How Is Holden Caulfield Relevant To Teenagers Of Today

Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger is a classic novel that is not only controversial but contains relatable characters such as Holden Caulfield. Holden is a 16 year old boy who has gone through so much pain and hurt throughout his life that he has given up in school and during the novel you start to see that he has given up at life itself as well. Holden struggles with depression, unhealthy drinking habits and with failing out of school. These three struggles are very relatable to teenagers these days. In the following paragraphs I will show you the connection between teenagers these days and Holden and the the similarities that make him such a relatable character. Holden is an ideal and universal representation of teenagers.

Actor Judd Nelson once said: “Young alienation, disappointment and heartache is all a part of the first real growing up that we do.” Nelson’s quote demonstrates a main theme of alienation throughout J.D. Salinger’s contemporary fiction novel The Catcher in the Rye. The novel follows teen Holden Caulfield as he leaves his school and stays in New York for the weekend. There, Holden constantly finds himself alone and isolated even though he meets many people. Through diction, indirect characterization, dialogue, and symbolism, Salinger creates the alienated character Holden Caulfield.

The Catcher in the Rye is one of J. D. Salinger's world-famous books about the disgruntled youth. Holden Caulfield is the main character and he is a seventeen- year-old dropout who has just been kicked out of his fourth school. Navigating his way through the challenges of growing up, Holden separates the “phony” aspects of society, and the “phonies” themselves. Some of these “phony” people in his life are the headmaster whose friendliness depends on the wealth of the parents, and his roommate who scores with girls using sickly-sweet affection. This book deals with the complex issues of identity, belonging, connection, and alienation. Holden senses these feelings most of the time and is guilty about many things in

In J. D Salinger 's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden, goes through many hardships in his journey to self-knowledge. In the beginning, Holden has to deal with being kicked out of school and not having any place to call home. He is also struggling with the unfortunate tragedy of the death of his beloved younger brother Allie. At the same time, Holden is trying to deal with growing up and accepting the adult world. Throughout the novel Salinger addresses the conflicts faced by a young man struggling with the trials and tribulations of growing up while also confronting personal loss and loneliness along the way.

The book, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, discusses many different aspects of the life of a young adult. The main character, Holden Caulfield, appears to be a typical self-absorbent teenager. Yet the majority of the time Holden makes valid points on what goes on in today’s society. Even though the book was set back in time, the issues discussed in the novel are still relevant today. Holden is often seen as an arrogant individual when in reality he wants a better world to live in.

The Catcher in the Rye is a book that not only grabs a hold of your emotions, but also transforms you into the life of Holden Caulfield. In 1951, J.D. Salinger published what is still being taught in schools all around the United States. Todays adolescents can still relate to the emotions displayed by Holden throughout the entire novel, much like the adolescents in the 1960's could. For instance, Holden is trying to find his way around life at such a young age. At the time, the age group "teenagers" did not yet exist. Holden was still a child, trying to be an adult. Today's children can also relate to this because, as teenagers, we jump into an age where we don't have our bearings yet. We begin to take on more responsibilities, but we still

Thesis Statement: Throughout the novel, Catcher in the Rye, Holden demonstrates many traits of a typical teenager including emotions of loneliness, sense of independence, and the feeling of angst. Many people would say that Holden is in fact not a typical teenager. A typical teenager doesn’t run away from prep school late at night and flunk out of four prep schools like Holden. He flunked out of his fourth prep school, Pencey Prep, and leaves the school late at night just because he felt too depressed, which is not a behavior of a typical teenager. However, his disturbed mental state is justified with the death of his younger brother, Allie, due to leukemia.

I kept wanting to kill whoever’d written it” (201). Holden worries about the kids who attend the school and will see the profanity written on the wall, like any other adult who wouldn’t want their child to see these dirty words. A part of growing up is caring for others, which Holden demonstrates when he is with Phoebe, as well as when he is talking about little kids. Another way Holden shows that he is growing up is when he goes out multiple times to drink. Multiple times Holden goes out to a bar, either alone or with someone, Holden always orders something alcoholic.

Holden's drinking and smoking habits are show throughout the book, his smoking habit was first told when he said “I have no wind if you want to know the truth. I’m quite a heavy smoker…(Salinger,5)” , another example of Holden being different from a normal teenager is his parents response to the drug, for example in chapter 23 when Holden's parents come home from seeing a movie Holden's little sister Phoebe has to explain why there was smoke in the room, through the smoke was caused by Holden, Phoebe takes the blame saying that she just wanted to try it, “Phobe, have you been smoking a cigarette in here? Tell me the truth, please, young lady.’ ‘What?’ old Phoebe said. ‘You heard me.’

In J.D. Salinger’s attempt to demonstrate the hardships of a teenager through Holden, he highlights actions that further advocates the argument that teenagers are careless. Moments within the novel that are supposed to bring the reader's attention to Holden’s mental illness instead make him seem irresponsible: ”I didn’t even know where I was going to sleep yet-so I went”(Salinger 153).Holden’s decision to go to the park rather than finding a place to sleep is evidence of his mental instability but is perceived as a teenagers’ reckless attitude. The lack of support in Holden’s life leads him to express his emotions through violence which in turn makes it seem as though he has no respect for property,”I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it” (Salinger 39).Since Holden is not provided support by his parents he chose to deal with Allies’ death by breaking his garage windows. Although it is a difficult situation to deal with his actions demonstrate a lack of control

Before being a teenager was recognized as a part of human growth there was an awkward bridge between childhood and adulthood. In “The Catcher in The Rye” Holden Caulfield finds teenagehood to be an awkward bridge with depression and loneliness. J.D. Salinger, the author of the novel, uses Holden’s depression to make him flawed and unreliable. Holden’s flaws and unreliability makes him the perfect depiction of a teenager going through depression. The death of Allie was the main catalyst of Holden’s depression.

In J.D. Salinger’s nostalgic novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield, is similar to a modern day teenager, because he faces similar dilemmas. In Angers town Pennsylvania, Holden experiences the struggle of a teenager who led astray. Holden finds great difficulties while going through the gyrating course of high school; he is expelled from his school, being kicked off the fencing team, and gets stuck on the low-side of the popularity latter.

“Cantcha stick a little rum in it or something”. (Salinger 178) This quote from the novel shows how Holden is growing up and taking on the unhealthy habit of drinking. Also Holden has attempted to engage in sex through desires and thoughts. These actions lead to reader to believe that Holden is maturing very quickly or at least trying however, many of these desires do fail.

Life has many harsh realities to offer. One of the earliest realities taught by life is that everyone must grow up. One day, everyone wakes up and realizes they aren’t children anymore. There comes a time when one has to take his/her own responsibility. It’s a time when carelessness is no longer seen as charming, but as deplorable and extremely childish. Like many other teens in the world, Holden Caulfield experiences this rude awakening first hand. JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye features Holden, a staggering and troubled teen that recalls the time of his life when true maturity hit him. The Catcher in the Rye highlights Holden’s journey as he faces difficulty transitioning into the adult world.

Holden is more of a pacifist than a psychotic, taking into account his interactions with his sister Phoebe or his recollections of his brother Allie and the very obvious affection displayed, nor is he driven to violent acts of passion, regardless of his never-ending aggravation with those around him. What makes Holden’s view of other people so scathing and his disappointment so insatiable is simply his grief. He is but a boy who lost his little brother, everything else is nothing more than a byproduct of that loss. Salinger did not just create a representative of youth culture that refuses to conform in his novel; he created a portrait of a grieving human soul. So is Holden a misunderstood youth or a sociopath?