A popular concept among Bildungsroman novels is the classic story of an adolescent struggling to find themselves among an endless sea of people, but that concept can extend beyond a tale of normal development. In particular, a key example would be Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye, a seemingly confident and rebellious teenager who does what he wants and doesn’t bow to authority without a fight. However, there is much to be said about Holden beyond his supposed exterior of arrogance. Behind that thickheaded exterior he stands on his own, a victim to his own deep-rooted criticisms, as he is constantly plagued by dark moments of his past that prevent him from moving on with his life and following through with the common development of
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His inconsistent behavior makes him somewhat unpleasant to be around, especially when he feels the urge to act up for attention like a child. In many cases, his horseplay gets him in serious trouble or just ridiculous situations that confuse and perhaps even anger those around him. Flashes of immaturity cloud his true development as a young adult, showing his uncertainty in how to “act his age”. Even with complete strangers, Holden can’t help but burst out and ask random cab drivers questions like “...the ducks...Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance?” (Salinger 91). While it may seem like he is just playing around, Holden is genuinely curious about peculiar and symbolic things, like where the ducks from a lake go during winter as a representation of himself and progression in life. This display of innocence is Holden’s attempt to remain pure, as he seems to be viewing the world like a child. In Holden’s …show more content…
On many occasions throughout his lone travels in New York City, Holden finds himself drunk, lonely, and depressed. The mere fact that he attempts to resort to alcohol and cigarettes suggests his parents’ negative influence on his being as well as his own perception of maturity. Therefore, when Holden tries to be an “adult”, he is following the wrong examples, taking inspiration from his mother, an avid smoker, and the drunkards around him in the city. Because he doesn’t know how to cope with stress, he borrows and tries out the coping mechanisms of those around him, perhaps hoping that they would work for him too. Here, Holden exhibits how his “feelings are opinions are malleable” (Hochman*) as he fails to develop a coherent sense of maturity rather than being influenced by the rest of the world. He is rather susceptible to outside influences and unconsciously adjusts to societal expectations to try and surround himself with people. In this manner, it’s ironic that he consistently comments that many adults are “phonies”, even calling out his father by questioning whether lawyers “really wanted to save guys’ lives...or...be a terrific lawyer” (Salinger 190), especially when he himself lacks both a solid sense of self-identity and maturity of his own account. Based on his own observations of his parents, Holden constructs an image of adults as authoritative figures in life
His inconsistent behavior makes him somewhat unpleasant to be around, especially when he feels the urge to act up for attention like a child. In many cases, his horseplay gets him in serious trouble or just ridiculous situations that confuse and perhaps even anger those around him. Flashes of immaturity cloud his true development as a young adult, showing his uncertainty in how to “act his age”. Even with complete strangers, Holden can’t help but burst out and ask random cab drivers questions like “...the ducks...Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance?” (Salinger 91). While it may seem like he is just playing around, Holden is genuinely curious about peculiar and symbolic things, like where the ducks from a lake go during winter as a representation of himself and progression in life. This display of innocence is Holden’s attempt to remain pure, as he seems to be viewing the world like a child. In Holden’s …show more content…
On many occasions throughout his lone travels in New York City, Holden finds himself drunk, lonely, and depressed. The mere fact that he attempts to resort to alcohol and cigarettes suggests his parents’ negative influence on his being as well as his own perception of maturity. Therefore, when Holden tries to be an “adult”, he is following the wrong examples, taking inspiration from his mother, an avid smoker, and the drunkards around him in the city. Because he doesn’t know how to cope with stress, he borrows and tries out the coping mechanisms of those around him, perhaps hoping that they would work for him too. Here, Holden exhibits how his “feelings are opinions are malleable” (Hochman*) as he fails to develop a coherent sense of maturity rather than being influenced by the rest of the world. He is rather susceptible to outside influences and unconsciously adjusts to societal expectations to try and surround himself with people. In this manner, it’s ironic that he consistently comments that many adults are “phonies”, even calling out his father by questioning whether lawyers “really wanted to save guys’ lives...or...be a terrific lawyer” (Salinger 190), especially when he himself lacks both a solid sense of self-identity and maturity of his own account. Based on his own observations of his parents, Holden constructs an image of adults as authoritative figures in life