Adulthood Holden Caulfield, the main protagonist, in J. D. Salinger contemporary novel “the Catcher in the Rye” has a much more deeper character than what he reveals. Holden is a seventeen-year-old boy who writes down his past journey in New York City when he was sixteen. The readers get a commentary on his thoughts and dialogue throughout his time in New York. The audience therefore has unique insight on Holden’s personality, relationships, and actions. Beginning with an of Holden’s personality, the readers have to decide how much of what Holden is writing is truth or a modified version of truth that Holden tells. This complication was brought to the audience’s attention when Holden says “I’M THE MOST TERRIFIC LIAR” (Salinger 19). The author
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Antolini was a critical moment in the novel. The event can be seen from many different angles. Should the reader decide to trust in Holden’s words, “I knew he was watching me…damn perverts” (Salinger 212), Holden’s snap judgment portrays Antolini as a child molester and therefore gives the reader an easy connection. However, had the reader analyzed the event, a different impression could have been reached. Take Holden’s actions when seeing his younger sister Pheobe, “I sort of looked at her for a while” (Salinger 176), Holden watches his younger sister while she sleeps just as Mr. Antolini was doing. Yet readers are more likely to frame Mr. Antolini as a creep than Holden, due to the bias filter this book is written …show more content…
Salinger uses a variety of symbols to represent the struggles of Holden Caulfield. The ducks in Central Park embody the struggle of becoming an adult. Throughout his story he questions where the ducks go when the weather changes. His constant questioning reveals his fear of growing up. He asks his cab driver “Hey…do you happen to know where they go, the ducks” (Salinger 67). And again with another cabby “Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime?” (Salinger 91). He does not know how to deal with his transition into adulthood. Instead of asking the real question, Holden uses the ducks as his main point. Towards the end Holden starts to show signs of an adult mind. When he visits Phoebe’s school to leave a note he notices someone wrote “Fuck you” on the wall. His reaction was “It drove me damn near crazy… I rubbed it out” (Salinger 221). The profanity could have been written by a young immature version of Holden, but his action of rubbing it out symbolized he was not that child anymore. In case the readers missed it, the author repeates the event in different settings. “I saw another “Fuck you” on the wall” (Salinger 222). “Another “Fuck you” …written in red crayon” (Salinger
Antolini was a critical moment in the novel. The event can be seen from many different angles. Should the reader decide to trust in Holden’s words, “I knew he was watching me…damn perverts” (Salinger 212), Holden’s snap judgment portrays Antolini as a child molester and therefore gives the reader an easy connection. However, had the reader analyzed the event, a different impression could have been reached. Take Holden’s actions when seeing his younger sister Pheobe, “I sort of looked at her for a while” (Salinger 176), Holden watches his younger sister while she sleeps just as Mr. Antolini was doing. Yet readers are more likely to frame Mr. Antolini as a creep than Holden, due to the bias filter this book is written …show more content…
Salinger uses a variety of symbols to represent the struggles of Holden Caulfield. The ducks in Central Park embody the struggle of becoming an adult. Throughout his story he questions where the ducks go when the weather changes. His constant questioning reveals his fear of growing up. He asks his cab driver “Hey…do you happen to know where they go, the ducks” (Salinger 67). And again with another cabby “Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime?” (Salinger 91). He does not know how to deal with his transition into adulthood. Instead of asking the real question, Holden uses the ducks as his main point. Towards the end Holden starts to show signs of an adult mind. When he visits Phoebe’s school to leave a note he notices someone wrote “Fuck you” on the wall. His reaction was “It drove me damn near crazy… I rubbed it out” (Salinger 221). The profanity could have been written by a young immature version of Holden, but his action of rubbing it out symbolized he was not that child anymore. In case the readers missed it, the author repeates the event in different settings. “I saw another “Fuck you” on the wall” (Salinger 222). “Another “Fuck you” …written in red crayon” (Salinger