Many people have difficulties transitioning from childhood to adulthood. In J.D.Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is a perfect example of these people who have a hard time transitioning to adulthood. While he fears change, and disdains adults, he is also too physically and mentally grown up to stay in childhood. Thus Holden is trapped and lingers between childhood and adulthood.
Holden fears change both in him and around him that is associated with growing up. To start, Holden is afraid of physical changes that are happening around him. For example, he states that he loves the Museum of Natural History because nothing there changes every time he visits. When Holden states how “Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different …show more content…
To begin, His physical maturity is evident in the way people treat him. For example, he “goes to the Edmont Hotel and checks in” (61) without any trouble, even though he is not an adult yet. Due to his physical appearance, people expect him to be more mature, treating him as an adult. Secondly, Holden’s behaviour is mature. Outside the principal’s office, he notices how “somebody had written ‘Fuck you’ on the wall… [and wanted to] rub it off”(201). The fact that Holden wants to erase the words “Fuck you” off the walls of school property shows how he wants to protect the kids in the school from seeing this inappropriate word, thus demonstrating how Holden’s behaviour is mature. Finally, Holden’s intellect is mature. For instance, when Phoebe tries to come with Holden to travel to a new place to live, Holden tells Phoebe that she “can’t take [any of her belongings] because [she’s] not going” (206) with him. The fact how Holden doesn’t want her sister to go with him to a new place to live proves how he cares about his sister; he does not want Phoebe to be caught up with any troubles, thus demonstrating how he is intellectually mature. There is also an inner paradox within Holden keeping him frozen between the two worlds. While his intellect is sharp and is physically and mentally grown up, he shuns adulthood because he hates all the adults around him for being “phonies” and patronizing; he is caught by his own inner
Holden fears change both in him and around him that is associated with growing up. To start, Holden is afraid of physical changes that are happening around him. For example, he states that he loves the Museum of Natural History because nothing there changes every time he visits. When Holden states how “Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different …show more content…
To begin, His physical maturity is evident in the way people treat him. For example, he “goes to the Edmont Hotel and checks in” (61) without any trouble, even though he is not an adult yet. Due to his physical appearance, people expect him to be more mature, treating him as an adult. Secondly, Holden’s behaviour is mature. Outside the principal’s office, he notices how “somebody had written ‘Fuck you’ on the wall… [and wanted to] rub it off”(201). The fact that Holden wants to erase the words “Fuck you” off the walls of school property shows how he wants to protect the kids in the school from seeing this inappropriate word, thus demonstrating how Holden’s behaviour is mature. Finally, Holden’s intellect is mature. For instance, when Phoebe tries to come with Holden to travel to a new place to live, Holden tells Phoebe that she “can’t take [any of her belongings] because [she’s] not going” (206) with him. The fact how Holden doesn’t want her sister to go with him to a new place to live proves how he cares about his sister; he does not want Phoebe to be caught up with any troubles, thus demonstrating how he is intellectually mature. There is also an inner paradox within Holden keeping him frozen between the two worlds. While his intellect is sharp and is physically and mentally grown up, he shuns adulthood because he hates all the adults around him for being “phonies” and patronizing; he is caught by his own inner