The Young Holden

             J.D. Salinger, an American novelist and a short story writer, introduces a peculiar and a very special strange young man in an outstanding novel labeled The Catcher in the Rye. A troubled teen named Holden Caulfield, at the age of 16, tries to maintain the purity and realness of life. He rejects the society around him and continuously describes people and their behavior as "phonies". He constantly feels lonely, miserable, depressed and not to belong to the environment he lives in. Although he is very immature, he feels he has grown up and hates people when they expect him to be more mature. He is a troubled young boy who is having difficulties trying to survive in the world around him. He cares for weakness and pure innocence. This is shown in his affection towards little children and the ducks in Central Park. He is a very affectionate sensitive guy, however, he tries not to show this part of his character to the reader.
             Throughout the novel, Holden does not completely become mature. He keeps on remembering the death of his younger brother, Allie. "Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's sake-especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive and all"(J.D. Salinger, 171). He keeps on repeating how smart and nice he is. Although he thinks high of his parents, he avoids them. He is socially hopeless. He does know many people and have friends, but is unable to form real friendships that last long. He feels like the only person he can talk to his little sister, Phoebe "You should see her. You never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life. She's really smart. I mean she's had all"(J.D. Salinger, 67).
             Holden likes when everything he leaves behind stays the same way. He loves going to the Museum of Natural History. He used to go there since he was a little kid. The museum is one of the plac...

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The Young Holden. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 14:14, April 24, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/28822.html