The Theme Of Alienation In Catcher In The Dye And Into The Rye

“Isolation doesn't bother me at all. It gives me a sense of security” (Page). This quote reflects the theme of isolation in the novels Catcher in the Rye and Into the Wild. Both novels express isolation through the characters of Chris McCandless and Holden Caulfield. However, only Holden, the main character in Catcher in the Rye, uses alienation as a form of self protection. Holden is protecting himself from the thought of growing up, something he fears. He is scared to face his problems and grow up, so he alienates himself. Chris, a character in Into the Wild, isolates himself from society by heading into the wilderness of Alaska alone. However, he differs from Holden in the sense that he does it by choice rather than self protection. Catcher …show more content…
Holden on the other hand, runs away from his problems to protect himself from having to grow up. As previously talked about, Chris created a new life for himself. He recreates himself not because he has to, but because he wants to. In fact, Chris was living a very good life before he chose to abandoned it. He grew up with a wealthy family and graduated from Emory University in Georgia. However, he was determined to live a life in the wilderness. Although it seems strange to most, this lifestyle appeals to many including the author, Jon Krakauer. Jon went to the mountains by himself and expresses why he did it through the quote, “I got it into my head to climb a mountain called Devil’s Thumb, which had never been climbed… I decided, moreover, to do it alone” (Krakauer 134). The idea of running away from civilization and isolating yourself from the real world appeals to many, including Chris. This form of alienation from society is by choice, not for self protection. However, Holden runs away to escape his problems. In other words, Holden is protecting himself from his problems by running away. He first runs away to protect himself by escaping his school, Pencey Prep. He failed out of school; instead of growing up and getting his grades up, he runs away. He even considers running away to protect himself from his problems at the end of Catcher in …show more content…
For this reason, Catcher in the Rye displays the theme of “alienation as a form of self protection” better than Into the Wild. Holden shows how he uses alienation to protect himself as seen through him putting off his problems, refusing to become part of the real, adult world, and by abandoning civilization. All three of these attempts to protect himself from his problems lead to alienation. Thus by Holden doing them, he is unpurposely alienating as a form of self protection. Contrary to Chris, who purposely alienates himself because he wants to. He has no desire to do it as a form of self protection. All in all, Catcher in the Rye clearly displays the theme “alienation as a form of self protection” better than into the