Robinson
1
Simple Truth
There is a singular event that connects every human being on the planet. Not everyone can say it is an enjoyable experience, but no one can disagree that it will happen. This particular event can be described as ‘growing up’. The transition into the adult world seems alluring and complimentary, but only when we become affiliates of the cruel, and sometimes unjust society that we miss and appreciate the blissful ignorance of our childhood. In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, the author explores how adult life seems complicated and unfathomable to a teenager on the verge of entering the next phase of their life. Though the main protagonist Holden Caulfield, the author captures the bewilderment of a teenager faced with the challenge of adjusting to a “grown-up” society. When Holden Caulfield is first presented as a character he emerges as a normal teenager. He complains about school, which he declares is no better than ‘any other school’, the “foul” language he uses to describe a given situation, person, or thing makes him appear rude and obnoxious. Additionally, Holden thinks about girls often, in particular a girl named ‘Jane’, which is a typical trait of a teenage boy. However, it soon becomes obvious that Holden’s character trait does not conform to the teenager stereotype. Though he has some friends, namely his roommate and ‘Ackley kid’, it is apparent that he does not interact well with his peers. Holden isn’t able to interpret social cues like most teenagers. For this reason, he is constantly ‘playing around’ without regard to how his behavior affects the people around him. Even his friends have matured and recognize Holden’s need to ‘grow up’. Such events are an early signal that Holden is an awkward individual who can’t understand the proper way to behave amongst his peers. In Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, Holden is critical of the conform society he live in. Reader’s hiss that Holden have lots of complaints about other people and how they live their life and how their actions bothers him. Holden could be seen as a stereotypical depressed teenager who manages to turn a good time into a terrible one. Readers immediately realize just how critical Holden is of everyone.
For instance, Holden criticize his own brother, D.B of hustling himself to have successful career, in which to some, would be viewed as having drive and ambitious, he states, “…He wrote this terrific book of short stories, The Secret Goldfish, in case you never heard of him. The best one in it was “The Secret Goldfish”. It was about this little kid that wouldn't let anybody look at his goldfish because he'd bought it with his own money. It killed me. Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute,” (Salinger p. 1, 2). Holden’s brother was seemly working hard into being a successful upcoming writer; however Holden mistook this as D.B was selling himself in order to be successful.
However, either version would be the same difference, ba...
