Similarities Between Catcher In The Rye And Ordinary People

As a young male growing up, there are often mixed emotions about sex and love. In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger, a young boy displays his uncertainty and constant thoughts about sex and love. In the film Ordinary People, another young boy is caught in a similar situation and shares his opinions about sex and love as well. Holden Caulfield and Conrad Jarrett both go through troubling experiences, but Conrad approaches them in a healthier manner compared to Holden. Therefore, he is likely to feel better. Holden handles his brother’s death in a toxic way, and does not succeed in moving on. One way he handles the situation is by calling Faith Cavendish, a promiscuous girl that was referred to him by a friend named Eddie. …show more content…
Conrad reaches out to his friend from the hospital, Karen, and goes to the diner with her. Although he was not attracted to her sexually, there was an emotional connection between the two characters. He loves her, so decides to reach out to her after he gets admitted out of the hospital. Conrad made the right decision reaching out to Karen, as well as continuing to talk to her. Unfortunately by the end of the film, Karen commits suicide and Conrad is heartbroken about the loss of his friend. This shows how Conrad not only attempts to create relationships, but let's his emotions out. He states “Just let me be sad about this.” (film.) Although Karen is not the right girl for him, he still reaches out to her and tries to continue their relationship. He calls even after their meeting at the diner, and persists to speak to her until her death. Another way Conrad displayed a healthier approach is when he joined the choir. When he joins, he immediately shows an interest in moving on with his life. Through the choir, he meets a girl named Jeanine who interacts with him. She initiates the conversation, but he continues to go forward by going on a date with her. During the date which took place at a diner, some boys come in and create noise. Jeanine laughs and Conrad dislikes this. Awkward tension is then present which causes hostility towards Jeanine from Conrad. A few days …show more content…
Because of their introverted personalities and resistance to connection, they both suffer for a long time. In Catcher in the Rye, Holden simply cannot admit he is socially awkward, so he does things to convince himself he is not. An example of this is when he says to his cab driver, "Would you care to stop on the way and join me for a cocktail? On me, I'm loaded." (38.) This supports the fact that Holden suffers by not being able to connect. It is because of this inability to connect he is eventually admitted into a mental hospital. Another time Holden expressed his failing attempts at social interaction is when he asked the hat check girl at a club out by saying “ I sort of tried to make a date with her. She said she was old enough to be my mother and all.” (57.) This event displays how Holden is incapable of communicating with people, causing him to not be able to find love in any way. The instances with Faith and Sunny are other examples. In both of these situations, Holden abstained from sex with either of these girls because he does not want to grow up. The mental block Holden has can not be broken unless he makes the right decisions. These decisions include connecting with the right people, such as Jane. However, he chooses the unhealthy route instead. In the film Ordinary People, Conrad acted in a similar way. Conrad told his psychologist, “I need to control it.” (film.) By