Through the alienation of themselves and others, both protagonists develop extremely strong and influential relationships with their sisters. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s actions seem rebellious and irresponsible to everyone except his sister, Phoebe. While Holden is describing Phoebe to the reader for the first time, he says, “You’d like her, I mean if you tell old Phoebe something, she knows exactly what the heck you are talking about, I mean you can even take her anywhere with you,” (Salinger, 89). The reader is accustomed to Holden’s constant critique about every person he meets; however, this is the first instance in which he simply praises and compliments someone. Moreover, Phoebe understands that growing up is a necessity in maturing, and her character contradicts Holden’s idealistic fantasy of innocence. This causes Phoebe to implicitly say Holden needs her more than she needs him. During a conversation between the two, Phoebe says, “You don’t like anything that’s happening,” (Salinger, 220),

followed by, “Because you don’t. You don’t like any schools. You don’t like a million things. You don’t,” (Salinger, 220). Holden angrily replies, "‘I do! That's where you're wrong—that's exactly where you're wrong! Why the hell do you have to say that?’ I said. Boy, she was depressing me,” (Salinger 220). Holden’s short tempered response indicates he knows Phoebe’s statements to be true, despite his denial. Phoebe’s strong relationship with Holden allows her to express the exact things Holden needs to hear due to the fact he trusts Phoebe more than anyone else. In comparison, Oscar forms a very strong bond with his sister, Lola. She always seems to make time for her brother and lends an open ear whenever Oscar needs one. Whether it is providing support or putting Oscar in positions where he will thrive, Lola looks out for him, and Oscar knows it. While dealing over a heartbreak with yet another girl, Lola called Oscar late at night and said, “Mister, she commanded. You need to let it go. […] You have to, and so on, until at the end of the two hours, he promised her he would try,” (Diaz, 187). Even though Oscar has people around him to help him deal with his problems, he refuses to solve them with anyone but Lola. She supports Oscar more than anyone he has ever known, which allows him to feel free and safe when opening up to her. This is something Oscar cannot say he feels for anyone else in the novel. Both protagonists rely heavily on the impact their sister’s play in each of their lives. The strong bonds Oscar and Holden share with them eases the struggle of overcoming many of the obstacles thrown at them as they mature.

The protagonists in both The Catcher in the Rye and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao undergo experiences and face situations that alter their innocence, shape their character, and ultimately teach them about human nature. The novels are told from different perspectives and outlooks, yet both draw similarities between the actions of Holden and Oscar. Holden fights through his belief of real world idealism through the people he encounters and the experiences he

faces. The image of pure innocence in youth which Holden desires is inversely portrayed through his sister, Phoebe, and opens up his eyes to the reality of growing up and maturing. Equally, Oscar’s relationship with Lola and his desire for intimacy creates multiple coming-of-age experiences which directly affect Oscar’s behaviour and personality, along with his character. The growth between the two protagonists successfully creates two compelling reads. The achievement of both The Catcher in the Rye and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is that they both uniquely portray an individual’s journey on the path to realizing who they are as people. This journey is shaped through their family, and it provides insight on various aspects of each character. Both Oscar Wao and Holden Caulfield learn to trust their family members who aid them in solving their respective problems of alienation and search for intimacy as a means of compensating for feelings of isolation. The wisdom obtained through the experiences both protagonists face, helps them realize the necessity of being able to adapt in the world they live in.