How Does Holden Grow Into Adulthood

The teenage years are a period of transition into the austerity of childhood and the responsibilities in adulthood. Adolescents tend to leap into adulthood to be seen as a more independent human being that doesn’t have a bedtime and can drive places. However, in JD Salinger’s' Catcher in the Rye, a troubled teenager named Holden Caulfield struggles with the fact that everyone has to grow up and clings onto childhood. The book gets its title from Holden's constant concern with the loss of innocence. He did not want children to grow up because he felt that adults are corrupt. He finds that growing up and maturing is painful. He fears change and therefore he has created himself two worlds, one for childhood and one for adulthood.

When Holden

is telling his story before he was placed in a mental institution he describes those days as his “madman days.” In his “madman” days he did not think before he would act. Holden makes copious amount of wrong decisions. For example: Holden flunks out of Pencey Prep and decides to leave before winter break even begins and does this without telling his parents. If his parents would have found out that he left Pencey early that would have caused him to be in more trouble. Throughout the novel, Holden lies endlessly for his own amusement. Holden got into a fight with his conceited roommate Stradlater over a girl named Jane whom Holden grew up with. After, Holden went into Ackley’s room and Ackley asks what the fight was about. He lies and says, “Stradlater said you had a lousy personality. I couldn’t let him get away with that stuff” (Salinger 48). Holden lies to Ackley for his entertainment to see his reaction. In addition, he also lies about his age in order to buy drinks from bars. Another example of Holden not thinking out his actions is when he goes on a date with Sally Hayes. He burst out that he loves her and wants to marry her. He claims that they can runaway together and live in a cabin up north. Sally panics and says no. Holden did not only hurt himself but others as well.
However, on the outside Holden wants people to view him as an independent adult.

Some of his actions appear to be adult like as well. Before leaving Pencey Prep, he visits his elderly teacher Mr. Spencer. As Mr. Spencer gives advice to Holden, he listens and politely sits still holding back his temptation to assail Mr. Spencer for reading his essay out loud. Holden tries to act like an adult by constantly talking about sex and hiring a prostitute a prostitute. An elevator man named Maurice said, "Innarested in having a little tail t'night" (Salinger 90)? Holden decides to take up that offer and at night the prostitute Sunny came knocking at his door. Holden travels alone to places like bars, hotels, and clubs. These places are where adults typically go. Holden tries to buy drinks at a bar to appear grown up. For example: “the waiter came up for my order. I ordered a Scotch and soda, and told him not mix it” (Salinger 69). However, the waiter says he is underage, but Holden asks if he could still throw a little rum in his soda and of course the waiter says

no.
Holden views the transition into adulthood as something to avoid and be rescued from.

However, Holden starts his transition when he talks with Mr. Antolini. Holden decided to stay at Mr. Antolini’s house when he ran out of money and needed a place to sleep. When Holden arrives, him and Mr. Antolini have a discussion. Mr. Antolini says, “you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was confused or frightened. You are no means alone” (Salinger 189). Later that night, Holden is woken up by Mr. Antolini patting his head and has broken Holden's last hope of finding a positive adult role model in his life. Holden decides that he needs to leave town and have a fresh start, but first he must say goodbye to his sister Phoebe. He goes to her school to leave a note for Phoebe to tell her where to meet him and that he is moving west. As he walks through the halls, he notices that this school has changed. On the walls are curse words. Holden see’s profanity has a corrupting influence and tries to clean them up to protect the innocence of childhood. When Holden meets Phoebe at the museum he sees her crossing the street with his red hunting hat on her head and a suitcase in her arm. This is Holden’s turning point because he sees that Phoebe is following in Holden’s footsteps and is turning into him. He decides he has to stay because Holden realizes that Phoebe loves him and that he has to stay and finish being a kid like she's supposed to. Phoebe asks him what to do and he replies

that he pictures thousands of kids playing in a field of rye and the kids are running and don’t realize where they are going. He says, “I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all” (Salinger 173). Holden want to save the children that are falling out of their innocent knowledge into the terrible adult world.
Throughout this novel, Holden tries to battle through the pressures of adulthood and growing up, and longs to stay in his childish frame of mind, and ultimately, wants to stay a child forever. The references he makes throughout the book to his childhood make it seem like a time when he was happiest. Holden finds adulthood as repulsive and perverted, however he does not realize that he is becoming into one.