Immaturity In The Other Miller

Miller, in “The Other Miller,” demonstrates that even mature adults rely on their mothers and cannot bear to experience life without them; while his father goes unmentioned, highlighting that his life lacks a father-figure. Miller, a grown man, hears news of his mother’s sickness; however, he denies that it is his mother, saying that there is another Miller who he convinces himself it is meant for, “There’s another Miller in the battalion with the same initials, W.P.” (Wolff 89). Miller cannot bear to lose his mother so he creates an excuse to rationalize the loss of her. The belief that problems can be avoided by creating excuses highlights Miller’s immaturity. He is unable to face reality and understand that he is bound to lose his mother someday and he must learn to survive without her there to help him. Contrary to Miller’s denial of the current situation and- what he believes to be- a misconception, he, deep down, …show more content…
Also, the lack of a male role model contributes to his immaturity. Growing up, he would not have received advice on strength and independency because his mother is not quite that. Miller, as a grown adult, feels as though he can take care of himself; however, he fears losing his mother because he knows that mothers are the best caretakers and he needs her to be there for him. Holden depicts his immaturity in trying to prove his maturity, “That annoyed me, for some reason. ‘Oh, Christ. Don't spoil it,’ I said. ‘I'm twelve, for Chrissake. I'm big for my age’” (Salinger 87). Holden convinces himself that he is more mature that he truly is by telling himself that he is larger than most of his peers. Similarly, Miller places himself on a pedestal for being in the army and genuinely believes he can take on more than he really can. Miller, like Holden, tells himself that he is much more mature than he is and as a result trying to seem more mature, he highlights his