Conformity: Is it so Simple? Conforming; it almost seems too simple. Society pushes the agenda that growing up is an essential aspect to existing in a civilized society. A growing teenager’s life is hectic enough without the struggle of an external force; being society. In J.D. Salinger’s, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist Holden attempts to walk the line between preserving his individuality, and pushing the boundaries of social norms and societal unity. Through Holden, Salinger portrays the idea that conforming to social norms leads to a loss of individualism. Holden’s journey of self-discovery and testing of societal norms further isolates him from his acquaintances and the rest of society. His decision to disconnect from his “old”
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In general, when people have something to hide, they will say and do anything in order to cover for what they are hiding. In Holden’s life, he is covering up his inability to please society. This is first seen when he is caught off guard in the presence of a student at Pencey Prep’s mother, where he says, “Well, he is a very sensitive boy. He’s never really been a terribly good mixer with the other boys” (55). What this goes to show is how Holden actually talks about himself through his lies. Holden is a very sensitive person, and takes things to heart. That is why he got so upset when he learned about Stradlater and Jane. In general society views lying as a bad activity, yet Holden shows he has no problem lying. In fact, he boasts about it where he says, “I made my voice quite deep so that she wouldn’t suspect my age or anything. I have a pretty deep voice anyway” (64). Holden goes against societal norms in order to satisfy his own agenda, yet he is always punished by it. The rest of the phone call with the girl dragged on, and eventually she said she was tired and went to bed. Holden gets kicked to the curb too often by other people, and his feelings regarding this is portrayed through his
In general, when people have something to hide, they will say and do anything in order to cover for what they are hiding. In Holden’s life, he is covering up his inability to please society. This is first seen when he is caught off guard in the presence of a student at Pencey Prep’s mother, where he says, “Well, he is a very sensitive boy. He’s never really been a terribly good mixer with the other boys” (55). What this goes to show is how Holden actually talks about himself through his lies. Holden is a very sensitive person, and takes things to heart. That is why he got so upset when he learned about Stradlater and Jane. In general society views lying as a bad activity, yet Holden shows he has no problem lying. In fact, he boasts about it where he says, “I made my voice quite deep so that she wouldn’t suspect my age or anything. I have a pretty deep voice anyway” (64). Holden goes against societal norms in order to satisfy his own agenda, yet he is always punished by it. The rest of the phone call with the girl dragged on, and eventually she said she was tired and went to bed. Holden gets kicked to the curb too often by other people, and his feelings regarding this is portrayed through his