The Catcher in the Rye's Holden Caulfield is one of literature's most noteworthy young adult characters, and it is because of his inability to let go of his childhood that he remains so interesting. An important reason as to why Holden rejects entering adulthood is his utter contempt for the hypocrisy and "phoniness" of the adults he meets throughout the novel. He is easily depressed and disturbed by the actions of adults, and because of this he entirely rejects the idea of becoming one.
For example, when Holden meets with a prostitute who solicits him, he finds himself completely unable to feel any true attraction to her. Holden narrates,
I know you're supposed to feel pretty sexy when somebody gets up and pulls their dress over their head, but I didn't. Sexy was about the last thing I was feeling. I felt much more depressed than sexy (95).
He rejects her sexual advances out of empathy. He sees her as a child, like he sees himself, and feels wholly wrong about the whole ordeal. He rejects the adult act of sex, and he refuses to see the prostitute as an object of desire. Instead, he sees her as a peer. Later, Holden is made uncomfortable by the sexual advances of an older man who happens to be his former teacher Mr. Antolini. Holden is embarassed and disturbed by the man's advances and further rejects the sexuality of adults.
Part of the reason Holden seems to reject adulthood is a fondness he has for children, particularly his deceased younger brother Allie and his younger sister Pheobe. This is best expressed in the fantasy Holden reveals near the end from which the novel gets its name,
I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in the big field of rye . . . I'm standing at the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff (173).
Holden's fantasy serves as a metaphor for protecting children—including himself—from the cruel world of adults, perversion, corruption, and violence. He rejects his adulthood while cherishing the childhood of others. He is ultimately stuck between the two worlds.
At several points in the novel, Holden appears to be dedicated to the idea of becoming an adult and rejecting the standard childhood. When he meets with an old fling, Sally, he suggests they get married in act of mania. Once she rejects this proposal, he once again becomes completely disillusioned with the idea: "I don't even know why I started all that stuff with her . . . I probably wouldn't've taken her even if she wanted to go with me" (134).
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Please help me with quotes and chapters on examining the forces that keep Holden from adulthood. Thank you.
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