Holden Caulfield, the sixteen-year-old narrator in the book The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger, is protecting himself from reality and creating a “fantasy realm” for himself to dwell in. He is lost in the thoughts of growing up and having to conform to society, becoming something he hates, a phony. We learn more about the untrustworthy narrator as the story, told from his perspective, is played out in a jaded moreover, rebellious viewpoint of his life after he gets kicked out of school for failing most of his classes. Looking deeper into Holden’s character one can see how distressed he is, wanting to not grow up or conform to society, whilst also battling with himself and his mental health, making him a more relatable character to young adults who may struggle just like Holden.
Holden’s fear of becoming an adult, or a “phony” as he likes to call most adults in the book, stays an important part of his character throughout the story. He believes that growing up is the worst thing to happen to children, since most lose their innocence as they become older. Holden likes to think of himself as the savior of children, protecting their innocence from being taken away. The Catcher in the Rye song that a young boy sings in chapter 16 can display Holden’s thought …show more content…
We all must face the things we do not want to because the world is an unfair place that will not hand things to people on a silver platter. The Catcher in the Rye allowed readers to grasp that concept through Holden’s mental issues, his want to be different from society, and never wanting to grow up. Just like many others who are facing problems like these, Holden will find his place and what he wants to do. Only then will he understand that growing up is necessary to survive in this harsh
Holden’s fear of becoming an adult, or a “phony” as he likes to call most adults in the book, stays an important part of his character throughout the story. He believes that growing up is the worst thing to happen to children, since most lose their innocence as they become older. Holden likes to think of himself as the savior of children, protecting their innocence from being taken away. The Catcher in the Rye song that a young boy sings in chapter 16 can display Holden’s thought …show more content…
We all must face the things we do not want to because the world is an unfair place that will not hand things to people on a silver platter. The Catcher in the Rye allowed readers to grasp that concept through Holden’s mental issues, his want to be different from society, and never wanting to grow up. Just like many others who are facing problems like these, Holden will find his place and what he wants to do. Only then will he understand that growing up is necessary to survive in this harsh