Holden Caulfields Relationship With His Parents

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The novel Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, and the article Spoiled Rotten, by Elizabeth Kolbert, examine the topic of growing up. Salinger depicts the experiences of teenager Holden Caulfield, who struggles with maturing because of the death of his brother. He feels alienated from society and has a lack of guidance and support in his life. Meanwhile, Kolbert investigates the flawed way Americans raise their children, and how we can find solutions in other societies. Salinger and Kolbert illustrate that children need a balanced relationship with their parents where the child has freedom and responsibility, as well as structure and support to grow up in a healthy manner. To have a beneficial connection between a child and their parents …show more content…

Because of this and the abnormal pattern of his life, he is unable to trust anyone or seek and receive guidance, which has affected his overall proficiency at communicating with others. Since having the ability to communicate with other is a significant part of growing up, we see how Holden’s unbalanced relationship with his parents has affected his growth. In addition, Salinger renders a major part of growing up when he describes Holden’s view of his actions as, “ [I] don't even know what I was running for”(2), indicating he has never had anyone guide or assist him in his life. Because of this, he feels adrift and has a mental block when he attempts to find his identity or his purpose in life. Since developing one’s identity is a major part of growing up that Holden is struggling with, one sees the significance of obtaining structure and assistance from one’s parents. Similarly, Kolbert illustrates this when she describes the life of a Matsigenkan child as a “routine”(2), validating children need set boundaries in their life to succeed and grow as …show more content…

Salinger demonstrates the need for children to have responsibilities when he writes, “I can’t explain what I mean. And even if I could, I not sure I would feel like it”(94), illustrating Holden has no sense of responsibility towards others, himself, or society. He does not do anything unless he is in the mood and refuses to be accountable for his actions and therefore has no sense of what being a grown-up truly means. Because of this, he is immature and has grown up in an unhealthy manner. In addition, Salinger believes children need freedom to grow up in a positive manner when he writes, “I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, … you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them.”(205), exhibiting they need to have freedom to learn how to function and complete tasks properly independently. In the end, children will have to accomplish tasks, and go through life with minimal guidance from their parents, making it extremely important for them to figure out specific ideas for themselves. This will then allow them to develop and mature more as an individual because they will learn by their mistakes. In like manner, Kolbert demonstrates this

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