The Catcher in the Rye by Holden Caulfied

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Recommended: The catcher in the rye summary : coming of age

Coming of age is the transition of a person from childhood to adulthood. The Catcher in the Rye is portrayed through the mind of Holden Caulfield. This book portrays Holden as a maniac because he is recalling his three day story to a psychoanalyst from a mental hospital. Holden is fighting that fine line between being an adult and a child. However, he does not want to grow up and become an adult because of the growing responsibilities that come with being an adult, the loss of innocence associated with growing up, and the phoniness of that comes with growing into an adult.
Holden is afraid of growing up because of the growing responsibilities that come with being an adult. This is clearly shown through him failing classes at Pencey on purpose:
“DEAR MR. SPENCER [he read out loud]. That is all I know about the Egyptians. I can't seem to get very interested in them although your lectures are very interesting. It is all right with me if you flunk me though as I am flunking everything else except English anyway. Respectfully yours, HOLDEN CAULFIELD. He put my goddam paper down then and looked at me like he'd just beaten hell out of me in ping-pong or something. I don't think I'll ever forgive him for reading me that crap out loud. I wouldn't've read it out loud to him if he'd written it—I really wouldn't. In the first place, I'd only written that damn note so that he wouldn't feel too bad about flunking me,” (Salinger 12).
Holden does not want to grow up and becoming an adult and assume the responsibilities of college. He is failing school on purpose so that he can stay back and be a kid forever. Throughout the story Holden refuses to take the responsibility to communicate with other people that may help him. For exam...

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...of the growing responsibilities that come with being an adult, the loss of innocence associated with growing up, and the phoniness of that comes with growing into an adult. Holden cannot accept the responsibilities and consequences that come with growing up so he refuses to grow up. He does not even call his parents after getting kicked out of Pencey. Holden does not want to grow up because of the loss of innocence that occurs with growing up. He always praises little kids and the purity. He wants to be the catcher in the rye for children so that they do not fall off cliff and lose their innocence. Holden sees that the adult world is full of phonies and even says his own brother is phony so he does not want to grow up. Though at the end through his deep talk with his sister Holden now is beginning to realize that growing up is inevitable.

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