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Holden's assessment of himself and his new place in society
Holden's assessment of himself and his new place in society
Holden's assessment of himself and his new place in society
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Miltner compares the family dynamics displayed in Catcher in the Rye to author Robert Bly’s philosophy of a sibling society. Bly defines a sibling society as being where “parents regress to become more like children, and the children, through abandonment, are forced to become adults too soon” (Bly Sibling Society 132). Before Holden’s time, social conditions did not allow for adolescence. Children had to grow up too early and the focus was on the present instead of the future. School was deemed as a customary measure and college wasn’t in most interests. Holden’s lifetime takes place during post war war II, when teenagers were finally being accepted for their youth, rather than as adults. Adolescence had transformed from having once been ignored, …show more content…
to becoming a social concept. Bly considers that the main problem revolving a society virtually made up of youth is that “young men come of age without the guidance of effective male role models” (cite). The author focuses on Holden’s parents who are “largely absent” and “distant.” His father mirrors a typical working father of that time that has emotionally abandoned the family by working long hours in order to make ends meet.
The mother is so worked up with herself to give attention to her children’s needs. Without the stability of parents, Holden doesn’t have anyone to guide him into adulthood. Usually, someone in Holden’s place would use their older brother as a “father surrogate,” but D.B. is unavailable to meet Holden’s needs. Instead, Holden is stranded with only his peers, representing his “sibling society”. He is initiated into the adult culture through drinking scotch in the chapel with peers and through religious affiliation (cite). Holden’s character, morality, and ethics are all shaped by the prep school environment. Holden’s siblings have been subjected to members of his peer group rather his family who in stark contract are absent, shadowy figures (cite). Holden is accustomed to the small world that revolves around his age, that he lacks those with experience and better judgement. Holden evolves with his sibling society, guiding him with a perspective of total demise towards growing up. Pencey serves as an institution with a mission of “molding boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men” (Salinger
4). Holden’s formative years meant to be spent at home are corrupted by peer influence. Holden’s “sibling society” has alienated him from the real world. Joining cliques and climbing ladders disdains Holden, and gives him the perception of everything being “phony.” Holden’s reality
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 also has a negative perspective of life that makes things seem worse than they really are. In addition to Holden’s problems he is unable to accept the death of his brother at a young age. Holden’s immaturity, negative mentality, and inability to face reality hold him back from moving into adulthood.
After many years of ideas coming and going, one that seems to stay the same is the thoughts of tennagers. In the book The Catcher In The Rye written by J.D Salinger many can still relate to Holden’s story even after a 76 year difference. While exploring the city around him Holden takes the time to try to find himself on a deeper level and try to grasp how growing up really makes him feel. Given the fact that everyone is unique in among themselves the need for self satisfaction is always current meaning many run from the true responsibilities that come with age.
In J.D. Sallinger's Catcher in the Rye, is based on the sullen life of Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old teen-ager is trying to find his sense of direction. Holden, a growing adult, cannot accept the responsibilities of an adult. Eventually realizing that there is no way to avoid the adult life, he can only but accept this alternative lifestyle. What Holden describes the adult world as a sinful, corrupted life, he avoids it for three important reasons: His hatred towards phonies and liars, unable to accept adult responsibilities, and thirdly to enshrine his childhood youth.
At the beginning of his story, Holden is a student at Pencey Prep School. Having been expelled for failing four out of his five classes, Holden leaves school and spends 72 hours in New York City before returning home. There, Holden encounters new ideas, people, and experiences. Holden's psychological battle within himself serves as the tool that uncovers the coming-of-age novel's underlying themes of teen angst, depression, and the disingenuous nature of society. The novel tackles issues of blatant profanity, teenage sex, and other erratic behavior.
Holden and the Complexity of Adult Life What was wrong with Holden, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D.Salinger, was his moral revulsion against anything that was ugly, evil, cruel, or what he called "phoney" and his acute responsiveness to beauty and innocence, especially the innocence of the very young, in whom he saw reflected his own lost childhood. There is something wrong or lacking in the novels of despair and frustration of many writers. The sour note of bitterness and the recurring theme of sadism have become almost a convention, never thoroughly explained by the author's dependence on a psychoanalytical interpretation of a major character. The boys who are spoiled or turned into budding homosexuals by their mothers and a loveless home life are as familiar to us today as stalwart and dependable young heroes such as John Wayne were to an earlier generation. We have accepted this interpretation of the restlessness and bewilderment of our young men and boys because no one has anything better to offer.
A lot of teens this day and age don’t have a deep connection with their parents and siblings. Some don’t know their own sibling's middle name or maybe their birthday. A teenager at Woodbridge High School was onced asked to write down a family tree for a history project. And when he is told to put his siblings full name he wasn’t able to. Distraught he went home to ask his siblings so he could get his homework done. But this is the opposite of Holden Caulfield, In the book The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden’s connection to his family is as strong as it could be. Holden has traveled from school to school and is mentally lost trying to find his way back home. When Holden is with his family, his whole personality changes. He is no
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
Both novels begin with the central character becoming isolated at school, because their judgmental personalities make it difficult for them to associate with their peers. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden feels alienated at Pencey Prep because his negative criticism of others makes it difficult for him to be a part of any social groups. Holden's roommate, Stradlater, is “mostly a Yearbook kind of handsome guy” who Holden perceives as conceited (Catcher 27). Stradlater attempts to superficially establish friendships based on his seemingly genuine character, but is actually “madly in love with himself” (Catcher 27). Stradlater’s behavior contributes to Holden's sense of isolation, as he goes on a date with the gir...
The plot of The Catcher in the Rye consists of Holden fighting the need to mature. This need, powered by the passage time, is stimulated by societal expectations. Society tells him he needs to act his age, to move on, to leave his immaturity in the dust, but still Holden stands his ground to rid himself from the grief that has become his own. This grief arose in Holden when Allie Caulfield, Holden's younger brother, died at the age of eleven from leukemia. He is reminded of the vibrant force that used to be his brother constantly, and Holden cannot move on from his death. Holden is used to dealing with his issues via his immaturity, but society has prevented Holden from using this childish innocence, keeping Holden from moving on. In the end, anger toward society is Holden's only logical response. Holden is the protagonist in a man vs. self and man vs. society scenario, fighting what is likely a losing battle, making him a righteous protagonist and pressing him ever forward into martyrdom.
The Catcher in the Rye takes place during the roaring 1940s and 50s, a time of new technology and modernization of the US. In this time things found important today, such as school, were pushed to the side. For example, it was considered normal for children to finish high school, get married, and find a job; occasionally high school graduates would attend college. The main character in this novel, Holden Caulfield, a rebellious and lonely teen, is considered the first “normal” teenager found in a novel during that time. Holden gets expelled from his fifth private school, while still recovering from the death of his younger brother Allie. Allie plays a key role in The Catcher in the Rye because after his death Holden spirals into a depression,
In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, a bewildered teenager, struggles to accept the idea of growing up. Holden is fixated on childhood and he refuses to accept the responsibilities attached to growing up because Holden is uncomfortable and apprehensive about losing his innocence. Holden is afraid of losing his childhood memories, which include memories of his younger brother Allie, who passed away. The story begins with Holden’s expulsion from Pency Prep. He then decides to utilize his expulsion and take an early Christmas Vacation in New York City. Holden encounters peculiar people and places, which exposes his views and thoughts on life and growing up. Salinger
In The Catcher In the Rye by J. D. Salinger Holden Caulfield is a typical teenager who is struggling with finding his identity which is a typical area that teenagers suffer as whole but is even harder when dealing with grief of loved. People around Holden were mature compared to him and didn't focus on key details like Holden. He doesn't want the children of now to grow up to lose their innocence because Holden knows that after affect society can have in one's life. Holden is going through some trauma since his brother died that it has really taken a toll on his social , physical , and academic aspects of his life. His coming of age does have a big effect on his life because he is starting to see
Often times teenage years are described as the hardest part in life, these are the stages where one develops who they are and generally who they are going to be when they are older. For most people being pressured to figure out their life when they can barely be treated as an adult can cause stress and can result to finding ways to go back to their childhood. The coming of age novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger gives a first hand look into the life of a teenager but, along with the pressures of life, Holden, (the main character) has to deal with the death of his younger brother along with a not so caring family. Holden's main focus seems to be on the simpler things in life such as his fascination with the ducks in the park along
Holden is a seventeen year old dealing with life in a tuberculosis rest home and he is writing about everything that has happened to him. Holden is scared to grow up, he does not like adults like how he likes children because he thinks that some adults are phonies,”I was in the rye and their was nobody else but a whole bunch of kids and him and he had to catch the kids from going off the cliff… I was the catcher in the rye.” The catcher in the rye has a lot of symbolism like Holden’s red hunting hat which represents that he is attracted to unusual stuff. “Is The catcher in the rye relevant to teenagers today?”, I say yes because the Catcher in the Rye discusses how Holden does not want to grow up at all to stay a kid so he won’t end up a phony
Catcher in the Rye is a novel written by J.D. Sallenger and he describes the protagonist, Holden Caulfield as a teenage boy, who is lost and struggling hard in his adolescence. Holden is not an enthusiastic or passionate character; he does not have any kind of willingness to change his situation, but tend to blame the society and other people for his own problems and issues. In fact, most part of the book is about Holden hating, judging, and blaming the society and others and perhaps, he does not know how to deal with his issues on his own. It is difficult to find something or someone who can actually satisfy him, but there is one thing he mentions multiple times that makes him truly happy and pleased; his family. However, despite Holden’s love for his family, he is always physically away from them and it leads him to feel psychologically away from them too. The continued absence of a family in Holden’s life has started to make him feeling lost, wandering, not knowing where he truly belongs to and further more finding hard to identify himself not only in the family, but also from the world. Throughout the book, the impact of a family in Holden’s life is clearly shown and although his family has negative impact on him, his family is also the one and only way to save him from his depressing and lonely life.