The discrete stylistic themes and archetypes within The Catcher in the Rye and The Fosters gives the two works a solid thematic connection. The Catcher in the Rye is a novel that details the odyssey of a perturbed 16-year-old boy by the name of Holden Caulfield and the 3-4 days he spends unaccompanied in New York as he struggles with his entry into adulthood. Comparatively, The Fosters tells the tale of orphan Callie Foster and her adjusting to life with her new family, while she also deals with her ascension into adulthood. Additionally, as the stories advance, it becomes apparent that both narratives revolve around the life of a misguided protagonist and their familial and societal relationships. Both lead characters are teenagers who have
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Callie and Holden are both forged from the same archetypic troubled teenager with anti-societal tendencies. Similarly, as the narrative unfolds, it immediately becomes evident that Callie is hiding something. Straightaway, it is revealed that she has a younger brother who is entangled with her former abusive foster dad. Callie’s initial story arc is developed on rescuing her brother Jude from his predicament. Comparably to Holden, she becomes preoccupied with safeguarding a younger sibling which leads to her seemingly forgetting all else until she finishes her self-assigned task. Additionally, she exhibits no regard for anyone or anything else, because Jude is what is most important to her, just as Phoebe is what is most important to Holden. Callie explains to Brandon that “[he’s] going to get [her] sent back to juvie, and Jude is going to be stuck in that house” (“Pilot”). This is indicative of Callie’s notion that nobody will protect Jude if she fails to. As a matter of fact, her very first lines upon exiting juvie were: “ummm… where’s Jude” (“Pilot”). Subsequently, Relevance can be given to this storyline because it leads to the convergence of many character plots into one space. This gives The Fosters a character driven plot based in the societal/familial interactions of the protagonist, similar to The Catcher in the Rye. Incidentally, Callie’s prejudiced notions lead to a belief that she is not welcome in the foster family. She believes that she’s going back to juvie regardless of any actions she takes. Consequently, this leads to her acting the part on purpose and openly expressing her perception of her failure. Parallels can be drawn with Holden, who indulged in self-isolation to avoid disappointment on his parent’s part. Indicative of slight contrasts, Holden dreads his disappointment, while Callie embraces it as her
Callie and Holden are both forged from the same archetypic troubled teenager with anti-societal tendencies. Similarly, as the narrative unfolds, it immediately becomes evident that Callie is hiding something. Straightaway, it is revealed that she has a younger brother who is entangled with her former abusive foster dad. Callie’s initial story arc is developed on rescuing her brother Jude from his predicament. Comparably to Holden, she becomes preoccupied with safeguarding a younger sibling which leads to her seemingly forgetting all else until she finishes her self-assigned task. Additionally, she exhibits no regard for anyone or anything else, because Jude is what is most important to her, just as Phoebe is what is most important to Holden. Callie explains to Brandon that “[he’s] going to get [her] sent back to juvie, and Jude is going to be stuck in that house” (“Pilot”). This is indicative of Callie’s notion that nobody will protect Jude if she fails to. As a matter of fact, her very first lines upon exiting juvie were: “ummm… where’s Jude” (“Pilot”). Subsequently, Relevance can be given to this storyline because it leads to the convergence of many character plots into one space. This gives The Fosters a character driven plot based in the societal/familial interactions of the protagonist, similar to The Catcher in the Rye. Incidentally, Callie’s prejudiced notions lead to a belief that she is not welcome in the foster family. She believes that she’s going back to juvie regardless of any actions she takes. Consequently, this leads to her acting the part on purpose and openly expressing her perception of her failure. Parallels can be drawn with Holden, who indulged in self-isolation to avoid disappointment on his parent’s part. Indicative of slight contrasts, Holden dreads his disappointment, while Callie embraces it as her