The Catcher in the Rye
The novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, is told by a young, immature, 16-year-old boy named Holden Caulfield who is describing his three-day journey to a psychiatrist. Throughout the novel, Holden demonstrates his immaturity, emotional wreckage, disappointments and his fear from growing up into adulthood.
Throughout the novel, Holden reveals his emotional wreckage in many ways. Holden is only a 16-year-old boy at this time but how does a 16-year-old boy have so many emotional problems? For starters, Holden cannot deal with his younger brother’s death so therefore, this is the main cause of Holden’s emotional wreckage. His expulsion from Pency as well as three other private schools shows that he is depressed and misunderstood, “I forgot to tell you about that. They kicked me out. I wasn’t supposed to come back after Christmas vacation, on account of I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself and all. They gave me frequent warning to start applying myself-especially around midterms, when my parents came up for a conference with old Thurmer-but I didn’t do it.”(pg 4) Holden is irresponsible in the way that without his parents there to guide him, he gets no work done.
Although Holden is constantly in depression mode, he demonstrates immaturity in many ways throughout the novel. Holden cannot accept the fact that he has to grow out of childhood and into adulthood. Holden resists the process of maturity itself by admiring children more and criticizing adults in negative ways of their thinking and behavior. In Holden’s perspective, adulthood is full of phoniness. “One of the biggest reason I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies. That’s all. They were coming in the ****** window. For instance, they had this head master, Mr. Haas, that was the phoniest bastard I ever met in my life.” Throughout this novel, Holden makes remarks about his red hunting hat. Phoebe, Holden’s kid sister whom he admires...