To understand how and why our identities form, it is imperative to note the roots of a person’s existence. Identity is not concrete when a child is born; it is the accumulation of events, both favorable or traumatic, that heavily shape a person. In this case, the person of interest is Holden. From the start of the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden assumes the role of a misanthropic narrator who criticizes his peers and superiors as “phony.” However, his evident distrust towards the human race and the world stems from his unfortunate childhood and his surrounding environment. The weight of a family and culture on a person heavily affects how one interacts with others as well as how they confront their position in society. Due to Holden’s
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The family and friends that people are surrounded by and the traditions experienced are key factors as to why people behave so differently. Strict parenting teach children to be independent and self-sufficient, and lenient parenting gives way to many wild, reckless children. For example, Holden’s parents are not particularly demanding of him. He mentions, “...I’ve left schools [before]” (Salinger 4). Given his unsuccessful track record with preparatory schools, it is questionable why his parents continue to admit Holden into prestigious places when it is apparent he will not apply himself. Without any form of his parents’ recognition of his struggle and flippant attitude, he allows himself to accept the role of a careless, loathing young man that no one has. Furthermore, the impact of peers and people, in general, is also significant upon our identity because they offer either conformity or alienation. This theme transcends American culture and can be seen even today with struggling cultures across the …show more content…
Whether it being relocated from one’s home like the Palestinians or even more severe like 9/11, these events change the way those affected feel towards the world itself and cause them to adopt a new behavior to protect themselves from another catastrophic event. The tragic event that most likely changed Holden for the worse was the death of his beloved younger brother, Allie. In the eyes of the protagonist, he saw Allie as the epitome of innocence and the ideal human being because he was both kind and intelligent. He speaks so sincerely about his brother and proudly recalls, “His teachers were always writing letters to my mother telling her what a pleasure it was having a boy like Allie in their class... They really meant it” (Salinger 38). When Holden reminisces about his sibling, he does not even bother to criticize the teachers for being phonies because generally, he would point out every teacher would say the same thing about each student. As a result of him loving his brother wholeheartedly, he developed a reckless behavior in attempt to numb himself from his loss. Holden tries to trivialize his life by saying, “Life [is] a game and all” (Salinger 8). His inability to live up to the legacy of Allie cripples Holden. He accepts being looked at as a failure and refuses to allow himself amount to more because he does not believe he can be nearly as successful as his sister, Phoebe, and
The family and friends that people are surrounded by and the traditions experienced are key factors as to why people behave so differently. Strict parenting teach children to be independent and self-sufficient, and lenient parenting gives way to many wild, reckless children. For example, Holden’s parents are not particularly demanding of him. He mentions, “...I’ve left schools [before]” (Salinger 4). Given his unsuccessful track record with preparatory schools, it is questionable why his parents continue to admit Holden into prestigious places when it is apparent he will not apply himself. Without any form of his parents’ recognition of his struggle and flippant attitude, he allows himself to accept the role of a careless, loathing young man that no one has. Furthermore, the impact of peers and people, in general, is also significant upon our identity because they offer either conformity or alienation. This theme transcends American culture and can be seen even today with struggling cultures across the …show more content…
Whether it being relocated from one’s home like the Palestinians or even more severe like 9/11, these events change the way those affected feel towards the world itself and cause them to adopt a new behavior to protect themselves from another catastrophic event. The tragic event that most likely changed Holden for the worse was the death of his beloved younger brother, Allie. In the eyes of the protagonist, he saw Allie as the epitome of innocence and the ideal human being because he was both kind and intelligent. He speaks so sincerely about his brother and proudly recalls, “His teachers were always writing letters to my mother telling her what a pleasure it was having a boy like Allie in their class... They really meant it” (Salinger 38). When Holden reminisces about his sibling, he does not even bother to criticize the teachers for being phonies because generally, he would point out every teacher would say the same thing about each student. As a result of him loving his brother wholeheartedly, he developed a reckless behavior in attempt to numb himself from his loss. Holden tries to trivialize his life by saying, “Life [is] a game and all” (Salinger 8). His inability to live up to the legacy of Allie cripples Holden. He accepts being looked at as a failure and refuses to allow himself amount to more because he does not believe he can be nearly as successful as his sister, Phoebe, and