Catcher In The Rye Holden's Journey

Teenage years are difficult. Time tells this story of struggle again and again. The Catcher in the Rye is a classic novel showing the struggles a teenager goes through while transitioning into adulthood. The main character, Holden Caulfield, is a judgmental and temperamental boy who struggles to see the positivity in life. Throughout the story, Holden searches to find himself, as he feels forced to grow up. He holds onto aspects of his childhood and isolates himself so much that it is even harder for him to transition. J.D. Salinger uses the red hunting hat, the museum and cigarettes as important symbols in the story to convey the themes of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, loneliness, and isolation.

From its publication, The Catcher in the Rye gained widespread aversion from schools through its blatant profanity. But despite the time gap since the publication in the 1950s until now, the book explores immortal themes of adolescence and maturing still relevant today. Symbolizing the average teenage life, adolescents throughout the country are able to connect to Holden without question. As Holden agonizes over his purpose and depression, teens relate to this some intangible part of themselves. Holden frustrates over dating, drinking, low grades, switching schools, and life in general. Suddenly, in a second, as the adult world threatens the once serene childhood, as the weight of responsibility of being an adult crashes, Holden crumbles.

In The Catcher in The Rye Holden Caulfield retells the experiences he had while he was unknowingly on a quest. In the end, Holden failed his original quest, but ended up discovering something about himself and the world.

In the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a novel about a journey Holden Caulfield took. In the beginning of the novel Holden seems immature and idealistic. While he is going through his journey, he is opened to the adult world, although it's very hard for Holden to grow up he is "growing up in pain" (40). His journey wasn't very successful, he doesn't manage to grow up and doesn't want to become an adult. I think he is scared because adults have a lot to handle.

showed off because it seemed so fake and unnatural every time they would do so.

The challenges Holden meets emphasize his diligence and highlight the committed route he embarks on as a hero. Salinger utilizes Holden’s hardships to portray the struggle he encounters while battling against his adverse odds during his escapade. Through Salinger’s interpretation of a hero, he depicts Holden as a character who persists to pass the obstacles that confront him even amid failure; to illustrate, Holden’s constant battle to sever the unbreakable bridge between adolescence and adulthood provides an unstable foundation for Holden to grow: “something terrible happened just as I got in the park. I dropped old Phoebe's record. It broke into about fifty pieces. It was in a big envelope and all, but it broke anyway. I damn near cried, it made me feel so terrible,

were they feel like they’re alienated. In a lot of ways, Holden also literally wants

A highly controversial novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, originally written for the entertainment of adults, soon grew to serve as a model for teenagers and their social culture throughout the 1950s. The story catches the essence of teenage angst and estrangement through following the short forty-eight hour recollection of young Holden Caulfield’s life. The novel illustrates the idea that Holden Caulfield suffers from trauma and depression, leaving the lost sixteen-year-old tormented by his past and the plethora of pain that follows.

In the Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden is very affected by the events in his life. After losing his brother, he sees the world and the people close to him as people he needs to protect so they don’t experience the sadness that he has. Holden’s relationships with his sister Phoebe, Sunny the prostitute and the young boy singing a song, all are examples of how his deep troubles and hardships influence his actions towards others. He is a complex person and tries to hide this deep sense of caring by acting cool when really his main goal is to save others.

The Catcher in the Rye is in its entirety, a essence of the preservation of innocence and the pursuit of compassion. The novel is meticulous in how it intertwines the teenage struggle with society and a looming adulthood. It also deals with issues of depression and mental illness. These issues are important because it helps the reader understand the rationale of Holden Caulfield. Holden suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as evidenced by his psychological and physical behavior.

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses literary elements such as tone, figurative language, and theme to create the overall effect of a teenager’s cynical and conflicted approach to dealing with the concept of adulthood. Salinger writes about Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old boy, and his venture through New York City after he is expelled from his preparatory school due to academic failure. During his time in the city, emotional and mental problems surface, and his desperate want for companionship exposes his inability to connect with others.

JD. Salinger’s 1951 book, The Catcher in the Rye, shows us how society treated their confused and changing teenagers during their transition into adulthood. The book’s main character Holden Caulfield is being pressured into growing up even though he doesn’t feel ready, to lead an adult life. He is still struggling socially and mourning for his deceased brother whose death turned Holden upside down and into a negative, hopeless person from a young age, which causes him to be distracted, indifferent and to flunk every school he goes to.

Everyone in the society can have some influences in any way, negatively or positively. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden encounters many people throughout his journey. These relationships he has influence his view of the world, allowing him to mature from someone who dislikes the shallow cruel world to understanding this is how life is. This development is shown through "phonies" he meets throughout the novel, his brother Allie, and his sister Phoebe.

It takes many experiences in order for an immature child to become a responsible, well-rounded adult. In J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger’s main character Holden Caulfield matures throughout the course of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Holden is a juvenile young man. However, through his experiences, Holden is able to learn, and is finally able to become somewhat mature by the end of the novel. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s story represents a coming of age for all young adults.

For Holden, the social background is the post-World War Ⅱ period, during which the old tradition has been broken, yet no new standard has been established. The society is changing and the culture is becoming free and phony. The lives of many Americans are increasingly characterized by a sense of alienation and loss of individual control and distinctiveness that lend new meaning to the merging of social identity and self-identity. The social imbalance and ambiguity make it more difficult for adolescents to grow up. The young confront with the social problems brought by the post-World War ⅡAmerican civilization. It can be inferred that his rebellion derives from such social background. Holden’s rebellion, as shown in the novel, is towards the adulthood which he thinks is phony, corrupted and puzzling. In the process of his rebellion, Holden, consciously or unconsciously, takes the role of a spokesman for children, the weak and vulnerable group in the materialistic world. Being unable to overthrow the corrupted world of