Holden Caulfield Hero's Journey

The definition of a hero is as broad as it is contentious. For many, it is someone who steps out of his or her comfort zone. For others, a hero is one who commits a brave and selfless act. Still others may feel that a hero is one defined by a lengthy personal journey. According to the traditional steps of a hero’s journey, a hero must come from an ordinary world, yet do extraordinary things. Even though Holden does not save the world, he makes strides towards finding himself and resolving his own exceptional feelings of loss, misanthropy, and apathy. Even though many critics believe the protagonist of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, is merely a depressed teenager who has failed to fit into the standards and expectations of society, Holden’s saga epitomizes a hero’s journey in that he strives to find himself through hardships and loneliness. Indeed, Holden Caulfield represents a different kind of hero, but is a hero nonetheless.
Like in the hero’s journey, Holden Caulfield comes from a …show more content…
Holden has the courage to seek help and comes to terms with his fears. He learns to accept himself and the people around him, and ultimately takes Mr. Antolini's advice on applying himself more. When Holden finally faces the state he is in and learns to accept that he will, no matter what, become an adult and join the rest of the “phonies”, he obtains the views of fatalism. Fatalism is defined as “an attitude of resignation in the face of some future event or events which are thought to be inevitable” (Rice). Holden resigns himself to fitting in even though he has no real will to do so. He does it because he has no his choice and because he has made a promise to Phoebe. He watches Phoebe ride around the carousel, and, at last, he is happy. Similarly, Holden resembles Odysseus since they both return home with the award of reunion with a loved one; Odysseus with Penelope and Telemachus and Holden with Phoebe and