The Adolescent Crisis of The Catcher in the Rye Essays

The Adolescent Crisis of The Catcher in the Rye Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is valid, realistic, representation of the adolescent world. The book is about adolescent crisis. The main character, Holden, runs away from his expensive school because he is an academic failure and finds intolerable the company of so many phoneys. Holden is a rangy sixteen year old who has grown too fast. Girls are on his mind. Whenever girls do something pretty, even if theyre ugly or stupid, you fall half in love with them. Sex is something I really dont understand too hot. You never know where the hell you are. I keep making up these sex rules for myself, and then I break them right away. Last year I made up a rule that I was†¦show more content†¦Yet, Holdens own sex drive is very much alive; it is part of the irresistible thrust toward adulthood. He does not want to deny it; in this respect he wants to be grown up. The action of the novel is centered around the athlete Stradlater, who is a very sexy bastard, and who has borrowed Holdens jacket and girl. When he returns from the date Holden provokes him into a fight. Get your dirty stinking moron knees off my chest, says Caulfield to Stradlater. Youre a stupid dirty sonuvabitch of a moron. After the fight he goes next door to Ackleys room for companionship. That guy had everything wrong with him; sinus trouble, pimples, lousy teeth, halitosis, crumby fingernails. You had to feel a little sorry for the crazy sonuvabitch. But he can find no comfort or solace in the room which stinks of dirty socks. I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden, I almost wished I was dead.4 It is, however, the imminently dangerous quality of sex that is frightening. When Holden asks his roommate if he had sex, Thats a professional secret, buddy. When Holden recalls for this sexy bastard how he had met Jane and goes on to say that he used to play checkers with her. Stradlaters contemptuous comment is Checkers, for Chrissake! This girl, who had had a lousy childhood with a booze hound for a stepfather running around the goddamn house naked, always kept her kings in the back row.5 The symbolism of thisShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye1223 Words   |  5 PagesIn J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is portrayed as a young, troubled individual. He tells us his story from the mental institution where he is currently residing. Holden is a 16 year old going through many different adolescent changes. He is expelled from his prep school for flunking too many subjects. He drinks, smokes, sees a prostitute, is punched by her pimp, goes on dates, spends a great deal of time in the park, and really does not do a great deal else. HoldenRead MoreThe Importance of Censoring in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. 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The definition of personal fable is where someone believes that they are unique inRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger: A Review1887 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿The Catcher in the Rye Introduction The Catcher in the Rye, a novel by J. D. Salinger, was first published in 1951. The novel deals with the themes of identity, belonging, connection, and alienation. The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is a cynical sixteen year-old with prematurely gray hair that makes him appear older than his age. Holden is caught at the awkward age between adolescence and adulthood as he searches for his identity. Set in the 1940s, the story begins with Holden recoveringRead MoreThe Catcher Of The Rye, By F. D. Salinger1795 Words   |  8 Pagesunderwent a tremendous change in structure as well as philosophy. J. D. Salinger’s book The Catcher in the Rye helped contribute to this revolution by highlighting new philosophies in literature. This is evident in pre-1950 writing as well as the changes that persisted through the remaining part of the decade, especially in the writing style popularized during the Great Depression. The Catcher in the Rye also contributed to a change in conflict. This conflict started as an external object to overcomeRead MoreThe Catcher Of The Rye By F. D. Salinger1795 Words   |  8 Pagesunderwent a tremendous change in structure as well as philosophy. J. D. Salinger’s book The Catcher in the Rye helped contribute to this revolution by highlighting new philosophies in literature. This is evident in pre-1950 writing as well as the changes that persisted through the remaining part of the decade, especially in the writing style popularized during the Great Depression. The Catcher in the Rye also contributed to a change in conflict. This conflict started as an external object to overcomeRead MoreThe Search For Self Identity827 Words   |  4 Pages(Bernstein, 2008). Erikson believed that identity emerges from an identity crisis, which is the phase when one attempts to develop a self-image as a unique person by using knowledge from childhood. Based off of Erikson’s work, James Marcia formed the four identity statuses of identity development: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement (Oswalt). In J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caulfield struggles as he attempts to find his