The Painful Journey Into the Wild by John Krakauer and The Catcher in the Rye by D.J. Salinger are stories of opinionated, stubborn young men on introspective journeys provoked by feelings that they are unable to comprehend. The protagonists, Chris McCandless and Holden Caulfield, both travel nearly identical paths, though they have very unique idiosyncrasies. Both Chris McCandless and Holden Caulfield are linked by the unhealable wound archetype, and fueled by oppressed feelings of discontent and confusion towards their family members respectively. They channel their feelings inward, which pushes them towards searching for an escape, “in the wild”. However, both react differently and have distinct falls from innocence which turn them against
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Holden’s journey leads him into the heart of New York City. Holden tries to escape from the painful reminder of his brothers death, but subconsciously he knows that New York is a strong reminder of Allie. This is comparable to the subtle reminder of the relationship between Chris McCandless and his father within the Alaskan wilderness. Holden experiences several changes in his point of view while nearing the end of his journey. After a particularly traumatic day in the city, Holden decides he would like to leave the city and begin a simpler life. He wants to start a new life in the woods as a deaf mute, and escape all of the “phonies” in his life. When his younger sister, Phoebe Caulfield, begins acting like him and prepares to run away with Holden, he finally realizes the errors of his ways. It is a pivotal moment for Holden when he watches Phoebe on the carousel. “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (Salinger 232). Holden 's epiphany leads him to understand that a loss of innocence in children is inevitable, but you can always be there to “catch” them when they fall. This epiphany causes Holden to abandon his irrational ideals about society. Unlike Chris McCandless, it is not too late for Holden. After the realization of his mistakes, Holden is able to go home and receive help. At the end of the book, Holden appears to be receiving treatment and is beginning to come to terms with his unhealable wound and resolve his
Holden’s journey leads him into the heart of New York City. Holden tries to escape from the painful reminder of his brothers death, but subconsciously he knows that New York is a strong reminder of Allie. This is comparable to the subtle reminder of the relationship between Chris McCandless and his father within the Alaskan wilderness. Holden experiences several changes in his point of view while nearing the end of his journey. After a particularly traumatic day in the city, Holden decides he would like to leave the city and begin a simpler life. He wants to start a new life in the woods as a deaf mute, and escape all of the “phonies” in his life. When his younger sister, Phoebe Caulfield, begins acting like him and prepares to run away with Holden, he finally realizes the errors of his ways. It is a pivotal moment for Holden when he watches Phoebe on the carousel. “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (Salinger 232). Holden 's epiphany leads him to understand that a loss of innocence in children is inevitable, but you can always be there to “catch” them when they fall. This epiphany causes Holden to abandon his irrational ideals about society. Unlike Chris McCandless, it is not too late for Holden. After the realization of his mistakes, Holden is able to go home and receive help. At the end of the book, Holden appears to be receiving treatment and is beginning to come to terms with his unhealable wound and resolve his