In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger demonstrates his knowledge of adolescence through the following, “‘...I never care too much when I lose something…’” which suggests that the youth of America may have an overly carefree view on life and material items. Salinger cultivates this view through the character of Holden Caulfield, a young man with few interests and many pet peeves. He dislikes many activities which other people his age adore, including movies and football games. Furthermore, he holds people accountable for his ridiculously specific pet peeves, resulting in many awkward and rude conversations. Holden also does not believe that anyone is who they say they are, especially authority figures. Modern adolescent teens from Farmington
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Some Farmington High Schoolers, for instance, will occasionally push a subject too far, causing a conversation to sour and ruin their acquaintance’s attitude. One may do this by asking personal questions about subjects such as family or friends. Furthermore, these tactless questions can cause conflicts like fist fights or arguments between even the closest of friends. Holden Caulfield does exactly this when he meets an old friend named Carl Luce for a drink. He begins the confrontation awkwardly by asking Carl about his sex life. Although Holden does not receive a kind response from Carl after asking this question, he proceeds to question Carl on this. Eventually, Carl shows his discomfort by asking, “‘Must we pursue this horrible trend of thought?’” Holden seemingly does not care about the negative effect his words were having on Carl until Carl spoke up and expressed his discomfort. Similarly, these interactions occur at Farmington High School where some students push a topic until the other is thoroughly annoyed. Modern adolescents often do not realize when they are pushing a topic too far due to the limited social interactions in which they partake. In summary, Holden Caulfield and the modern adolescent from Farmington High School disregard the feelings of others if it allows them to speak of what they
Some Farmington High Schoolers, for instance, will occasionally push a subject too far, causing a conversation to sour and ruin their acquaintance’s attitude. One may do this by asking personal questions about subjects such as family or friends. Furthermore, these tactless questions can cause conflicts like fist fights or arguments between even the closest of friends. Holden Caulfield does exactly this when he meets an old friend named Carl Luce for a drink. He begins the confrontation awkwardly by asking Carl about his sex life. Although Holden does not receive a kind response from Carl after asking this question, he proceeds to question Carl on this. Eventually, Carl shows his discomfort by asking, “‘Must we pursue this horrible trend of thought?’” Holden seemingly does not care about the negative effect his words were having on Carl until Carl spoke up and expressed his discomfort. Similarly, these interactions occur at Farmington High School where some students push a topic until the other is thoroughly annoyed. Modern adolescents often do not realize when they are pushing a topic too far due to the limited social interactions in which they partake. In summary, Holden Caulfield and the modern adolescent from Farmington High School disregard the feelings of others if it allows them to speak of what they