Holden's Journey to Adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye Essay

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    Bildungsroman, Catcher in the Rye, as an adolescent searching for his purpose in the world. Many literary works explore the struggle of finding one’s identity within society, such as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. The timeless essence of this best seller elucidates the vigorous study of the novel over the past decades since its publication. Holden’s desire for independence and companionship is defied by his infatuation with the past and fear of entering…

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    mature and responsible adult. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s refusal to grow up fuels his journey to explore the boundaries between adolescence and adulthood and find a place for himself in a society he detests. Throughout the novel, it is the children and adults whom he encounters, as well as his internal struggles that allow him to understand his place in society, despite continuing to reject the idea of adulthood. While the adolescents around Holden Caulfield…

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    J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is about a teenage boy’s journey through New York in attempt to find his identity. Lost in his own little world the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, refuses to face reality in an effort to escape his numerous problems. J.D. Salinger uses several examples of symbolism throughout the novel to represent the thoughts and true personality that Holden attains. Two main examples of Salinger’s symbolism include the ducks in Central Park and the red hunting…

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    The Catcher in the Rye Essay In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger is about a young boy name Holden Caulfield who is struggling to let go of his childhood and refusing to enter the adulthood. Throughout the novel he struggles about not fitting in with the people in school because he was not privileged or felt “too rich” and getting kicked out, growing up to be the person he is, and seeing death from his brother, Allie. Holden faces adulthood and wants to protect the kids from…

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    appear that the world hates them and they were set up for failure. Likewise, in J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield goes the through many stages and trials in his journey to adulthood,…

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    2. In J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Holden is in a bar after wandering around in the city for a while. He glimpses three women and attempts to give them a seductive and "cool glance," though it only makes them "giggl[e] like morons." By using Holden's typical colloquial and vulgar way of speaking and making the women giggle at his underwhelming attempt at being sexy, Salinger highlights Holden's youth and inexperience. Instead of speaking eloquently and politely, Holden simply says what is…

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    day they will grow up and become whatever it is they wish to be. Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is obsessed with the idea of becoming the catcher in the rye, saving children in the rye fields from falling off a cliff. It may sound like a heroic job and a dream, but Holden is not thinking of a typical cliff. The cliff he is imagining is a metaphor for the road from childhood to adulthood. Holden Caulfield dreams of never letting kids grow up. Holden is afraid of…

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    ¨Catcher in the Rye¨ by J.D. Salinger is a beloved American novel, it gives an inside look into the mind of an American teen who is dealing with struggles that lead into his quest to be recognized as an adult or a valuable member of society. In “Catcher In The Rye”, Holden faces the pain of dejection, grief over his beloved brother, unwelcome pressure into adulthood, and battles his own demons all while traveling the streets of New York on a quest of self-healing and exploration. “When a…

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    The Catcher In The Rye persistently fantasizes about the freedom of childhood. Holden thinks highly of children and praises how sincere they are. Holden also feels jealous of how innocent they are. As Holden faces the transition stages between childhood and adulthood, he realizes how children tend to lose this innocence with age, and along with it their true personalities. Holden finds this extremely depressing,…

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    fun in one’s life, and most would agree that adulthood is an advancement of that, with allowance for even more specific character development. In clear-cut contrast to this standpoint, is that of adulthood as an abrupt termination of the wonderful, simple life of a child; where constant toil exists and charlatans abound. Such is the outlook of the title character in J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, which tells the story of the maturity journey of Holden Caulfield; a confused,…

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