The Catcher in the Rye Holdens Adolescent Mentality

Holden Caulfield plays a timeless character in the sense that his way of life is common for the American teenager, in his time as well as now. Today parents dread the terrible and confusing adolescent years of their childs life. In J.D. Salingers book, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is in this terrible and confusing point of his life. At this point in his life, as well as in modern teenagers lives, a transition occurs, from child to adult. Holden takes this change particularly rough and develops a typical mentality that prevents him from allowing himself to see or understand his purpose in life. Holden has an apparent dislike for society. He insists that [he] is surrounded by phonies (Salinger 13) and left Elkton Hills because of it.†¦show more content†¦This symbolizes him holding on to his past, not wanting things to change. As Holden meets with all of his old friends, he claims many of them to have become phonies. All of his friends have grown up, and Holden is left behin d, and still acts like a child. [Holdens] central dilemma is that he wants to retain a childs innocence (Bloom 22). As everyone around changes he just wants to stay the same, young and sheltered. Holdens hunting hat also shows symbolism of different moods and feelings he may be experiencing. First, the fact that it was a hunting hat symbolizes that he is searching for himself. And second, there is a pattern as to the way he wears he hat. When he is in a lost and depressed mood he would turn peak around to the back (Salinger 45), when he was in a good mood he would pull the peakÂ…around to the front (Salinger 34). There is no specific sequence in these changes, his hat turns with his mood. It is as if the hat is directing him and comforting him in his quest to find himself. Jane Gallagher remains a constant though out the entire novel. She represents the way of life he once followed, and the track he should be on but doesnt get back to. He never calls her because he claims he isn t in the mood (Salinger 33). This emphasizes that Holden is trying to avoid finding his purpose, his track, because the truth, like theShow MoreRelatedThe Themes of The Catcher in the Rye840 Words   |  3 Pagesnovels of the 20th century, The Catcher in the Rye has affected readers around the globe since its publication in 1951. Its contemporary critics, however, gave the novel mixed reviews. Compared to the ideals of 1950s America, Holden Caulfield, the emotionally immature, extremely judgmental, teen-aged main character of â€Å"Catcher,† embodies the antithesis. Holden was an affront to the new social order, which demanded conformity and propagated the â€Å"father knows best† mentality. 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