The Connections between Holden Caulfields Problems in The...

Sara Prusik Mrs. Quick English 11 6 November 2009 Ties to Holden’s Problems â€Å"I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would ve, too, if I d been sure somebody d cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn t want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory† (104). Holden is a complex character with mixed emotions about everything; many times contradicting his own thoughts and beliefs. Holden’s struggles are due to the lack of parental attention, the death of his younger brother, and his unusual relationships with other characters in the novel, â€Å"The Catcher in the Rye.† â€Å"My parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them† (1). Struggles in Holden’s life†¦show more content†¦Holden cannot deny this to his sister. Phoebe goes on to suggest that Holden needs to realize that their brother is dead and there is no going back. Holden has problems admitting his true feelings and cannot get over the loss o f his brother. This is the true essences of the book. Holden’s unusual relationships throughout the story cause him yet even further problems. Holden decides to hire a prostitute. This becomes a problem for Holden because he is never able to connect with her in anyway. He spends the evening talking to her about all of his problems. He pays her the money but she demands more, this ultimately ends up with Holden getting hurt by her pimp. Another troublesome situation occurs when Holden becomes friends with a stranger on the train; the stranger turns out to be the mother of a classmate whom he despises. The boy’s name is Earnest and he has a reputation at Pency Prep of being unpopular which his mother is already assumed. Holden then goes on to lie and convince the mother that her son is the most popular student in school. To Earnest’s mother Holden introduces himself as Rudolph, giving her the name of the janitor at school, and lies further about his reasonin g for leaving Pency Prep early stating he has a tumor. This situation is detrimental for Holden because he continues to live his life full of lies. He never owns upShow MoreRelatedHolden s Journey Toward Maturity2555 Words   |  11 PagesAdditionally, Holden is constantly looking for answers to where the ducks go when not at the lagoon. For instance, â€Å"Do you happen to know where they go, the ducks when it gets all frozen over?† (Salinger 60). Holden’s concern for where the ducks go proves his anxiety and Holden feels he lacks anywhere safe to head to go in the world. Holden shows a growing ability to adapt to adult life. He also says people cannot rely on others to help them and sometimes people just have to do things without theRead MoreCatcher in the Rye4413 Words   |  18 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye â€Å"Is The Catcher in the Rye, as a work of literature still relevant for today’s youth?† Name: Sara Sigurdson Course: English A1 Supervisor: Mr. Peter Steadman Word count: 3851 Candidate number: 00136022 Table of Contents Content Page Number Abstract 3 Introduction 4 The Actual Catcher in the Rye 4 The Sexual Matter 5 The Caulfield Family 6 Narrator and Protagonist 8 Role Model 9 Mr. Antolini 10 Targeted Audience 10 Guidance 12 Read MoreF. D. Salinger s Catcher Of The Rye1721 Words   |  7 PagesJ. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye features a complex narrative surrounding a troubled young student, Holden Caulfield. Difficulties he faces throughout the story force Holden to confront his fears of adulthood and maturation and the responsibilities therein through the difficulties he faces throughout the story. Academic controversy surrounds whether Holden learns from these confrontations and adjust accordingly, maturing throughout the story. While initially this seems rather subjective, a thoroughRead MoreThe Use of Language in J.D. Salingers Catcher in the Rye3182 Words   |  13 PagesThe use of language in J.D. Salingers Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J.D. Salingers Catcher in the Rye, is an upper-class boy who has gone from one private school to another, searching for -- something. He expresses his frustrations in language highly characteristic of adolescence; his extremely colloquial speech sounds just like that of teenagers today, even though Salingers novel was written in the 1950s. But a particularly striking factor of Holdens narration isRead MoreAdolescence in the Bell Jar and Catcher in the Rye6395 Words   |  26 PagesAdolescence in the Bell Jar and Catcher in the Rye Adolescence in the Bell Jar and Catcher in the Rye Adolescence is the period between puberty and adulthood. Every teenager experience this moment in life differently some sail through happily to carry on with a peaceful life where as others are less fortunate and find that this moment is much more harder and stressful then they thought. Esther Greenwood and Holden Caulfield are one of the less fortunate and have bad experiences through their