Category: Catcher in the Rye

Abstract

The following will closely focus on the analysis of the two Coming of Age novels The Catcher in the Rye and Looking for Alaska more the first-person narration, language and symbols used to depict the personal grow of the respective protagonists Holden Caulfield and Miles Halter from immature adolescent to young adults. Literary analysis has always ben a vital part of fully grasping the underlining message of novels. Therefore, the following paper focuses closer on the link of these rhetorical and linguistic devices and the development of the main characters. The first part gives an overview of the genre Coming of Age novels, also called “Bildungsroman”, followed by the individual developments Miles and Holden are faced with throughout the literary pieces.

Additionally, aspects of the first-person narration, such as use of italics, linguistic devices such as anaphora and symbolisms, important for the depiction of the protagonist, such as the red hunting cap or the labyrinth, are discussed in detail. While at time the link between the rhetorical devices and the development of the main characters was not always immediately apparent, with much research and determination, a substantial connection could ultimately always be found. The findings of this exploration definitely indicate however that the topics of interest are vital to the portrayal of the main characters traits and their growth throughout the novel.

Without them the message would get lost as we would not see the complexity of these characters and why they behave in their fashion. specifically how barriers were crossed and what the overall result of the discussed aspects, Introduction P.T. Barnum once stated, “Literature is one of the most interesting and significant expressions of humanity” . One cannot get better insight into the human condition nor into individual human struggles from any other genre than from Coming of Age novels. Raw emotions, human flaws and personal growth are elaborated particularly in Coming of Age novels. The two novels that I chose to analyze J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” (1946), an all-time classic of this genre and John Green’s “Looking for Alaska” (2005) are no different. If one looks closer at intentions behind certain character traits, symbols and other rhetorical devices, the depth of the characters becomes very apparent and broadens understanding of humanity. From prior knowledge I was aware that authors often use rhetorical devices and first-person narration in order to create multidimensional characters that readers can relate to.

The first time I read these books I solely focused on the plot of the works rather than on their characters. While I found the storylines compelling, I felt as though I had not fully grasped the authors’ underlying intentions. Did I perhaps not focus enough on the significance of the symbols and language used? How important were these stylistic devices in comprehending these Coming of Age novels? Therefore, I decided to focus closely on these core areas: first-person narration, emotions conveyed through language and symbols presented in the novels, all aspects that contribute to the reader’s understanding of the individual lead roles and their evolving character traits. I chose to solely focus on the protagonists, as their development is the most significant theme for Coming of Age novels.

A comprehensive analysis of the side characters seemed excessive to me and beyond this paper’s scope. Even though I noticed many linguistic devices used in both novels, I concentrated on those that had a significance to the depicted development of the main characters. 1. Plot Summaries The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of a 16-year-old named Holden Caulfield, who over a period of three days leaves his boarding school and embarks on a solo journey in New York. Along the way he meets and interacts with many side characters, one of which is his little sister Phoebe who berates him for leaving school and for his immature behavior. This encounter ultimately leads him to realize that he has never grown up and that the passing of his late brother has had a profound effect on him. Through the course of the short time period, Holden reflects and narrates the entire storyline, giving the reader key insights into his character traits.

The novel Looking for Alaska depicts the story of its protagonist Miles Halter who attends a boarding school. There Miles meets Chip Martin and Alaska who he later closely befriends. His crush on the wild-child Alaska incentivizes him to join on their escapades. These experiences ultimately make him open up and take risks. This adventure, however, ends abruptly when Alaska is involved in a fatal car accident after a drunken night out. The mysterious circumstances of her death cause Miles to search for the truth behind her death. Through this discovery Miles must come to terms with reality and grow into a mature adult. 1.

Bildungsroman as a Genre Upon further research on the genre, I stumbled upon a quote that perfectly summarized the essence of Coming of Age novels: A Coming of Age story also called a Bildungsroman, is all about the protagonist’s journey from being a child to being an adult. It is a journey that takes a young person from naïve to wise, from idealist to realist, and from immature to mature. The path of the protagonist, or main character, can vary from story to story. The German literary genre “Bildungsroman” focuses on how and why characters develop physically and morally . As stated in the quote above, Coming of Age novels follow one general formula that resembles that of a “Bildungsroman”: the protagonist evolves from an inexperienced individual to a more knowledgeable young adult. Both novels I chose to analyze are no exception. Literature has always been a tool to reach the reader on an emotional level. Coming of Age novels are no different from this. Adolescence is a time where everyone goes through a changed that ultimately results in us becoming mature adults. These novels show us the broader picture of our journey that often runs parallel to our own transition into adulthood.

The reason why Coming of Age novels are so important, is because we see ourselves in these novels, we reflect on our own experiences through these characters. This is mainly the reason why there is typically only one character that is the focal point of such novels. It enables us to only focus on one character and their journey, rather than on other irrelevant side plots. Coming of Age novels often lean on each other, copying character traits or ideals from other novels of this genre that resonate with the audience. John Green himself has stated in numerous videos on his YouTube-channel that he was heavily influenced by it, going so far as to basing elements of the novel on the classical piece . More than once has he stated admiration and love for this piece of literature. He has made multiple descriptive videos focusing on the plot, symbols and main character of the novel. 2. The Development of the Main Characters Both Holden and Miles evolve as the storylines unfold, but they do this in different ways. Miles gradually evolves from an introverted, shy boy to a more confident adolescent who has to work through a tragedy that ultimately makes him more conscious of responsibility into a self-confident individual who learns that growing up is just part of life. At the end of both novels these two characters come to their respective realizations, which are both triggered by pivotal events in the story.

Miles In Miles’ narrated time span of 273 days the deciding factor of his development seems to be the death of his close friend and love interest Alaska. He develops from an “naïve” adolescent who turned away from any social interaction, to a realist. Miles introverted nature is challenged by his classmates Alaska and Chip, also called Colonel. He is a student that goes by the book and doesn’t like to fall out of line. When his friends first offer him a cigarette, he is concerned about getting caught , later on in the novel he disregards the warning he is given by the principle as he is not scared about going against the rules anymore, stating that he gets a thrill from it. An example of this behavior is his statement when he drinks with Colonel: “For me, it was just fun, particularly since we were risking expulsion.” . This could be seen as a negative development, as he decides to act rebellious and reckless, something common among teenagers. Miles mainly shows character growth however: By learning how to express his true feelings and not internalize his anger and frustration to an almost childish degree “I hated sports. I hated sports, and I hated people who played them” he finds his place. A good example for this would be his friendship with Colonel. Miles is initially nervous around Colonel, “’Uh, okay,’ I said, but I could hear the words catch in my throat.” , but as his confidence grows, the two became equals who support each other after Alaska’s death. His search for the Great Perhaps stays with him until the end of the novel. The Great Perhaps is first introduced in the first chapter as the final words of Francois Rabelais. Miles decides to change school in order to fine his meaning in life-the Great Perhaps. . In the novel the Great Perhaps for Miles embodies Alaska and how she’s changed his life. Indicating that he has the idealistic belief that she is his meaning in life “For she had embodied the Great Perhaps – she had proved to me that it was worth it to leave my minor life”. He also states that now that she was gone his belief in it also left. In the last chapter however he states “So I still believe in the Great Perhaps, and I can believe in it in spite of having lost her” meaning that he understands that in reality she is not his whole world and decides to make the rational decision to still believe in his dreams. This shows a growth in character. He has become wiser and understands that her death doesn`t mean the end of his world. In the end of the novel Miles reflects on what he has learned over the last 273 days. While he still doesn’t have the answers to all of his questions, he seems finally at ease. He reaches acceptance and ends his reflective narration on a very positive note and optimism for the future.

Holden In comparison to Miles, Holden narrates only three days of his life, in which he develops into a mature young adult. His most prominent flaw seems to be his lack of drive and waning to stay in the past, taking on little to no responsibility for his actions. The traumatic experience of his brother’s death is most likely the cause of his issues. He is expelled, because he shows no interest in his academic achievements, failing every subject except English, rather than for doing something illegal such as vandalizing school property. He has not yet reached the stage of acceptance in the grieving process, which is reflected in his behavior. In chapter twenty-five Holden mentions repeatedly pleading to his brother Allie: “Allie, don’t let me disappear. Allie don’t let me disappear.” when he crosses a street in New York. The despair that Holden feels in this moment shows how desperately he is hanging onto the past. He turns to Allie, a past memory, the one only person he believes that can help prevent his youth from disappearing. His yearning for the past is also shown when he thinks about Jane Gallagher. Instead of making the effort of greeting her and facing his romantic feelings for her, he brushes it off, saying he is not in the mood to go greet her. Holden also doesn’t take responsibility for his actions and prefers to take the immature route when faced with problems. He invites conflict with others such as Stadler. Instead of voicing his anger, Holden provoked a physical fight between him and his roommate by insulting him repeatedly. He himself acknowledges his immature behavior “And yet I still act sometimes like I was only about twelve.” Shortly after saying this he also states that “Sometimes I act older than I am – I really do – but people never notice it.

People never notice anything.” In the short timespan of the narration he often chooses to be alone, by for example getting into a confrontation with his roommate, subsequently pushing him away. His red-hunting cap also stands for his individuality as he is the only one that understands the importance of it. He proudly wears his hat while every other character sees it as any other hunting hat. When his sister tries to go with him after he comes back Mr. Antolini’s house, he refuses to let her do, even though he has run away many times before. He truly cares about the wellbeing of his sister and acts like a mature adult, insisting that she does not repeat his mistakes. Instead of leaving, they visit the park together, where Holden reaches clarity. When we see his sister trying to reach for the golden ring on the carousel, he realizes that he has to let go of his childhood. The never-ending carousel represents his desire never to grow up and take on responsibility. Just as he doesn’t acknowledge having to grow up, he doesn’t truly acknowledge the death of his brother and the effect it has had on him.

In the final part of the novel we learn that he is narrating the story from inside a psychiatric ward, making the story come full circle in the end: The narration starts in the present and catches back up in the present. We learn that he has finally come to terms with reality and no longer follows this idealistic assumption that he can stay young forever. Holden states that he truly misses his friends and has plans to attend high school again in fall. Even though Holden doesn’t go into detail as to how he has reached this state of mind, it is clear to the reader that Holden has found the help he needed to overcome his trauma and become a young adult. What is important to note is that not all characters follow the same character development. As stated in the quote above, characters in Coming of Age novels follow different transitions: while Miles does not seem to show immaturity, this is one of Holden’s most prominent features. By facing the reality, the character’s journey from child to adult begins. While Holden finally accepts the inevitable fact that he is growing up, Miles accepts the truth behind the tragedy of Alaska’s death. In order to convey these complex emotions that both main characters experience, I believe certain tools are used to convey emotion.

Introduction

‘Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody’

Holden Caulfield was a misunderstood teenager looking to fit in. In the Catcher in the Rye Holden faces self conflicts with his insecurities and his mental health. Holden faces a change at the end of the book, he’s been through rough things with friends but he still misses them and the experience. He has terrible friends, Stradlater, fought him. Ackley, brought his insecurities and Maurice. Through this essay, it will explain the most compelling things in The Catcher in the Rye, and J.D. Salinger life background

Authors research

Author Jerome David Salinger was born on January 1, 1919, in New York

Regardless of his thin group of work and withdrawn way of life, Salinger was one of the most compelling American authors of the twentieth century.

Glass family that show up in a portion of his works, was the result of blended parentage his dad was Jewish and his mom was Scotch-Irish. Salinger’s childhood was much the same as that of Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye, the Glass youngsters, and a large number of his different characters. Salinger had just an older sister. He experienced childhood in chic zones of Manhattan and for a period went to state funded schools. Afterward, the youthful Salinger went to private academies where he evidently thought that it was hard to alter

Graduating from Valley Forge. He decided to go one year to New York University before taking off to Europe. After returning home, he went to school at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, before returning to New York and taking night classes at Columbia University there. Salinger met a Professor Whit Burnett. Burnett, saw Salinger’s ability as an author, and pushed him to work.

Then the assault on Pearl Harbor happened, Salinger was drafted into the military, serving from 1942-’44. During this time Salinger kept on composing, amassing sections for another novel whose principle character was a profoundly unsatisfied youngster named Holden Caulfield. Relating to Holden, Salinger after the war he was hospitalized in the wake of enduring a mental meltdown. Posting the book J.D. becoming one of the most incredible writings.

In Catcher in the Rye, it was different in terms of style. Most would use like or as but in this story, he wouldn’t say ‘like’ he would use a different term and still mean the same. In the story J.D has to express that he isn’t an adult, he is Holden. This is Holden writing this book he has to make it seem like it is a teenager who’s been through a rough time as much as J.D. He makes the writing ‘phony’ and ‘corny’ to express the weird teenager Holden is.

J.D definitely connects to Holden emotionally. J.D was writing this story during the war, he came out of the war with no injuries but he did come out having a melt breakdowns and was hospitalized and through the Catcher in The Rye Holden has melt breakdowns and has to be hospitalized and writes about his life to help his emotions. Holden and J.D also connects on an isolation level, they feel as if they need to be alone to fully understand.

Plot summary

At the beginning of this story Holden tells what happened when he was expelled. Holden starts a fight with his roommate, Stradlater over the fact be wouldn’t tell about the date with Jane Gallagher. Suddenly Holden felt alienated from his school then goes to New York City and rent a hotel room to get away. As Holden was renting the hotel he say couples and got aroused so he pays a prostitute, Sunny, and then sends her away with only 5 dollars. Sunny and her pimp break down Holden for more money. Holden tries to look for a connection around New York but he felt alienated, he decided to call, Sally and they went to the theater. Holden and Sally’s date ends in a fight then meets up with his friend Carl Luce. Holden asks many questions about sex and drove Carl away.

Holden looks for ducks around central park and his home and talks with Phoebe, his sister.

Holden tries to talk with, Mr. Antolin but flees when he found that he would watch Holden sleep. Phoebe tries to go with Holden back to California but he rejects the offer. He tries to tell her to stay but he realizes that he needs to stay too. In the climax of the story, Holden realizes that he must let Phoebe touch the golden on the carousel. Phoebe and Holden forgive each other and Phoebe kisses Holden and gives back his red hat. Holden’s red hat symbolizes, his insecurities but his creativity personality Also bright red color makes him want to be noticed. Holden feels confident and comfortable in his red hat and when he feels insecure he even tries to hide it away. Holden feels happy that Phoebe accepts him as he watches Phoebe on the carousel. Holden goes back to the hospital in California and refuses to answer questions about his future even from his brother, but he truly misses everyone he talked about in this book

Time period

This story took place in the 1940s in New York city, Holden was 16. The book came out in 1951, it was supposed to be only for adults to read during that time. The book definitely reflects how J.D saw the 1940s saw to be, he was writing this story almost at the same time period as the story actually took place. J.D had a life in the 1940s he brought Holden basically to life by using Holden’s eyes around the world in the 1940s. J.D probably wanted to express his time period as a child or how he thought teens and adults acted in that year

Social issue analysis

Throughout this story Holden faces many insecurities. He never worked hard or stayed on something for school, and he always wanted to find love. Holden would also judge people by first glance, calling people ‘bastards’ or ‘phony’. This book definitely addresses how people with insecurities and mental health issues bring themselves down and how they go through it During the writing of The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger was in the war. J.D. was in distress and faced many mental health issues as well, with everything he witnessed he made a character to take him away from the war and imagine how it would feel back home.

Throughout the ending of the book Holden says to never tell anybody anything and if you do you would miss them, J.D. Salinger probably didn’t want to bring up his family to not miss them during the bloody war he went through, even all the men he met during the war, he didn’t want to experience the pain of losing someone in his life probably. J.D. thought he wouldn’t even make it, he didn’t want to miss everyone.

Critique

The strengths throughout this book brought Holden’s true feelings. You got to feel every moment he felt and it moves you so much throughout the story. As well, how the story was written basically like the style of how Holden is was shown and how it was executed. I definitely I like this book and would definitely recommend for people who want to emotionally open up to different types of emotional decisions.

Conclusion

It shows that even a boy who is judgemental, mean, and disgusted with the world can miss people too and be kind. It’s important to know this because anyone could be going through many emotions as much as Holden and would still be good and kind. This book brought different emotions, and it was brought like a rollercoaster.

Adolescence is defined as, the period of life when a child develops into an adult, the period from puberty to maturity terminating legally at the age of majority, the state or process of growing up, a stage of development (as of a language or culture)” by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Holden Caulfield in experiencing adolescence in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye.

As Caulfield narrates his story from a 17-year-old perspective from a year before, he is depicted as a stable, typical adolescent although having experienced traumatic experiences. He is transitioning through maturity and experiencing drugs, alcohol, and finding his identity and purpose as would all teenagers. However, Holden is carrying the weight of his younger brother, Allie, on his shoulders which makes his experience distinct; thus, demonstrating that while adolescence is universal the experiences that define it are different for all. Salinger gives us insight into his unique experiences through character descriptions, experiences, and moral/ethical perspectives that confirm Caulfield’s navigating of the rocky waters of adolescence as a typical teenager.

Caulfield’s social development is defined in Catcher in the Rye through the socially normal experiences Holden has as listed by the American Psychological Association. Holden drinks smoke and is failing classes as will 25% of adolescents by the age of 17 (Developing Adolescents). He turns to these options not only because they help him cope with his emotions but also because they are socially frowned upon but understood. Although drinking and smoking underage is illegal because is morally incorrect, it is also something socially normal that forms a part of the universal definition of adolescence. Holden smokes daily and drinks to get wasted because he thinks no one cares for his health. It is a form of rebelling, he wants to give the impression of indifference as do all teenagers. Drinking and smoking provide an outlet for his baggage and he takes advantage because he lacks the social capacity to disperse that baggage through a communication or a more healthy activity.

Though antisocial, Caulfield still shares descriptions of past and present acquaintances. He presents Jane to us in a very detailed way continuously repeating small details that one may deem unimportant such as her placing of pieces on the checkerboard. In contrast, he swings between liking his roommates at Pencey Prep: Stradlater and Ackley. His opinions of these two very often, but they are observed from distant facets of the friendship. For example, he likes how Stradlater is cool and nice to him but dislikes him strongly because of the treatment he gives girls. Ackley is presented to us as slow but then as likable. Holden is trying to define his identity and find a balance among the right vs. wrong dilemma teenagers battle. The formation of his identity can be observed in his moral and social perspectives of friends.

Another thing that deems Holden psychologically normal is his ability for deeper cognitive thinking. He gives us his opinions on critically acclaimed necessities such as school and religion explaining to the reader that although having good intentions, the systems are led by phonies that discredit them], thus depicting the normal teenager that will often question authority and adults (Developing Adolescents). It is more implicitly demonstrated when Holden is holding a conversation with Mr. Antholini. Although he likes Mr. Antholini a lot, he says he lacks intellectuality. While Antolini is attempting to convince Holden to return to school, Holden’s inner thoughts tell the reader that school is a waste of time in Holden’s eyes because it is a flawed system. Equally, this also happens before Holden leaves Pencey Prep and stops by to see “Old Spencer.” He is respectful towards him aloud but internally he’s condescending of Spencer because of his old age. He disregards the advice the teacher gives him, pretty much any advice in general. He thinks everything everyone does is personal vengeance against him. Holden takes everything personally because he is self-centered because “it takes time to take others’ perspectives into account” (Developing Adolescents).

Despite his clear normalcy, it can be argued that Holden is indeed abnormal because of his sudden outburst after Allie’s death and his substance abuse. In an academic journal by Wan Roselezan Wan Yahya and Ruzbeh Babaee, Holden’s trauma and suicide are brought up as a source of PTSD. Because of the trauma and suicidal thoughts, they deem Holden as mentally unstable since he cannot cope, “Felman (1992) considers trauma as ‘unreasonable and untransferable claiming that, “Holden stays in a numb state” (Salinger’s Depiction of Trauma in Catcher in the Rye). Arguably so, Holden does talk about death and sadness often, but he dealt with his brother’s death at the peak of puberty. He also lacks communication with those who shared that trauma with him. Despite his breaking of all the windows and sleeping for a week in the garage Holden is attempting to regain a normal life. Allie’s death will always leave a scar but contrary to the idea that he hasn’t found closure is one that shows Holden finding purpose from Allie’s death: protecting the innocence of children beginning with Phoebe. Holden himself couldn’t have happy adolescence and he wants it to be secured for the future. Everyone deals with grief differently, it takes some time others’ purpose and some never overcome it but Holden found his purpose within the carousel.

Caulfield allowed the reader to look through the lens of a damaged teenager that lacked communication with his family, lost a younger brother at 13, but had enough resilience to find closure in something that would patch the flawed educational and religious system. He demonstrated the ability to think critically about the abstract but also discredit the wise as the typical adolescent would. Caulfield takes the reader aboard the ship that nearly sunk and had to navigate the rocky waters of adolescence with a gaping hole but arrived safely to shore.

Works Cited:

1. Developing Adolescents: a Reference for Professionals. American Psychological Association, 2002.
2. Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown, 1991.
3. Yahya, Wan Roselezam Wan, and Ruzbeh Babaee. ‘Salinger’s depiction of trauma in The Catcher in the Rye.’ Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 4, no. 9, 2014, p. 1825+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A386918898/GPS?u=tel_s_tsla&sid=GPS&xid=6bc5ee90. Accessed 22 Feb. 2019.

In J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in The Rye, the reader is presented to Holden Caulfield, a 17-year-old who’s retelling the story of him at 16 facing rough times. Holden starts off by telling us that he has been kicked out of another school, Pencey Prep. He from there decided to leave and head for New York City. He wandered around from place to place because he refused to go home to his family. At the very end, he went on a small excursion with his little sister, Phoebe, which brought him a sense of exhilaration. Throughout this time he does many things that may be considered teen-like, but Holden proves to be an abnormal adolescent. He has parts of his emotional, behavioral, and social health that highlight how there is something truly wrong with him.

Adolescence counts as “the years between ages 13 and 19 and can be considered the transitional stage from childhood to adulthood.”(Psychology Today) As explained by Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute, being normal includes wanting to spend time with family, a small dislike of school, not abusing drugs, and trying to fit in with those around you. These were all things that Holden did very poorly.

Holden has many characteristics in his emotional health that show that he is an unusual teenager. The American Psychological Association tells us that” self-esteem, whether high or low, may remain relatively stable during adolescence or may steadily improve or worsen”(APA 15). Holden was one of the ones who had a drop in self-esteem. He used to think highly of himself, telling us stories of how he used to do things that impressed himself and others. As the stories progressed, those stories changed more into how he had a very low opinion of himself. Holden said that he’s the “only dumb one in the family”(Salinger 75). He was also always saying that he felt depressed. These things highlight there to be something wrong with Holden. He had a depression that was very excessive and uncontrolled. The depression started off as a small thing, but it began to consume him as the book progressed where he had moments of uncontrolled crying and of talking to his dead brother. Some people may say that Holden’s depression was completely normal because it’s just part of being an adolescent; however, this is not true. The thing that most teens feel is sadness, not depression. Depression most times need to receive medical attention Not all teens need to be treated for feeling sad, but Holden did end up looking for help for the problems he had.

Holden also had some behavioral issues that highlight that something’s wrong with him. The APA tells us that it’s fine to experiment when you’re an adolescent except when “it seriously threatens the youth’s health or life”(APA 15). Holden is one who loved to experiment. He drank, smoked, and wanted to experiment with sex; however, two of these things put his life at risk. He said that he could smoke 3 cartons of cigarettes in one day (Salinger 178) and he could sit around a bar and get very drunk(Salinger 166). He got so drunk he was imagining that he had been shot and he was also walking through the freezing cold with wet hair. He used alcohol as a way to ignore and escape the difficult situations he had around him. That’s why he could excessively drink. It’s very rare to see a page in the book where Holden isn’t drinking or smoking or thinking about doing it. It’s abnormal for teens to drink and smoke that much at 16, even in the 1950s. He used drinking and smoking as a way to escape facing his actual problems. Preferring to drink every day rather than going out to show us more of what Holden actually felt. He had very low self-esteem, so drinking was just his way of trying to combat that, but it endangered his life many times. Acting out because of all the excessive drinking is not normal in a 16-year-old. There had to be a reason as to why he chose to do that knowing that it could put his life in danger.

Holden had a very poor social life. He got kicked out of many schools and he didn’t have any actual friends. He avoided talking to new people unless he decided that they weren’t “phonies”. He decided to only see bad in people. He also didn’t have a good connection with his family due to the fact that he was separated from them while he was at school. The APA tells us that “a strong sense of bonding, closeness, and attachment to the family have been found to be associated with better emotional development, better school performance, and engagement in fewer high-risk activities”. Holden didn’t have that strong bond with his family, so he was always trying to talk to people in order to fill the hole that he felt after Allie’s death. Wan Roselezam Wan Yahya and Ruzbeh Babaee tell us that Holden “experiences an urgent necessity to talk” probably to ignore the people around him who he doesn’t want to talk to. It’s unusual for people to rely on strangers to let out their feelings. It’s more normal to try to deal with your problems, but even Holden had problems with that. He broke all the windows in the garage after his brother died and still didn’t find any sense of relief from that. Social isolation is a key point in noticing that something may be wrong with a teen. It allows a lot of time for depression to breed and get strong. That was the case with Holden.

Conclusion

Everything that Holden went through put him through difficult situations. His brother died and he had a very bad relationship with his parents. Having to experience all that trauma without having someone to talk to can cause you to have a lot more problems than the ones you already do. That’s what happened with Holden. His emotional, behavioral, and social development all prevented him from being the normal and healthy adolescent he could’ve been.

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, tells the story of Holden, a teenager who is searching for understanding in the world. After his expulsion from yet another boarding school, Holden runs to New York, where he spends the next few days. During his stay in the city, Holden constantly attempts to connect with others only to end in failure every time. Feeling lonely, Holden rejects reality, prefering to take refuge in his own perfect fantasy world. While Holden’s fantasy world changes throughout the novel, each form expresses a common set of ideals that Holden holds dear. Salinger’s usage of the real and Holden’s imaginary worlds demonstrates Holden’s desire to play the hero and his resistance to change.

In his fantasy world, Holden rejects his weakness and sets himself up as a strong hero. After Holden surprises Stradlater with a half nelson, Stradlater frees himself easily himself. Holden perceives himself as a frail person, saying that “I’m a very weak guy”(39). The fact that he considers himself as a “very weak guy” shows how Holden feels that he can’t protect anything and wants to get stronger. While someone who is decently strong would have been able to keep Stradlater in the half nelson, Holden was easily overpowered by him, which shows how weak Holden really is. After Sunny and Maurice return to demand Holden give them ten dollars, Holden puts up a struggle, refusing to give up the money. He calls Maurice a moron several times until “… he smacked me. … All I felt was this terrific punch in my stomach”(135). Despite being much weaker and smaller than Maurice, Holden tries to stand up to him only to be knocked down by one punch. By not trying “to get out of the way or duck”, Holden shows that he wants to show that he is strong and play the hero. Unfortunately, he is much weaker and when the punch lands, all he felt was a “terrible punch”, showing how much the punch hurt him. After Maurice and Sunny leave with their money, Holden imagines that “Old Maurice had plugged me. Now I was on the way to the bathroom to get a good shot of bourbon or something to steady my nerves and help me really go into action”(135-136). The imagery that Maurice had “plugged” Holden and that he was now going to “get a good shot of bourbon” creates the image of a tough person who is on the brink of death. While he had failed to get vengeance in reality, Holden is about to “go into action”, showing how he would have his revenge. While walking back to the hotel, Holden recalls that his gloves were stolen and tries to imagine what would have happened if he had caught the thief. He imagines that he “ … would’ve just stood for about five minutes … I’d just stand there, trying to look tough”(116). The imagery of Holden just standing there instead of taking a “sock” at the guy because he “wouldn’t have the guts to do it” creates the image of a cowardly person who is afraid of fighting back. By trying to “look tough”, Holden is attempting to seem extremely confident and brave while on the inside, he is neither of those things. While weak and cowardly in reality, in his fantasy, Holden is both strong and brave in his fantasy realm.

Aside from wanting to be strong, Holden also resists change. Reality is constantly changing, something that Holden’s fantasy realm lacks. This desire for everything to remain the same is also shown when Holden talks about the Museum of Natural Science. While looking at the various displays, Holden states that the best part of the museum is that “Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you”(158). The fact that Holden thinks that the best part of the museum is that “Nobody’d be different” shows how he feels that the lack of change is a good thing. For Holden, the museum has become a real fantasy world because of how little it has changed despite many years passing by. However, this perfect image is ruined by how Holden himself “would be different” every time he visited, emphasizing Holden’s love for a stable situation. Holden’s wish for everything to remain unchanging is also shown when Phoebe asks him what he wants to be. When Phoebe asks Holden what he wants to be when he grows up, Holden responds, “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game … I’d just be the catcher in the rye” (224-225). By emphasizing that he would be the “catcher in the rye” and that “That’s all I’d do all day” shows how he wants things to stay the same. Instead of being a mentor and teaching the children lessons, Holden prefers them to just run around and play, emphasizing his desire for everything to remain unchanged. While Phoebe suggests being a lawyer or scientist, Holden prefers to be the “catcher in the rye”. Scientists seek to make major breakthroughs and change how humans perceive the world while a lawyer’s job is always shifting from one client to another. Compared to these jobs, Holden’s imaginary job of catching children is relatively stable and unchanging. The imagery of children “running and they don’t look where they’re going” creates the image of a group of carefree “little kids” who haven’t matured and hence haven’t changed yet. The fact that Holden wants to “catch” them if they start to “go over the cliff” demonstrates Holden’s desire to save these children who are still young and innocent and haven’t experienced much change in their mentality. Holden’s fantasy world offers him a place to escape to in order to avoid change.

Holden’s desire to be strong unchanging pushes him to live in his own fantasy worlds. When in a situation where he feels weak or sees change, Holden instantly takes refuge in his imaginary world, ignoring everything that is happening around him. Whether he is beaten or seeing changes in places he used to go to, Holden has again and again escaped into his perfect realm. In the face of hardships, one can always imagine a perfect situation to escape only to be painfully pulled back into reality.

Work Cited

1. Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye.1951.New York: Little, Brown and Company. 2010.

Adolescence, a transitional stage of physical and psychological development occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood. Teenagers between thirteen and nineteen years of age, experience awkward increase in stage of their lives. During the teen years, teenagers reveal in some overwhelming external and internal struggles. In the novel “Catcher in the Rye (1951), J.D. Salinger uses the motif growing up and change to reveal, sixteen-year-olds experiences self-esteem, stress, depression. It is important that parents approach their teens, who have been dealing with teenage growth issues. However, Holden doesn’t have a very good courting with both of his parents. He has not told anyone in his family about the struggles he goes through. But the main problem Holden faces is a fear of becoming an adult comes from his inability to move on after Allie’s death.

Holden doesn’t allow himself to share his emotions with family or buddies causing him to sense remoted from everyone. Throughout the book Holden calls adults’ phonies, he acts so much like a grownup himself. With his interests and enjoy with alcohol and sex that he misses his own opposition. Holden hates the responsibility of adulthood, inflicting him to embody childhood. Since Holden doesn’t want to be a “phony” like the adults, he’s always searching approaches to stay young. “I keep picturing these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids and nobody’s around- nobody big. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff.” (Salinger 23) Another reason why Holden saves kids from growing out of their childhood may be because of the death of Allie. Allie was Holden’s younger brother who died of Leukemia at the age of eleven and Holden was thirteen. “I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don’t blame them. I really don’t. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddamn windows with my fist, just for the hell of it.” (Salinger 44) By analyzing this text we can tell that Holden was extremely affected by the lost of his brother. Its difficult to deal with loss of a member of the family, especially a very close family member like Allie. This part of the story is very essential due to the fact it shows how Holden tries to prevent kids from growing out of childhood, so they don’t come to be like Allie. This may be the reason of Holden’s depression, and now not wanting to grow out of childhood.

In some point of our lives we grow and mature. During the teenage years also called adolescence. This is a time for growth spurts and puberty modifications. Changes may encompass new responsibilities, identity, and sexual identity. Sexuality is part where a teen develops adjustments at some stage in their life. As Holden is experiencing adolescence, he begins to have feelings for girls. “She wouldn’t move any of her kings. What she’d when she’d get a king, she wouldn’t move it. She’d just leave it in the back row. She’d get them all lined up in the back row. Then she’d never use them. She just liked the way they looked when they were all in the back row.” Stradlater didn’t say anything. That kind of stuff doesn’t interest most people. (Salinger 33) Holden starts to experience his sexuality, he appreciates Jane as a person, while Stradlater sees her as a sexual item for him to impress. Another instance is when Holden prepares for a Saturday night date, he soon finds out that Stradlater’s date that night was Jane Gallagher. In the novel Holden repeatedly says he would go downstairs to say hello to Jane, ultimately, he never does. He tries flirt with Jane, however can’t get himself to comply with through and in fact do it. ‘Jane Gallagher. Jesus… I couldn’t get her off my mind. I really couldn’t. ‘I oughta go down and say hello to her, at least.’ ‘Why the hell don’t cha, instead of keep saying it?’ Stradlater said. “I walked over to the window, but you couldn’t see out of it, it was so steamy from all the heat in the can.” ‘I’m not in the mood right now,’ I said (Salinger 32) This suggest that Holden is going through puberty, because of the lack of experience with talking to females, causes him to hesitate to go talk to Jane. Throughout the unconventional we see this over and over as he attempted to call jane. Unquestionably, Holden has genuine feelings for this girl shows that him experiencing his sexuality. In the novel we can see that Holden has easy access to drugs and alcohol. Holden is an underage drinker, he uses alcohol as an escape from the real world and a way to stay away from the bad things in life. “I ordered a Scotch and soda, which is my favorite drink, next to frozen Daiquiris. If you were only around six years old, you could get liquor at Ernie’s, the place was so dark and all, and besides, nobody cared how old you were.” (Salinger 85) By this we can tell that Holden uses drugs and alcohol to solve his problems, alcohol is an escape to his problems. Time and time, we see that Holden uses unhealthy ways to cope with change. Normally teens use other ways to overcome their struggles, but because Holden never had a good parenting causing him to use drugs and alcohol.

An important symbol within the novel are the ducks, Holden’s fascination on the ducks within the Central Park lagoon signify his fear of change. Holden talks about how he is concerned in which the ducks pass during the wintertime, he discovers that they should adjust their lives to survive. Throughout the novel Holden’s nonstop thinking about the ducks indicates his denial with change, the ducks traveling into a brand-new environment. The transferring of the ducks represents his shift from adolescence to maturity. Holden gets in a taxi and directs him to a place called Edmond Hotel. During the drive Holden asks the taxi driver where the ducks in Central Park go in the winter. “I didn’t want to start an argument. “Okay,” I said. Then I thought of something, suddenly. “Hey listen”, I said. You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you happy to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you happen to know, by any chance?” I realize it was only one chance in a million.” (Salinger 60) What Holden means by “One chance in a million” is that the driver knows where the ducks went, he is saying that there is a small possibility that every person knows how Holden must be developing. Essentially, the ducks in the Lagoon represent his struggle with change and growing up. Another symbol was the cliff, the fall from the cliff symbolize the fall from innocence. Holden tries to keep the kids from growing up, and his wish is to help them avoid the cruelty of adult life. “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids.” (Salinger 191) In the end of the novel Holden imagines himself saving children from falling off the cliff. The cliff represents mistakes youngsters make in their lives. Holden wants to be the person who stands at the brink of the cliff making sure the kids does not run blindly. Essentially, his desire to protect children from developing out of childhood.

In conclusion the theme of Childhood and Adulthood are extremely necessary in Catcher in the Rye. Holden views childhood as the ideal state of being, while he thinks adulthood is loaded with corrupted people, “phonies” as Holden describes. The reason Holden attempts to save children from growing out of youth is due to the fact with the misplaced of his brother he wishes others to not end up like him. Although this became the main reason, another factor may be because Holden never had parental advice, inflicting him to view adulthood as something negative.

One of the most prolific genres of literature is the coming of age story. A coming of age story consists of a main character growing from childhood to adulthood through the course of the story. During this process, the protagonist must overcome many common challenges, both internal and external. The challenges they encounter consist of gaining a deeper and more mature understanding of concepts such as family, education, childhood, friendship, love, adulthood, career, and/or marriage. When most people think of a coming of age story, the first book they think of is The Cather in the Rye. In The Cather in the Rye, Holden overcomes his struggles with education, love, and most relevantly adulthood to entirely come of age by the end of the novel.

First, one of the internal struggles that Holden must overcome throughout the novel is his opinion on education and its relevancy in his life. In the opening chapter of The Cather in the Rye Holden explains how he feels about schools he has gone to including Pencey Prep and how it is full of phonies and the school itself is phony. Holden had also already been at three schools that did not work out for him, but he does not seem to be affected or care that he doesn’t fit in. After “getting the axe” at Pencey Prep Holden goes to visit his teacher, Mr. Spencer. Holden did this because Mr. Spencer is the only teacher that he liked there. During their meeting, Mt. Spencer tried to lecture Holden and said: ‘I’d like to put some sense in that head of yours, boy. I’m trying to help you. I’m trying to help you, if I can.’, however Holden took to this very negatively and ultimately might cause Holden to believe Mr. Spencer is just another phony. It was not until Holden’s later reunion with Mr. Antolini that he started to realize that he was wrong about school. Mr. Antolini had told Holden: “This fall I think you’re riding for—it’s a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling.” Which initially Holden brushes off. Then, during that night at Mr. Antolini’s apartment, after Mr. Antolini’s actions had made Holden feel uncomfortable, he is quoted as saying: “when something perverty like that happens, I start sweating like a bastard.” Later as Holden was thinking about his encounter with Mr. Antolini, he starts to rethink his impulsive accusation and think that he just cared about him. This is the main turning point of Holden’s opinions on schooling and why he should apply himself to things as opposed to rejecting school and the people there who are trying to help him succeed.

Next, Holden also deals with his opinion on love and more specifically his opinion on the innocence of virginity when coming of age. Holden is troubled by the fact that sex can be completely emotionless. He believes that sex is meant to happen between people who truly care for each other as opposed to sex for pleasure. Later in the novel he also must deal with his moral dilemma of whether to give in to the temptations he feels when he does accept to seek a prostitute in the hotel. After accepting the service, he starts to feel uncomfortable while thinking about the reasons that he has never had sex before. This mindset results in him refusing the service and making her leave his room after doing nothing. Throughout the whole store Holden deals with this struggle as he seems to want to lose his virginity, but he does not want to give up his purity and betray his morals that tell him he must only have sex with someone he cares for. By the end of the novel Holden is still very confused about his feelings on sexual encounters and although he does not get a formal resolution for this, if he follows his morals he will be happy in the long run.

Lastly, the most prevalent of Holden’s struggles is his animosity towards adulthood that causes him to view people around him as phonies. This is seen throughout the entire book as Holden calls all the adults around him “phony”. On the contrary, Holden also believes that children are more genuine and relates more to a child than an adult. He holds on to his youth personality and rejects all the adults around him as well as the notion of him becoming an adult. One way Holden keeps his child like state of mind alive is by constantly lying. While talking about being on the train with the mother of Earnest Morrow, Holden said: ‘Then I started to read the timetable I had in my pocket. Just to stop lying. Once I get started, I can go for hours if I feel like it. No kidding. Hours.’ This shows how although Holden himself is being a phony for lying, he holds into his youth in any way he can. As he recalls watching his sister Phoebe on the carousal, he says how he felt happy for the first time in the book. At the end, Holden finally starts to get over his distaste towards growing up and not applying himself and decides to apply himself and finally grow up after so many years of rejecting it.

Holden overcame his struggles with education, love, and most relevantly adulthood to come of age by the end of the The Cather in the Rye. There is a reason that coming of age stories are some of the most prolific genres of literature. These stories relate to everyone because everyone has gone through a coming of age stage in their lives. There are so many kinds of people in the world and all of which can find a story that relates to their past situations with childhood, love, family, education, or lives in general. Holden’s story in The Cather in the Rye is no exception and is in a perfect example of a coming of age story.

Works Cited

1. Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. 1951. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1991.

Everyone experiences growing up in a different way. Some people have a fear of it and some people look forward to it. In The Catcher in the Rye Holden, a teenage boy who just got expelled from his boarding school, experiences the challenges of growing out of adolescence. Some challenges he faces are the need for security, learning how to accept adulthood, having a fear of change, and having the need to protect innocence, these challenges are represented by various symbols throughout the novel. J.D Salinger uses the hunting hat as a symbol of the need for security, the carousel as a symbol of childhood, the ducks as a symbol of protecting innocence, and the glass cases as a symbol of the fear of change. These difficulties Holden experiences are a common challenge for many teenagers throughout all-time when growing up.

The first symbol that comes up in the book are ducks at a frozen pond that Holden can’t get his mind off of. These ducks symbolize protecting innocence. At the beginning of the book in chapter 2 Holden is visiting his professor when he starts thinking about these ducks at a pond he used to visit in New York, “I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in the truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away” (13). J.D Salinger is communicating that Holden has a sense of protection for anything that cannot protect itself. Holden keeps thinking about the ducks because he is concerned about how they will survive with no one to care for them. A few days later Holden is in the cab on his way to Ernie’s when he starts a conversation with the cab driver, “‘The ducks. Do you know by any chance? I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves -go south or something?’”(81-82). Further on in the novel, Holden still has a concern for these ducks. He has a need to protect them because of their innocence. He, later on, he visits the pond after going drinking. Holden thinks to himself “I’d figure I’d go to that little lake and see what the hell the ducks were doing”(153). No matter the circumstances Holden is in he will always be concerned about what is going on with these ducks. Overall throughout the book, Holden shows that he has a place in his heart for things with innocence whether it’s children or ducks Holden seems to care a lot and feels the need to protect things with innocence.

Another symbol is Holden’s red hunting hat which resembles a need for security that Holden has when he is in certain situations. Right when Holden bought the hat was when he felt ashamed and embarrassed because he lost the foils he was supposed to bring to the meet for the fencing team, “I put on this hat that I’d bought in New York that morning. It was this red hunting hat, with one of those very, very long peaks. I saw it in the window of this sports store when we got out of the subway, just after I’d noticed I’d lost all the goddam foils” (17). When Holden had bought the hat just recently he had made a mistake and let people down. This hat is a security blanket for him when he is sad, scared or in need of comfort. Holden uses his hunting hat for security again when he is talking to Stradlater, his boarding school roommate, about Jane, his old friend who he cares a lot about, “I pulled the peak of my hunting hat around to the front all of a sudden, for a change. I was getting nervous, all of a sudden” (34). Holden is worried about how Stradlater is treating Jane because he cares about her. In his state of worry, he is thinking about his hat and starts to fidget with it. From beginning to end Holden puts on his hat when he is in an uncomfortable situation. His hat symbolizes comfort and security.

The glass case in the museum at the park resembles a fear of change that Holden has. When Holden goes to the museum he used to visit as a kid that he has fond memories of he is thinking about the glass cases and tells the reader“the best thing though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it is. Nobody’d move” (121). Holden is suggesting that he appreciates when everything stays the same. He wants his life to never change from where it is now. He wants to stay in his childhood. Later in the chapter, Holden goes on again about how he wishes everything could stay the same. “nobody’d be different” (121). When Holden is thinking about the museum he compares it to his personal life and how he is wishing that nobody would change. He shows how he’s afraid of growing up and the changes that come with that. Thinking about the museum is Holden’s way of expressing his fear of his life changing as he grows out of adolescence.

Another symbol that Holden encounters is the carousel that Phoebe, his little sister, wanted to go on at the park. The carousel represents childhood. At the end of the book when Holden is walking with Phoebe they end up going to a carousel. He has a conversation with Phoebe, “‘are you going to ride too?’ she asked me. She was looking at me sort of funny. You could tell she wasn’t too sore at me anymore. ‘Maybe I will next time I’ll watch ya’ I said”(112). Holden declining Phoebe’s offer to go on the carousel is Holden accepting his adulthood. A carousel is something that moves around continuously like how Holden wants his childhood to go on continuously. Declining her offer was a big step for, representing him finally accepting adulthood. He then describes how on the carousel “All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she’d fall off the goddamn horse, but I didn’t say anything or do anything” (112). Holden sees many children, as well as his little sister- that he really cares about, in a situation where they could possibly end up hurt. Then Holden does something he usually does not do, he refuses to react. This small decision shows signs of Holden maturing as he is moving on from his need to protect the innocent. When Phoebe is on the Carousel and Holden is waiting for her he thinks “The thing is with kids is, If they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them”(112). Holden is finally realizing that he is not going to be the catcher in the rye, the person who protects children from facing adulthood. He realizes that everyone is going to fall from that cliff of childhood and grow up at some point and you just need to let it happen. Holden now understands that growing up is inevitable.

Holden faces the challenges of the need for security, accepting adulthood, protecting innocence, and fear of change on his journey into adulthood. As a teenager, Holden is confronted with more than just one challenge. Facing these challenges is what people go through as they get older. Growing up is scary for everyone but it is unavoidable. Every human in the world is confronted with obstacles they will need to overcome in order to grow and mature. People just need to make the decision to pass those obstacles when they are ready to face the challenges they will bring.

Without a doubt, growing up can be described as one of the most exhilarating yet terrifying experiences an individual may encounter in their lives. The idea that one must dive headfirst into unknown territory, all the while seeking mental and physical rediscovery can take its toll on those who find it difficult to accept that the world is constantly changing around them. The rollercoaster of emotions combatted with the constant pressures of society can dwindle the light waiting to ignite in an individual’s journey of self-discovery. Salinger demonstrates the fear of accepting change through the protagonist Holden Caufield, focusing especially on how this fear manifests itself into his depression, giving readers an insight into the thoughts of a teenager trying to find his place in the world.

Having to navigate your way through life after losing a loved one can be one of the most rattling experiences one must have to overcome. Much of the pent-up anger and distrust in the world Holden expresses resonates with the death of his younger brother, Allie. This is evident when he says, “I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don’t blame them. I really don’t. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it…It was a very stupid thing to do, I’ll admit, but I hardly didn’t even know I was doing it, and you didn’t know Allie” (38). At such a young age, Holden is already exposed to trauma, a side of life that one would never wish upon their worst enemy. Confronting the idea that your loved one will slowly lose their spark and begin to die right before your eyes is heartbreaking, especially when deep down you know that you cannot do anything to alleviate their suffering. Holden’s emotions get the best of him and he begins to lash out, taking out his anger through pain he feels he deserves. It is in these agonizing moments that one will attempt to detach themselves from feeling any emotions, slowly losing who they are in the process of trying to fill the void left in their heart. Throughout the novel, Holden smokes cigarettes and partakes in drinking even though he is underage. It is demonstrated when he says, “I sat in the chair for a while and smoked a couple of cigarettes…boy, I felt miserable” (98) and “I can’t sit in a corny place like this cold sober” (70). Drinking takes away Holden’s misery, giving him a temporary high from the pain that tears at him inside. He finds comfort in being able to drink away his problems, often intoxicating himself to the point of not being aware of his surroundings. His excessive drinking further isolates him from the rest of society, and if anything, contributes to the lack of a stable support system in his life. It is quite ironic how something that slowly kills you from the inside out can be the one thing that provides you life in times of darkness.

Holden’s isolation from the rest of the world is prevalent through his thoughts on how “phony” many of the people are in his life. His red hunting hat serves as his solace and protection, acting as a barrier from the adult world and his personal demons. This is made known when he says, “The hat I bought had earlaps in it, and I put them on—I didn’t give a damn how I looked. Nobody was around anyway” (53). Often times, he puts on his hat when he is alone, for he feels as though it would be too phony to be shown around many people. This ties in with the idea that Holden feels the need to subconsciously please those around him, even though he claims the opposite. The hunting hat gives him a surge of power, a chance to feel comfortable in his own skin even if it is only for a brief moment. At the same time, the hat is a constant reminder of Allie’s presence, the vibrancy of the red resembling a piece of him engraved in Holden’s memory. Even during this dark time in Holden’s life, many people look out for him, acting as the guardians he needed the most growing up. Mr. Antolini offers him a place to stay the night, offering food for thought when he says, “This fall I think you’re riding for—it’s a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling. The whole arrangement’s designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldn’t supply them with. Or they thought their own environment couldn’t supply them with. So, they gave up looking” (187). Essentially, he is warning Holden that if he does not get his act together, he will fall into a never-ending spiral of disappointment and misery. He sees potential in Holden and does not want him to live a life full of regret for the missed opportunities he chose not to acknowledge. He understands that it is in human nature to seek more—to act selfishly in times of desperation, even going as far as to end it all when that hunger cannot be sufficed. His younger sister, often mature for her age, expresses her love and admiration for Holden when he visits her. She can see through the façade he is trying to put up and calls him out for his irrational decisions. It is evident when she says, “Because you don’t. You don’t like any schools. You don’t like a million things. You don’t’ (169). Like Mr. Antolini, she only wants what is best for her brother, and tries to make him understand that he needs to get his priorities straight. It is here where readers gain deeper insight into Holden’s depression, for he has a difficult time thinking of something, anything that is worth liking, and worse yet, worth living for.

Holden’s fear of change and growing out of childhood innocence is made known when he visits the Museum of Natural History. As he says, “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move […] Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you” (121). Holden likes the museum because he gets a sense of relief knowing that everything in there stays permanent, even if the world around it is constantly changing. He refuses to step food inside, afraid of tempering with the good memories he associates it with, scared that it will not be the same as when he first visited. Holden is not mentally capable of accepting that change must exist in order for one to grow and become the best versions of themselves. He admires the innocence of childhood, the idea that through a kid’s eyes, the world is just black and white, with all of the suffering, torment, and agony hidden from their line of sight. This ties in with the fact that Holden’s dream job is to be a “catcher in the rye”, and he describes it as, “And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff-I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch them” (173). The cliff is symbolic to the real world—adulthood, and Holden makes it his personal mission to be waiting at the end of the cliff to catch kids who are about to enter into that stage of their life. He wants to preserve every last ounce of purity left in a child’s soul, for he sees how the world can begin to negatively impact their way of living and state of mind. Although not explicitly mentioned, it can be argued that Holden is aware of his depression and how it is affecting him, and it can be seen that these ideologies of his, his obsession with childhood, manifests from the fact that he never wants anyone, especially kids, to be exposed to the terrible truths of growing up. He has been through hell and back having to see people die right in front of him, each time being unable to do anything to stop it from happening. In his own twisted way, he aims to stop at nothing to make sure that these grievances will not burden the livelihood of a child who is excited to grow up, not knowing what the world has in store for them.

With all of this in consideration it is evident that Holden’s depression arises from his unwillingness to accept that change is never permanent and that the world will not stop for just anyone. As the novel progresses, he begins to see that childhood is not all it is made out to be, slowly starting to accept that growing up is inevitable. It is through Holden that readers are hit with a fresh breath of air, a perspective about moving past what you are used to and stepping foot into what the world has to offer. Growing up does not mean changing who you are, but instead, accepting that everything happens for a reason, and the situations one encounters will help shape them into who they are today.

In 1951, Jerome David Salinger published a novel ‘ The Catcher in the Rye’, which has become a desktop book of more than one generation of Americans and not only Americans: according to the number of translations to other languages ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ occupies one of the first places in the post-war U.S. literature. Published in 1960 in Russia, Salinger’s novel strongly influenced the so-called youth prose, which was made famous by the magazine ‘Youth’. Even in a far from America country, such as China in the 1970s, the protagonist of the novel ‘The Waves’ by the Beijing poet and prose writer Jao Jin Kai talks about the Cultural Revolution in the language of Holden Caulfield. This novel bribed reader with the extraordinary sincerity of the narration, as its ‘crazy story’ is presented in the form of an internal monologue. Holden Caulfield’s desire to talk about himself and others without hiding, desire to express literally everything that is going on in the soul, inconsistently speaks with intimate confessions of coarseness, jargonistic words, covering up vulnerability with irony and self-irony. Despite the outward uncomplicated nature of the teenager’s narrative, Salinger’s novel has in fact rendered a complex ambiguous work, which was manifested in varying respects by literary criticisms of Holden Caulfield, his main character and narrator. Therefore, this article attempts to find out the reasons for the contradictory interpretations of the Holden image.

Some critics have declared Holden Caulfield a rebel, almost a fighter against social order. It was the first reaction to Salinger’s novel. They considered Holden Caulfield as a fighter who spoke out against the reigning lies in society, as he was not satisfied with the ‘show’, the lack of understanding between people and the most elementary humanity. They explained this revolt by the fact that Holden is endowed with a special seventh sense – a heightened reaction to ‘falsehood’ and ‘fake’ (what he calls phony), to the inconsistency of the actual and the seeming. Indeed, the scope of the rebuke in the novel is very broad. It includes the education system, cinema, business career, literature, art, army, life, all- the thickness of money, and most importantly – universal, pervasive falsehood, which the author emphasizes with a special persistence.

One might think that this is not a real reality, but only a pessimistic and self-burrowing young man. But, as Lidsky correctly pointed out, Holden is believed unconditionally even when he resents ‘idiotic stories in magazines’ and in all other cases. In his opinion, this is not only due to the ultimate sincerity of the hero: Holden has become so only because he lives in a world of lies, falsehoods and cruelty, in the world of those ‘scum’ and ‘idiot stories’. This is the view of many researchers, calling the hero’s protest a ‘lone revolt’ or ‘an ethical revolt of a gifted person.’ But they all agree that they see Holden as a lone rebel, protesting against conformist unanimity and consumerism. Indeed, none of the characters supports Holden’s criticism – neither his peers, nor adults. Even his younger sister, Phoebe, who sympathizes with him, reproaches her brother for not liking anything. And the teachers to whom he turns for support warn him of the danger posed by his rebellion. Mr. Antolini, for example, stated that Holden was rolling into the abyss and the abyss into which he is falling is a terrible abyss, dangerous. Anyone who falls into it will never feel the bottom. He falls, falls endlessly. This happens to people who, at some point in their life, begin to look for something that their usual environment cannot give them. And Holden really suffered from his rebellion, since at the end of the novel it is reported that he is leading his story while in a sanatorium where a psychoanalyst works with him. As Vladimov notes, Holden is destined to become, as it were, a “separate conscience of people, of this unknown generation — torn, poisoned and bleeding. At least it’s not cheap for someone, but for Holden, in addition to everything, it costs health.

In this regard, an important characteristic of Holden is his awareness of the doom of his rebellion. This is manifested, in particular, in his disappointment with his older brother, whom he wanted to be like, since his brother changed his free writing vocation to a more profitable craft of a Hollywood screenwriter. He does not want to follow footsteps of his father, noting that lawyers are more interested in fees, expensive acquisitions and entertainment than the defense of the accused. As Koneva notes, Holden does not see anything but that gray everyday life that has already confused most of his peers in his networks, so any attempts to build his life in accordance with the norms of the humanistic ideal are doomed. Another feature of the Holden rebellion is noted by R.Orlova at the times the hero imagines how he takes revenge on his enemies, beats up the elevator, imagining people, who cheated and robbed him, it seems to him that he is beating up unknown vulgarities, which are covered with school and museum walls with obscene inscriptions, but all these battles are imaginary. Therefore, the critic presents Holden’s rebellion as “childish,” recalling the actions of a person in a dream: convulsive attempts to run, hit, complete impossibility to do something, a sense of speechlessness and powerlessness.

The most difficult thing is to present Holden as a rebel at the end of the novel, when he reports that after the sanatorium he will return to school, that is, he will return to the society that he hates. Ahead of the hero are waiting for new tests, but he does not know whether he will be able to adapt to social falsity or not:

“A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I’m going apply myself when I go back to school next September. It’s such a stupid question, in my opinion. I mean how do you know what you’re going to do till you do it? The answer is, you don’t. I think I am, but how do I know? I swear it’s a stupid question”.

The hero’s words mean that the denouement of the ideological conflict is absent in the novel, since he does not know whether he will be reconciled with social hypocrisy or will continue to struggle with it. However, A.M. Gavrilyuk believes that the Holden rebellion has a logical conclusion, because, instead of fleeing to the West, he and Phoebe remain in New York, because Holden is sure that running is always easier than staying and upholding his humanistic ideals. He does not yet know which personality will emerge from him, but he is already firmly convinced that “a person cannot live”.

A. Mulyarchik presents the end of the novel differently, coming to the conclusion that Holden’s revolt against reality does not bring to its logical conclusion, but his sister Phoebe, who, with a huge suitcase, was going to run away with her brother to the unknown far West. According to the researcher, they seem to change roles: the ten-year-old Phoebe is ready to rush headlong towards a new life, and Holden unwittingly searches around himself for elements of stability, connection with the past. In the researcher’s proof, such elements for him are the smells of his native school, music on the carousels in Central Park two steps from the house, millennia-old mummies in the Museum of Natural History, which are accumulated in the final chapters of the book. Another group of critics is T.L. Morozova, R. Orlova, A. Elistratova and others, consider Holden a fugitive, who, faced with social problems unacceptable to him, seeks to hide from society. As Elistratova notes, Holden Caulfield’s plans are more like fleeing the battlefield. Indeed, the hero was thinking about fleeing when he invited Sally Hayes to go with him to Massachusetts, to Vermont, to get married and live “somewhere by the stream”, where he himself would cut firewood. But the calculating girl replied that she would marry him only when he graduated from university.

Nevertheless, even after Sally’s refusal, the disappointed Holden dreams of hiding somewhere in the wilderness, settling in a wood cabin, pretending to be deaf-mute, so that there is no need to talk to anyone, marrying a deaf-mute girl who will not guide him on the true path, but children, if they appear, ‘hide from everyone.’

The main reason for the hero’s flight, according to A. Meshkov, is the lack of his own positive worldview, since he has nothing to oppose to the false ideals of society. That is why his rebellion is imaginary, and is characterized by researchers as ‘eccentricity’ or ‘childishness.’ To find a solution to moral conflict, Holden is constantly looking for communication. He is trying to find an echo from taxi drivers, from random fellow travelers, from schoolmates, from restaurant neighbors. He calls different people, including unfamiliar ones. But there is no echo. As Orlova notes, Holden is capable of deep, sincere feelings, he longs for complete truth, purity of naturalness in relations between people, he longs for communication, but stumbles on blind walls, sees that everything is polluted by calculation, falsehood, mutual alienation. And then the young man closes himself more and more into himself, the surrounding becomes intolerant to him. As Orlova observes, everything he talks about is accompanied by the words “disgusting”, “damn”, “damned”. The inability to change the hateful hypocritical “rules of the game” of society leads Holden to despair, as a result of which the hero experiences an acute moral crisis, when, as Orlova notes, the collision with the surrounding reality turned out to be unbearable for him. In particular, the hero refuses to accept the laws governing the relationship of people in conditions of social inequality. He is very painfully experiencing the property division existing in society. He is “angry” that the headmaster speaks differently with the parents of the students, depending on how who is dressed or he is “upset to hell” when he sees that his roommate, a boy with whom he wants to be friends, envies his expensive suitcases and because of this no friendship between them is obtained. The reason for the moral crisis is the awareness of his own alienation, which Holden is experiencing acutely, because, according to Morozova’s observation, he is distinguished by a complex spiritual organization, deep impressionability, in which even minor irritations from the outside can cause a violent reaction. It is the alienation of the hero that motivates his desire to withdraw from society and causes him nervous depression, because of which, obviously, he finds himself in a sanatorium.

There is also an opinion that Holden’s flight also means Holden’s search for the meaning of life, which is allegorically expressed in the ridiculous question “where do ducks go from the park in winter?”, That is, where to go from the cold of misunderstanding the environment. Belov’s opinion is proved by the fact that in Holden he sees not a rebel, but a loser. Heroes, as you know, are figures, he noted. Holden is tragically incapable of acting, even the trivial thing. It is no accident, the researcher believes, that at the beginning of the story, Salinger makes the hero make a snowball: Holden will choose a target for a long time, but he will never choose it, and in the end, at the request of the conductor, he will be forced to simply throw a snowball on the ground. According to this model, Holden’s further actions are constructed, the critic asserts. He does not sit still, he wants to do something now and then, but his feverish activity ends in nothing, for any attempt. He goes as the captain of the school fencing team – he forgets the equipment in the subway, he will let his comrades out. Proudly says goodbye to his former fellow practitioners – ‘Good night, cretins’ – but then slip on a nutshell and almost curl his neck. He will write an essay at the request of Stradlater’s boob, but not on the right topic, and then, offended by the incomprehensibility of the customer, he will tear up what has been written. He will buy sister Phoebe her favorite record – accidentally break it, hand over some fragments. Only in dreams Holden is the master of the situation. Only in the imagination he is able to famously crack down on the scoundrel lifter Maurice, to give up the reserves of tenderness and kindness, to establish the right relations with the oppressed society (pretend to be deaf and dumb, according to the old American tradition, flee to the West, live in the forest, etc.) . In reality, everything goes head over heels. The world around is as if taking revenge on his young criticism for arrogance, completely disobeying it. Belov noted: “Completely incapable of reality”. Consider Holden and other researchers ,Denisova sees the hero as a sacrifice in his complete disappointment in the society of which he is an integral part, and sees in Holden’s story the tragic cry of a man lost in a strange world, helpless, blind. Holden’s criticism of society is permeated with pain and man and faith in the possibilities and needs for humanity inherent in him. From this point of view, in her opinion, an imperfectly old hero is a sensitive seismographic apparatus that determines the state of society, but at the same time it is another victim and a product of this society.

Finally, there is a fourth group of critics, which includes those who notice the most negative aspects in Holden — a spoiled, selfish teenager who is experiencing a transitional crisis, after which he will turn into an ordinary consumer who has come to terms with public falsity. V. Panova belongs to this group, although it must be emphasized that all researchers notice the negative traits of Holden – both those who consider him a rebel, and those who see him as a fugitive and victim: N. Anastasiev, A. Elistratova. For example, Koneva notes that Holden is far from the ideal that he is lazy, untruthful, inconsistent, selfish, that he himself admits this, calling himself “abnormal”, “unadapted”, “eccentric”. Anastasiev believes that Holden’s youthful rebellion is bold and honest, but concludes that Holden’s protest is groundless and that his rebellion is futile. Elistratova claims that Holden Caulfield is not a hero, and to see in him, at least in the bud, the future conscious and courageous fighter for a new America, means introducing into this image features that the author did not give him. But Panova is the most categorical in her assessment of the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, declaring that it is a novel about a loafer, a liar, a dude, a bang, about a strange unlucky young creature. The analysis of critical works showed that all the presented interpretations of the image of Holden are unambiguous, and that they all have a right to exist, since Salinger’s novel is ambiguous.

Ambiguity is manifested in the structures of the text of the novel, creating ideological uncertainty. Such structures include, first of all, the narrative form: the sincere, confessional internal monologue of the narrator evokes sympathy and sympathy, but at the same time this monologue is the hero’s speech, which functionally characterizes himself, providing an opportunity to look at him from the outside All marked unambiguous interpretations of the image of Holden have a socially critical sound, and therefore deprive the novel of its inherent ambiguous philosophical meaning. The fact is that in the work of Salinger posed the complex problem of the conflict of individual freedom and public morality. This conflict is most clearly expressed in the symbolic image of the abyss, which is mentioned by Mr. Antolini, and which is put in the title of the Russian translation of the novel. In his presentation, Holden divided society into two parts – children and adults, he himself is in the middle. The children are attractive to him: he worries about a boy who is walking along the edge of the bridge, not paying attention to cars passing by, he loves Phoebe and his brother Alli. Children, who personify sincerity for him, play in a rye field in his imagination, and he stands on the edge of a cliff, that is, is in danger, and he considers the hypocritical adult society dangerous. The hero does not want to follow the example of even close people – his father, older brother, Mr. Antolini and teacher Spencer, since he cannot forgive them for unworthy actions. The middle position of the hero suggests that he is faced with a choice: either to reconcile and accept the false morality of adults, or to reject, while remaining childishly sincere. This position of Holden reflects the uncertainty of ideological conflict, which logically combines with the moral uncertainty of the hero. Finally, there is no denouement in the novel, as Holden declares that he does not know what decision he will make in the future and what he will become. This means that in the final of the novel the hero remains morally undefined, and the ideological conflict is unresolved. Thus, based on the structural correlation of the moral uncertainty of the hero, the uncertainty and unresolved ideological conflict, the ambiguity of the novel “Catcher in the Rye” was created, which implies a plurality of readings.