Huckleberry Finn and Holden Caulfield's Evolution

The realm of American literature unfolds with two distinct Realistic novels, each portraying characters tested by a myriad of adventures. In this exploration, I delve into a comparison of two quintessential American novels: Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huck Finn" and J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye." Employing the insightful framework of the Cosmogonic Cycle, I examine both literal and symbolic interpretations to unravel the profound journeys of Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield.

The Call to Adventure

The Cosmogonic Cycle's initiation, the Call to Adventure, marks the first step where the character is beckoned into the unfolding cycle.

In Huck Finn's case, this call emanates from a pivotal dilemma – to endure the abuse of his father or to embark on a transformative journey. Driven by a profound desire for change, Huck chooses the latter, setting the stage for his expedition along the Mississippi River during the Nineteenth Century.

Conversely, Holden Caulfield's Call to Adventure is shrouded in the internal conflict between experience and innocence.

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Although he perceives an external force compelling him, it's his intrinsic desire propelling him forward. This initial stage sets the characters on trajectories fraught with challenges and self-discovery.

Threshold Crossing and Symbolic Death

The second stage of the Cosmogonic Cycle, Threshold Crossing, signifies the point where characters traverse into the Zone Unknown, accompanied by notable transformations. Symbolic death, a facet often associated with this stage, is exemplified in both novels through visual and metaphorical shifts.

In Huck Finn's narrative, the symbolic death is starkly evident as he orchestrates a scene in his father's cabin, creating an illusion of his brutal murder.

This act compels Huck into a new identity, necessitating caution and subterfuge as he navigates his surroundings. Each false alias assumed by Huck becomes a symbolic death, marking his emergence as a more experienced individual.

Holden Caulfield's symbolic death takes various forms – from fainting episodes to shifts in the position of his red hunting hat. The recurring motif of bathrooms serves as a metaphorical death, symbolizing a transition from a neurotic and pragmatic state to a clearer mindset upon exit. These symbolic deaths intertwine seamlessly with the Threshold Crossing, embodying the characters' metamorphoses.

Road of Trials

The third stage, the Road of Trials, encapsulates the myriad challenges that characters face in their literary journeys. For Huck Finn, this arduous path unfolds along the Mississippi River, presenting moral dilemmas, encounters with con-artists, and the responsibility of aiding a runaway slave, Jim.

Holden Caulfield's Road of Trials extends from Pencey Prep to the bustling streets of New York City. Battling his own mental hallucinations and grappling with a desire to preserve innocence in the face of a looming Peter Pan complex, Holden's journey is fraught with internal struggles. The absence of a conventional happy ending in Salinger's novel suggests that Holden's experiences contribute to his emergence as a more complete and understanding individual.

Supreme Test

The fourth stage, the Supreme Test or Ultimate Test, confronts characters with dilemmas of monumental proportions, often within the Zone of Magnified Power. In Huck's narrative, the moral predicament of slavery permeates the entire novel, repeatedly challenging him to discern between right and wrong. Huck's ultimate test surfaces as he grapples with the decision to free Jim, the runaway slave, breaking him out of captivity in defiance of societal norms.

For Holden Caulfield, the Supreme Test revolves around the acceptance of the inevitable process of growing up. As he confronts this existential dilemma, motifs such as glass serve as poignant symbols. Holden's struggle with the "f k yous" written everywhere and his realization behind the unattainable "glass" underscore the complexity of his test. The high point of the novel, the Supreme Test, becomes a pivotal moment shaping the characters' trajectories.

Flight or Flee and Return

The final stages, the Flight or Flee and the Return, intertwine as characters, having overcome trials and tests, seek an escape or a return to reality. Both Huck and Holden, as social misfits, share a common desire to escape conventional civilization.

While Huck chooses to "light out for the new territory," seeking an uncharted realm beyond societal norms, Holden faces a different fate. The absence of a new territory in Twentieth Century America confines him to a mental institute. The return home becomes a reintegration into reality, transforming them into more experienced and whole individuals.

Reflecting on these journeys, William Wordsworth's "Ode to Intimations of Immortality From Recollections of Early Childhood" resonates. The poet's lines underscore the necessity of relinquishing idealistic perceptions for a more realistic understanding of the world. Children, with their innocent worldview, eventually grasp the varied hues of reality as they transition into adulthood.

The Cosmogonic Cycle, akin to a caterpillar's metamorphosis, epitomizes this transformation. From innocence to experience, characters emerge akin to butterflies, colorful, complete, and enriched by the hurdles and trials of their literary sojourns.