‘The Cather in the Rye’ which was written in a post-World War I time and it is still relevant today. Teenagers today still face the same problems Holden faced in the 1950’s. In a time when he was expelled from school, abused substances, delved into promiscuity, questioned religion, dealt with loss and pondered about people from his past and present life, Holden would be able to time travel to the 21st century and still feel at home, as these are issues most teenagers today still struggle with. Teenagers today feel as lost as he did then.
What is more evident is that teenagers who feel lost will regard this novel as a defining work on what it is like to be a teenager. As a teenager, I understand Holden’s mannerisms when he seems disaffected, …show more content…
It is everywhere, in books, in films and on chat groups. Holden had the same experience, he even had the opportunity to spend the night with a prostitute but he did not take advantage of the situation. It is clear that Holden is an outsider.
Holden is seen as a juvenile delinquent, an outsider in today’s society. He the fish that swims up stream, the bad apple. These are the teenagers shunned by the masses but silently they envy individuals like him. Holden lashes out when he loses Allie. He breaks a window with his fist and hurts himself. He reflects on a fellow student's suicide and started a fight with his roommate from which he can not come out as the winner. Self-destructive and disappointed with all the aspects of his life, Holden suppresses his grief by pursuing other feelings to avoid the trauma which drove his behaviour.
Furthermore, the major force that drives him is based on whether he feels like it, or not. He does not naively follow religion and describes himself as an atheist. Most teens are trying to grow up too fast just as Holden Caulfield did in this novel. They all feel alienated by adults at one point or another, mainly just because they feel that adults do not understand them. The ways that Holden reacts to these feelings may be old-fashioned, but the essence of his character touches close to home for teenagers
What is more evident is that teenagers who feel lost will regard this novel as a defining work on what it is like to be a teenager. As a teenager, I understand Holden’s mannerisms when he seems disaffected, …show more content…
It is everywhere, in books, in films and on chat groups. Holden had the same experience, he even had the opportunity to spend the night with a prostitute but he did not take advantage of the situation. It is clear that Holden is an outsider.
Holden is seen as a juvenile delinquent, an outsider in today’s society. He the fish that swims up stream, the bad apple. These are the teenagers shunned by the masses but silently they envy individuals like him. Holden lashes out when he loses Allie. He breaks a window with his fist and hurts himself. He reflects on a fellow student's suicide and started a fight with his roommate from which he can not come out as the winner. Self-destructive and disappointed with all the aspects of his life, Holden suppresses his grief by pursuing other feelings to avoid the trauma which drove his behaviour.
Furthermore, the major force that drives him is based on whether he feels like it, or not. He does not naively follow religion and describes himself as an atheist. Most teens are trying to grow up too fast just as Holden Caulfield did in this novel. They all feel alienated by adults at one point or another, mainly just because they feel that adults do not understand them. The ways that Holden reacts to these feelings may be old-fashioned, but the essence of his character touches close to home for teenagers