Holden And Igby Comparison

Although the movie Igby Goes Down is based on The Catcher in the Rye, there are a few minute differences in the demeanors of the two main protagonists, Igby and Holden. Both struggle in education as well as life, and seeks an escape from it, but their reactions to this failure outline severely different futures for each protagonist. Even though Igby endured unique experiences in the adult world, Holden is more likely to apply himself due to his reactions to his own failures, as well as his expressed desire to help others. Despite his lack of knowledge in economic reality, Holden is more likely to apply himself in the real world due to his guilt and remorse over his failures in school. At first sight, Igby appears to have more work experience …show more content…
Such a desire could propel Holden to work in many different jobs throughout his life. In the latter parts of the book, Holden vocalizes that his dream job involves saving children from falling off of a cliff. He states “Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around...except me. And I'm standing on… (a) cliff...I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff ...That's all I'd do all day.” (Salinger 173). Even though this specific situation is completely unrealistic, there are many different jobs Holden could do involving helping people, or more specifically, caring for children. Obviously, since this is the only job that Holden envisions himself in, he has a preferred job market. This makes it easier for Holden to apply himself in society with the ultimate goal of working in childcare. Igby however, shows no interest in work at all. He only began to work for his godfather when he was pushed to work, and doesn’t seem interested in learning or beginning to find a workplace any time in the future. While Holden seems to want to improve in school, Igby shows no such remorse for his failures. This lack of guilt, coupled with Igby’s low drive, ensures that he will not apply himself in the future. Despite Holden making excuses for failing, he is upset by his own failure. The fact that Igby does not show remorse for the same transgressions is alarming, and could indicate his …show more content…
Holden’s family remains near to him, and they may be the main reason that Holden will apply himself in the future. When Holden is asked about his parents’ reaction to his failure, he says “‘Well. . . they'll be pretty irritated about it...This is about the fourth school I've gone to.’ I shook my head.” (Salinger 9). Holden’s family appears to be a constant in his life, and his closeness to them, while not mentioned in the book, is apparent. His parents will not allow him to become a recluse and move away, forcing him towards success. Furthermore, Holden knows that they will be disappointed and wants to be better. However, Igby’s mother seemed to be even more controlling than Holden’s parents. Her death allows Igby to do whatever he wants with his inheritance funds. While Holden’s brother, D.B., lives a short drive away, Igby’s move to California means that none of his family resides anywhere near him. Igby and his brother have very little in common, and may not even be related. With his family checking up on him, as well as his brother to look after him, Holden is not able to fail. On the other hand, Igby is so far away from his family that they cannot control anything he does. In addition, the vast inheritance that Igby controls implies that he has little to no motivation to apply himself in regular