Catcher in the Rye: Holden's Insight About Life and the World Around H

The first time that Holden really declares to the reader his tendency of alienation is during his conversation with Mr. Spencer. Spencer

Holden’s immaturity causes him many problems throughout the story. Although he is physically mature, he acts more like a child. “All of a sudden I

Throughout the novel, Holden attempts to find the true from of himself as he struggles with the social interactions around him. Due to the struggle and confusion that arouses from it,

In the beginning of the story we get to meet a character named Holden. A character with a weird personality. The number of readers who have been able to identify with Holden and make him their hero is something that I think is weird. Holden has a discontent and a vivid way of expressing life which makes him resonate powerfully with readers who come from backgrounds completely different from his. It is tempting to inhabit his point of view and just deduce what is wrong with him. The obvious signs that we see in Holden are troubled and unreliable narrator are manifold. He fails out of four schools, he manifests complete apathy towards his future therefore he is hospitalized and gets check ups by a psychoanalyst for an unspecified complaint.

I do not relate to Holden because although we have a few things in common, the majority of the main characteristics that make him up do not apply to me. Holden is a white, wealthy, male student who goes to boarding schools. Holden and I share the traits of being white and not being in the lower class, but I am a female and do not attend boarding schools. I have never experienced living away from my family for an extended period of time. Another thing is I can not relate to being a boy. I was born female and can not experience some things the way Holden would being a male. While basic facts about Holden can be used to compare us, there are many significant things about his personality that make us differ more. Holden gets in a lot of fights, some which are his fault and some that are not.

In chapter 7, the themes and motifs of lying/ deception, the plight of mental health, protection, isolation, and relationship/ interaction with others are overarching. Holden is a compulsive liar who tends to lie to protect himself from judgement of others and he also lies as a means of a comfort mechanism. For example, he lies to Ackley about what the fight was about between himself and Stradlater. He claims [he] was defending [his] goddam honor.” The reason he

is always being watched and thus they alter their actions to please those watching. It is very

Holden is a self-cautious boy, always judgmental of those around him. Females are of much confusion to him. Often he is unsure of how to properly treat them and seems to think too far into things, such as over using the word “phony” to describe

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.

Holden has several insecurities that are displayed throughout the book that hint at his condition.

Lies, failure, depression, and loneliness are only some of the aspects that Holden Caulfield goes through in the novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger. Salinger reflects Holden’s character through his own childhood experiences. Salinger admitted in a 1953 interview that "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book.… [I]t was a great relief telling people about it” (Wikipedia). Thus, the book is somewhat the life story of J.D. Salinger as a reckless seventeen-year-old who lives in New York City and goes through awful hardships after his expulsion and departure from an elite prep school. Holden, the protagonist in this novel, is created as a depressed, cynical, and isolated character and he

     Although Holden is extremely cynical and struggles with relationships, he is not all bad. Inside he is moral and generous. He was very charitable when he gave a considerable donation of twenty dollars to the nuns. Holden has a strange way of loving people.

Holden’s relationship with his own dorm room members while at Pencey Prep shows how Holden recognizes people who are genuine, while ignores or de -legitimizes people he feels

This personality can make the person display unusual arrogance, lack of empathy as well as absolute need fro admiration that can be seen in the way they carry out their duties at work and generally how they would like to be perceived in a relationship.

Holden and I are both lazy underachieving swearing judgemental pessimists. Holden and I differ in our good qualities. Holden is thoughtful, charitable, social, and modest. I am smart, and funny. Holden is the older new and improved version of me.