Catcher in the Rye

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Holden is the main character and the narrator in the novel the catcher in the eye. Holden is 16 years of age, and he has been suspended from Pencey Prep school due to his poor performance. As he narrates, he is at a mental hospital in California. Although Holden is wise and sensitive, he recounts the story in a jaded and cynical voice. The novel is based on an extended flashback and from it; Holden can be depicted to be caring, depressed and immature.

Holden is caring because of the concern that he has towards the society especially the children. According to chapter 25 of the novel, Holden says “But while I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy. Somebody’d written “Fuck you” on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them – all cockeyed, naturally – what it meant, and how they’d all think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days. I kept wanting to kill whoever’d written it. I figured it was some perverty bum that’d sneaked in the school late at night to take a leak or something and then wrote it on the wall. I kept picturing myself catching him at it, and how I’d smash his head on the stone steps till he was good and goddam dead and bloody. But I knew, too, I wouldn’t have the guts to do it. I knew that. That made me even more depressed” (Shaw, n.d., p. 15) Holden values that children’s innocence and he is agitated after someone wrote the word “Fuck you” on the wall. He reflects and imagines that impact that word will have on children like Phoebe and others. He feels that he should discipline the person who did that, but in the real sense, he does not have the power and strength to do so. Thus, it is evident that Holden is a caring individual.

Another characteristic of Holden is that he is lonely. On page 52 of the novel Holden says “almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad.” (Chen, 2009) Holden feels lonely and uses any opportunity that he has to make plans for making friends however he always finds faults whenever he meets new people because he sees everything as corrupt and everyone around him as phony. He even tries asking the cabbie out for a drink just to find a company that would make him forget his problems. Additionally, the judgmental character of Holden makes people disappoint him making him even more lonely and depressed. Thus, Holden finds it difficult to find a company that would last for long.

Additionally, Holden is empathetic when he says “All the two of them were eating for breakfast was toast and coffee. That depressed me. I hate it if I’m eating bacon and eggs or something and somebody else is only eating toast and coffee.” (Chen, 2009) Holden comes from a wealthy family, and that is the reason he is eating bacon and eggs while others are eating coffee and toast.  The richness of their family can also be demonstrated when Holden is taken to various expensive schools. Holden feels guilty about the privilege that he is given and he feels terrible that other people are not advantageous to him. He also does not like the fact that nuns have swanky lunches. Hence, from these actions, we can say that Holden is empathetic because he can understand and share feelings of other people.

In conclusion, Holden actions in the novel demonstrate his caring, lonely and empathetic characteristic trait. These traits have helped the novelist in displaying the type of world we live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Chen, L. (2009). An Analysis of the Adolescent Problems in The Catcher in the Rye. Asian Social Science, 5(5), 143.

Shaw, P. (n.d.). Love and Death in The Catcher in the Rye. New Essays on The Catcher in the Rye, 97-114. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511624537.007

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