More handpicked essays just for you.
Character development of holden caulfield
Character development of holden caulfield
Holden caulfield character analysis essay
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In the Catcher In The Rye, the author J.D. Salinger molded together motifs of sexual confusion and permanence to illustrate Holden Caulfield’s struggle to grow up. Holden was trapped between his childhood innocence and the pull of adulthood. The mighty impact of this theme targeted teen readers across the nation, due to the engaging experiences. Holden desired the glossed elements of adult life. A common motif throughout the book was Holden going through a state of sexual confusion. For instance, after he viewed another couple being intimate, he thought: “I’m probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw”(34). So, Holden found a girl he deemed open towards sexual activity, and invited her out for drinks. Yet, when …show more content…
left with the choice to meet another day, he lied: “‘I can’t make it tomorrow’ I said.
‘Tonight’s the only time I can make it’”(36). Another example, of his indecisive qualities was when Holden agreed to pay for a prostitute, only to deny last minute: “Do you mind cutting it out?” I said. “I’m not in the mood, I just told you. I just had an operation”(53). Holden’s characteristic of lying his way out of sex, reflected his bewilderment towards the action, despite his hope to be the ‘biggest sex maniac’. Sexual confusion is relevant to teenagers in real life, as often when growing up, losing your virginity is glorified in America. A common example being the concept of being ‘pure’ until marriage or in the hands of a true love. Hence, Holden’s confusion, was relatable aspect of the novel. However, Holden was attached to his childhood, as displayed through the symbolism of the museum. For instance, within his visit he stated: “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything stayed right where it was. [...]The only thing that would be different would be you. You'd have an overcoat on this time. Or that kid that was your partner in line last time”(103). This museum represented a permanent portrait of moments in his childhood, that he …show more content…
could always return to, regardless of how much he had grown. While Holden may be unable to save himself from change, he made it his goal to save other children.
For example, when walking up the school staircase of his little sister, Phoebe, he felt hassled by the swears on the walls: “It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it [...] how they'd all think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days. I kept wanting to kill whoever'd written it”(108). Usually, swearing is considered adult language, and the children learning about it would be a step towards growing up in Holden’s eyes. To somehow rescue them from this, Holden attempted to rub off the marker. Which sufficed until the next one: “I tried to rub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched on, with a knife or something. It wouldn't come off. It's hopeless, anyway. If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn't rub out even half the "**** you" signs in the world”(109). Since rubbing out the swears symbolized saving children from adulthood, this was Holden’s acceptance that rescuing every child was inevitable. Transferring back to real life, this resolve would’ve been important in preventing the death of John Lennon. During the popular case, his killer Mark
Chapman had used Catcher In The Rye as his defense, believing Holden’s rescue duty was also his own. The article “On First Looking Into Chapman’s Holden: Speculation on a Murder” emphasizes how Chapman’s goal been to stop John Lennon from morphing into a phony: “For John Lennon’s innocence-which was essential to Chapman’s own spiritual well-being-to remain intact, Lennon himself would have to die”(4). Therefore, if Chapman had met the resolve Holden had, that change was inevitable, would John Lennon be alive today? On the other hand, many believe the true theme of the novel was Holden’s isolation from societies insincerity. But, while he may have addressed people as phonies, or nitpicked at their actions, Holden was truly on the sidelines due to his inability to grasp the perceptions of other teenagers. For example, when giving reasons for his lack of sexual experience, he stated: “The trouble with me is, I stop. Most guys don't”(50). Holden believed this was a problem of his, since it disconnected him from other guys he knew. Thus, his isolation was more of his own confusion with society, rather his issue with it. Meanwhile, the theme of struggling to grow up connected directly to the book’s concept as a whole. When asked about his dreams, Holden said: “I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. [...] I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff”(93). This quote reflected Holden’s desire to maintain youth, and connects not only to the title but the content of Holden’s character. To close off, the novel thoroughly focuses on Holden being trapped between maintaining prematurity and attempting adult actions, as demonstrated through the author’s motifs and symbols. His journey will continue to influence all readers, and hit the hearts of teens across the nation. Hopefully, each will grow to accept the loss of child innocence.
In his fight with Stradlater, Holden’s character is shown as a defender of innocence. He defends the memory of his brother through the report he writes for Stradlater. Because of Stradlater’s criticism on his brother’s death, Holden destroys the essay and says “All right, give it back to me, then,’ I said. I went over and pulled it right out of his goddamn hand. Then I tore it up.” Holden is tormented by the memory of his brother throughout the novel, and in this fight he defends his brothers memory by protecting the baseball glove. Later in this scene Holden is upset with Stradlater’s relationship with Jane. Holden explains, “If you knew Stradlater, you 'd have been worried, too. I 'd double-dated with the bastard a couple of times, and I know what I 'm talking about. He was unscrupulous.” Holden tries to defend Jane’s innocence and the reader is able to see Holden’s ethical code to protect the innocence and memory of others. In Holden’s confrontation with Maurice, Holden displays his detestation of the evil phony. “All of a sudden I started to cry. I 'd give anything if I hadn 't, but I did. 'No, you 're no crooks, ' I said. 'You 're just steeling five ' 'Shut up, ' old Maurice said and gave me a shove.” The scene between Maurice and Holden over the prostitute Sunny shows his emotions when it comes to fake people. In this scene he
Holden checked into the Edmont Hotel in Manhattan, where he hired a young prostitute named Sunny. This scene depicts Holden’s struggle with confused adolescence. Holden thought that sleeping with a prostitute would make him a man. However, when he was confronted with the burgeoning sexual situation, he yielded. After all, he is still just a child. “The trouble was, I just didn’t want to do it. I felt more depressed than
Holden’s first betrayal was that of his memory and innocence by an egotistical peer. At Pencey Prep, he roomed with a student named Stradlater; the epitome of a teenage jock. Stradlater was openly very vain; as Holden stated as he watched Stradlater gaze at himself in the mirror, “he was madly in love with himself. He thought he was the handsomest guy in the Western Hemisphere” (27). Because of his inflated ego and good looks, Stradlater figured that he would steal the breath from any girl he wanted. To Holden, he admitted that the girl of the hour was a “Jean Gallagher” (31). Here was the betrayal: this “Jean” and the Jane that Holden had spent childhood summers with playing a cool game of checkers on the porch were one and the same. Holden had ...
... has to go away. He runs to Phoebe’s school to leave her a note to meet him. While he’s waiting he notices “Fuck you” (201) on the wall. “It drove me damn near crazy,” he thought. Holden sees Phoebe with her suitcase as she tells him, “I’m going with you. Can I? Okay?” (206) Holden’s response was “No. Shut up”. Phoebe got angry and didn’t let up until Holden agreed that he wouldn’t leave. She went on the carrousel in the park and while she was going around and around, Holden felt so happy that, “[he] was damn near bawling”. (213)
So he stays the night at his former teacher, Mr. Antolini’s place. While Holden for the most part thinks of everyone as a phony, Mr. Antolini is one of very few exceptions. He makes it clear that this teacher was one that he trusted and was close to. Since Holden’s views holds him back from having close relationships with his peers, his relationship with his former teacher becomes more important. While he was sleeping on Mr. Antolini’s couch, Holden says that something happens. “Boy, it really scared the hell out of me.” He says. He wakes up to find Mr. Antolini patting his head. “Boy, was I nervous!” He admits he felt very uncomfortable in the situation and quickly ran out. An adult he had managed to form a trusting relationship with, something that was very rare for Holden, had done something to make him very uncomfortable. While it is unclear, it is very possible that Holden is misinterpreting Mr. Antolini’s actions. In his eyes, it is a “flitty pass.” It is made clear, however, that Mr. Antolini had been drinking and most likely he was not in his right mind. Once again, Holden’s views and the reality of the situation aren’t the same and he sees it as a
Although Holden’s interest in sex often presents itself in a juvenile way, he does have sensible ideas about it. Perhaps
...oes want them to turn into “phonies.” Holden seeks for a peaceful and uncorrupt world but he cannot obtain that due to the actions of others. Despite Holden’s attitude and outlook on life, he is quite passionate. Although he is a firm pessimist, calling every person he comes across a “phony,” there is an alternate side to him. In his interaction with Phoebe and the other children in the book, he tries to protect them from the rest of society, since children are still naïve and pure. It is justifiable why Holden craves to preserve the innocence of others. For most of us, growing up, we begin to understand more. We start to look at life in a different perspective, different from the one we did when we were young, but as a person who has seen and experienced more in life.
In the first example Holden’s masculinity is fragile, and being a man is based solely on not being a woman. For instance, when Holden is first due to meet with the prostitute he has told the reader that he is a “sex maniac”. Only to reveal that just shortly before the prostitute arrives he is still a virgin. Holden tells the reader that he has had plenty of chances to have sex however, something always happens and he cannot. He starts to
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is a coming-of-age novel set in New York during the 1940’s. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the story, is a detached seventeen-year old boy harboring feelings of isolation and disillusionment. He emphasizes a general dislike for society, referring to people as “phonies.” His lack of will to socialize prompts him to find nearly everything depressing. He’s alone most of the time and it’s apparent that he is very reclusive. This often leads him to pondering about his own death and other personal issues that plague him without immediate resolution. Holden possesses a strong deficit of affection – platonic and sexual – that hinders and cripples his views toward people, his attitude, and his ability to progressively solve his problems without inflicting pain on himself. The absence of significant figures in his life revert him to a childlike dependency and initiate his morbid fascination with sexuality. In this novel, Salinger uses Sunny, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce to incorporate the hardships of discovering sexual identity and how these events affect adolescents as they try to understand their own sexuality.
Holden has a respect for women that he views as unnatural. He feels that his sexual desires should be similar to those of his roommate Stradlater and peer, Luce. Holden shows his confusion by saying, "The thing is, most of the time when you're coming close to doing it with a girl, a girl that isn't ...
To begin with, Holden’s love for the innocence and purity of childhood makes him very hesitant to transition into an adult life. Generally, he finds children to be straightforward, easygoing, and simply pure in every way. This is because they always say what they mean, and never try to set a false façade for...
At Pencey, Holden meets Robert Ackley. Ackely has horrible hygiene, and does not hide it. Although this is disgusting, Holden has more respect for him than for his roommate, Stradlater. Holden calls Stradlater a “secret slob”. Stradlater is like many adults, because he tries to hide his imperfections. Holden is the complete opposite, because doesn’t care what people think of him, just as long as he feels go...
His professor, Mr. Antolini, accepts Holden’s request and even invites him to dinner and some drinks afterword. When Holden arrives, Mr. Antolini and his wife seem happy to see Holden, so the three of them share many drinks together. Holden then decides that he needs to get some sleep, so Mr. Antolini leaves Holden to fall asleep on his couch. Holden wakes up the next morning to the feeling of something on his hand, it turns out to be Mr. Antolini caressing Holden’s hair while he was sleeping. Holden did not know what to do after Mr. antolini’s actions, so Holden left their house. Before going to Antolini’s home, Holden was at his house house talking to his little sister
While this example from the text shows that Holden does want to maintain his purity, others show that Holden is feeling the effects of growing up, and has impulses to engage in activities that are primarily practiced by adults. In Chapter Thirteen, Holden is asked if he would like to hire a prostitute for some time. Holden narrates that due to his depression, he is having trouble thinking straight. He makes an impulsive decision to hire the prostitute. When Holden gets back to his room, he cleanses and prepares himself before her arrival. He thinks about this opportunity as being his “big chance” to break out of his shell. Holden also reflects on his fears of engaging with the prostitute, as he has never lost his virginity. This further perpetuates the narrative that Holden still maintains his innocence, despite having just hired a sex worker. When she arrives, Holden thinks he will be able to overcome his fears and perform the activity; however, much to his dismay, he discovers that he does not possess the confidence or courage to engage with the