Why Is Holden Having Trouble In School Life

The plot of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye consists of a troubled sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield and his three day quest to find himself after he is kicked out of Pencey Prep for bad grades, mainly caused by his lack of motivation. According to Mollie Sandock the reason why Holden is always having trouble in school life is his lack of communication skills. This is definitely the best explanation of why holden is having trouble in that the three literary critics produced.
Throughout the course of the book it is clear that holden isn't adept at assessing situations. Holden’s impulsive personality Causes much of both the physical and emotional pain that is seen in the novel. As Mollie Sandock states “His story is full of failed attempts to communicate” the one seen where you can see this clearly is when holden go to the hotel room and pays for a prostitute. But when Sunny the prostitute comes to his room. He changes his mind and no longer wants her services and refuses to pay her the full amount. This shows that Holden

doesn't think far ahead and that he is naturally impulsive. Another example from catcher and the rye is when Holden is being threaten by Maurice to pay him an extra five dollars. Holden states “I don't owe you five bucks I said If you rough me up i’ll yell like hell I’ll wake everyone up.” This is not the sensible thing to do when someone bigger and stronger than you is trying to steal your money anyone else would have given maurice the money.
Although Mollie Sandock makes very valid points about Holden's nature she went wrong when she called Holden an outcast.

The definition of the word outcast is a person who has been rejected by society or a social group. This is not Holden In my opinion Holden is the very cleshay lone wolf. although Holden does try and make friends throughout the book it is clear and even said by Holden that he doesn't want to be a part of the “Hotshots” or “Phonies”in a quote from both Mollie Sandock paper and The Catcher and The Rye when they state “I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend I was one of those Deaf-Mutes that way I wouldn’t have to have any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody.” This quote mollie tries to support her earlier idea that “When Holden despairs of ever getting through to anybody.” and that holden feels ignored. I do not agree with her on this example and feel it more supports the idea of Holden being an

outcast.
I believe that Salinger point in writing this novel was so that people can see the struggle of being an adolescent this is a very extreme example of teenage rebellion but it is still a rebellion. Salinger leaves us with the knowledge that Holden Has not only come to new york to escape his struggles with friendship grades and parents. But he has also come on this quest to find who he was a person and this trip gave him a new identity. You can see the change from when Holden from the beginning of the book to being the typical teenager bad boy persona. To showing signs of improvement in his personality.