Holden Caulfield Rebel

The Catcher in the Rye is about a sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield who describes his life story from a mental institution. Formerly, he gets kicked out of Pencey Prep because he failed more than one class which leads him to a nervous breakdown. Later on, you get to see how Holden is having difficulty with trying to fit in with the world, which leads him flustered with obstacles because of his poor decisions. Withal, Holden is characterized as an idealistic but harmless rebel compared to an anti-social misfit. He portrays more of an idealistic but harmless rebel because Holden is a young immature man who does not try to harm anyone but who values child innocence.
Holden’s youthfulness conceives many problems towards him throughout

the story. Despite, Holden is mentally mature, but physically he is not because he displays childish actions. During the story, Holden meets Sunny, a prostitute, from the elevator man and they go up to Holden’s room and supposedly have sex. “All of a sudden I started to cry. I’d give up anything if I hadn’t, but I did” (103). Though Sunny initially tries to have sex with Holden and fails because he feels depressed at the time, but his act of crying when Maurice and Sunny barge into his room to collect the money demonstrates how he is very immature. Instead of Holden giving the remaining amount of money he owes to Sunny, he sits there crying and feeling depressed about Jean and Stradlater. Holden’s immature actions shows he is not emotionally ready for sex, although he talks about sex all the time to his friends. Additionally, Holden does not think casual sex should happen between two people because he believes sex only happens when people are in love.
Indeed, Holden is the type of guy who does not cause trouble with anyone and does not physically harm anyone. Holden feels like a coward after leaving Bernie’s and envisions the stealer who stole his gloves back at Pencey. He explains, “I’m just no good at it, though. I’d rather push a guy out the window or chop his head off with an ax than sock him in the jaw. I hate fists fights. I don’t mind getting hit so much-although I’m not crazy about, naturally-but what scares me most in a fist fight is the guy’s face” (89-90). Holden thinks about bad things he wants to do, such as how he would confront the thief who stole his gloves, but he does not follow through on his thoughts. As a reader, you can interpret that
Holden is harmless because he does not have enough confidence to confront someone when he knows they did something wrong.
Throughout the novel, Holden is on his own which makes him realize that he values child innocence.

After Holden had breakfast, he began a long walk and stumbles upon a record called “Little Shirley Beans” which he buys for his sister. Holden continues to walk the streets of New York and later he ends up at a lousy park trying to look for Phoebe. He could not find Phoebe anywhere in sight, alternately, he observes two boys playing Flys Up and kids skating. Holden remarks, “God, I love it when a kid’s nice and polite when you tighten their skate for them or something” (119). Holden really values child innocence because it reminds him of his younger sister, Phoebe. In fact, Holden expresses, “That kills me. Old Phoebe. I swear to God you’d like her. She was smart even when she was a very tiny little kid,” (68). You get the feeling that Phoebe is the type of girl you will adore her when you first meet her from what Holden comments. Further, Phoebe is described to be wonderful according to Holden because she is always there to listen to Holden when he needs someone to talk to. As you are reading, Holden says, “She always listens when you tell her some. And the funny part is she knows, half the time, what the hell you’re talking about. She really does,” (167-168). He seems to appreciate Phoebe more than he would an adult or someone his age because Phoebe is a kid who is very mature for her age and who gives advice to Holden whether he likes it or not. Also, Holden admires his younger sister because she makes him feel younger and connected with

Allie.