Holden Caulfield's Rebellion Against Society

This essay, written in 2006 by a 16-year-old student from a prestigious selective high school in Sydney, is considered exemplary. The author was part of the top English class and later became the Dux of English. With a word count of 2000, this essay is labeled as a 'model' essay and highly regarded for receiving an A+ or 10/10 grade.

The Catcher In The Rye has become a classic for multiple reasons, captivating audiences of all ages. JD Salinger introduced the character Holden Caulfield, who captivates readers with his wandering thoughts and retelling of experiences.

Holden's reflections on popular culture and societal problems reveal insights into the human condition, particularly the difficulties of growing up in a world controlled by adults. Consequently, readers can observe Holden's physical and mental development as he continuously defies the strict conventions of 1950s society.

The Catcher In The Rye, written by Salinger, depicts Holden Caulfield as an angst-filled teenager who resists the inevitability of maturing. Salinger effectively portrays Holden's feelings of insecurity, mistrust, and disdain for superficiality throughout the narrative, making him a relatable antihero.

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Initially, Holden expresses his alienation from society and diminishes the importance of education while harboring pessimistic expectations for his future.

Holden expresses his disbelief and cynicism towards Mr. Spencer's belief that life is a game with rules. He sarcastically responds, "Game my ass. Some game." He recognizes that if you are among the successful individuals, life may resemble a game. However, for those on the other side without success, there is no game at all.

This statement reflects Holden's mindset as he deliberately isolates himself from participating in life's game, especially on the side where successful people are absent.

This is further emphasized by one of Holden's most famous phrases - "phoney" and "phoniness". However, these quotes shouldn't be seen as mere slang used by a 1950s teenager. They actually reveal Holden's strong dislike for superficiality and society's focus on status and social standing. For instance, Holden describes his roommate Stradlater as a good-looking guy that would make parents wonder who he is if they saw his picture in the Year Book. However, Holden also notices that Stradlater is secretly messy, as shown by his shabby razor, which he uses to maintain a pleasant appearance to attract girls - another form of socializing that Holden despises.

Holden rejects society and its debauchery in multiple ways, including its emphasis on money. He purchases the hunting cap for just a dollar, but it becomes one of his cherished possessions. His brother Allies' baseball mitt holds sentimental value for him and becomes the subject of his composition. However, it is important to acknowledge that despite his opposition to the materialistic society, Holden also indulges in other vices present in America.

For instance, Holden engages in excessive smoking and makes repeated (though unsuccessful) attempts to order alcoholic beverages. It is unclear whether he engages in these behaviors to cope with his sorrows or to appear more mature. This hypocritical side of Holden serves as a reminder that he has a distorted perception of society and life in general, often viewing social conventions as fake and entertaining absurd notions such as leaving his past behind and starting anew as a mute person.

Holden's irrational thinking exemplifies his childlike innocence, which has endeared him to audiences over time. Although JD Salinger presents Holden as an antihero, he remains a protagonist in his steadfastness to maintain innocence against societal vices and shallowness. For instance, Holden disregards Jane Gallagher's current relationship with Stradlater, instead holding onto the memory of their pastime playing checkers and her preference for keeping all her kings in the back row.

His immaturity reaches a near-foolish level when he opts to not have intercourse with Sunny the prostitute. Instead, he chooses to pay her to abstain from sex and initiates an uncomfortable conversation.

Throughout the story, Holden endeavors to preserve innocence in any way possible. One instance occurs when he is in his dorm at Pencey Prep, preparing to go to the movies. As he packs a snowball, he confesses, "I didn't throw it at anything, though. I started to throw it... at a car parked across the street. But I changed my mind." He refrains from throwing it at the car because it appears "nice and white." He then contemplates throwing it at a hydrant, but decides against it because it also looks "too nice and white." Ultimately, Holden chooses not to throw the snowball at anything, deliberately safeguarding the purity conveyed by both the car and the hydrant.

Holden gets irritated by the way society is marred with impurities in various situations. One instance is when he notices a profane message, described as a "Fuck You," on a wall. He expresses disgust and attempts to rub it off, but realizes that even with unlimited time, it would be impossible to erase just half of the "Fuck You" signs worldwide. These crude messages on the wall symbolize more than mere profanity to Holden. They represent the forces that strip away the innocence of individuals like his sister Phoebe. In Holden's perspective, society will never improve and will always possess some form of imperfection.

Holden establishes himself as the Catcher in the Rye, someone who shields others from transitioning into the corrupt adult world characterized by shallowness and wickedness. It is ironic that the book's title, borrowed from a Robert Burns song, contains sexual undertones, thereby tarnishing Holden's goal of safeguarding innocence from society's vices.

Salinger's novel has become a classic because it explores universal themes related to the human condition. The protagonist, Holden, goes on a journey of self-discovery that reflects the challenges and societal pressures teenagers face when trying to fit into society's expectations. Despite his resistance to change and unwillingness to take responsibility for his education and future, Holden defends his skepticism about adulthood by providing insightful observations about the adult world.

For instance, the narrator observes a respectable elderly man engaging in cross-dressing in his hotel room. Moreover, directly outside the narrator's window, a man and a woman are playfully spitting liquid at each other, possibly highballs, although the contents of their glasses are not visible. The couple takes turns taking a sip and squirting it onto each other, finding it incredibly amusing. The narrator emphasizes the abundance of perverts in the hotel, claiming to be one of the few normal individuals present in the establishment, though not considering it a significant achievement.

Holden's statement validates his uncertainties about maturing, having witnessed the peculiar behaviors of supposedly mature adults who secretly engage in peculiar activities to avoid societal scrutiny. Consequently, Holden forms a limited opinion about his elders, except for Mr. Antolini. However, he later discovers Mr. Antolini acting oddly, which further undermines his trust in adults.

Holden's discovery of comfort in the museum demonstrates the universal tendency to resist change. He describes the museum as a place where "everything always stayed right where it was." No one moved, whether he visited the museum countless times or not. The Eskimo continued to be depicted in the act of catching two fish, birds remained en route to the south, deer still drank from a water hole with their elegant antlers and slender legs, and a squaw with an exposed bosom persistently waved the same blanket. The only thing that changed was oneself; though not necessarily due to aging.

"You'd just be different, that's all." With this quote, Holden reveals that the primary flaw in society is not external influences, but society itself and its constituents. He expresses his apprehension of conforming to this society and believes that he must go to great lengths to evade it. This includes fleeing from Pencey, a school that prides itself on shaping boys into respectable gentlemen, considering a life of seclusion and muteness, and fiercely safeguarding Phoebe's purity.

As Holden nears the end of the book, he realizes that he must accept inevitable changes in his life. This realization is shown through Mr Antolini's quote: "The mark of an immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." Instead of giving in to a self-centered and shallow society, Holden understands that transitioning from childhood to adulthood requires maintaining morals. In the final pages, Holden's understanding deepens as he acknowledges that there is no need to protect Phoebe while she rides the carousel. He explains, "I was afraid she might fall off the horse, but I didn't interfere. The thing with kids is that if they want to reach for success, you have to let them do it without saying anything."

Holden's quote reflects his acceptance of unchangeable and inevitable change. Society is where innocence is lost, and attempting to prevent it is futile. The gold rings symbolize a deceitful world that conceals its corruption. Holden recognizes that he cannot halt the growth and loss of innocence in children. Likewise, evading society's corruption proves impossible; Phoebe challenges his escape plan. Holden also discovers that running away is not a viable solution. Tranquil places do not exist because he concludes they are nonexistent. Ultimately, Holden's journey teaches him to embrace the present for a modest cause rather than pursuing unattainable ideals. These themes offer readers an enduring perspective on society and morality.

Bibliography

Salinger, JD, The Catcher in the Rye, Penguin Classics 1990 www.sparknotes.com/lit/catcher