Encounter In The Rye Character Analysis

Certain experiences, challenges, and encounters people endure each day impact the lives of each individual and create the identities all humans possess. Whether it be learning from a mistake or dealing with that unpleasant boss at work, these events that occur in all lives develop the character and personality of each person. Incidents of the past determine the way in which one behaves, thinks, and responds to each new problem or situation. For instance, teenagers have more intense emotions than an adult or child do, and feel more strongly towards certain challenges that they face. Teens are angered quickly and made upset easily. They are more prone to lose control of themselves and become depressed over picayune matters. This is expressed …show more content…
This traumatic event caused Holden to prevent himself from succeeding in life. He had lost all hope and did not see any point in trying to do or be something if his brother was not there to see it either. This is the reason for all the destructive choices and decisions Holden makes throughout the story. Even though getting drunk and finding prostitutes came off as fun and entertaining to Holden, it was really a cry for help with the downward spiral into which he was getting himself. In one case, very late at night, Holden had arrived back at his hotel. As he was heading toward the elevator, the elevator operator, Maurice, basically offered Holden a prostitute. Holden accepted this ridiculous offer, as he was depressed and flustered at the moment and started to get ready for it. He combed his hair and put on a clean shirt. Holden “knew [he] didn’t have to get dolled up for a prostitute or anything, but it sort of gave [him] something to do” (Salinger, 102). Clearly, Holden was at a very low point as he needed a prostitute to distract himself from his issues. According to Richard A. Friedman, a professor of clinical psychiatry and the director of the psychopharmacology clinic at the Weill Cornell Medical College, adolescents have a harder time learning how not to be afraid than either children or adults do because of a quirk of brain development. Adolescents, on average, experience more …show more content…
Allie’s passing reveals Holden’s doubtfulness of society and everyone around him. Holden essentially shuts down, forcing himself to lose all attachments to people so as to never be hurt again. He repeatedly mentions how important it is to not get attached to anyone, since it would lead to missing them once they are gone. He was not over the death of his closest friend and he did not allow himself to fit in anywhere. Even three years later, Holden’s life is out of sorts. Allie’s death prohibits Holden from getting close to others. It also causes him to use anger as a coping mechanism to cover up how hurt and upset he was about the loss of his brother. During the whole story, Holden liked and respected only a few people with whom he interacted, but there was not a single person he allowed himself to be close with, except for Phoebe. In one particular instance, just after Holden left Pencey Prep, he was on the train heading into New York. While on the train, Holden commenced a conversation with an older woman, whose son, Ernest Morrow, went to Pencey Prep, too. As the chat progressed, Mrs. Morrow started asking Holden many questions about Pencey and what her son was like at the school. Holden told her his name was Rudolf Schmidt, which is really the name of a janitor at Pencey Prep. Holden did not “feel like giving her [his] whole life history” (Salinger, 61), and