Jerry Renault And Holden Caufield example essay topic

Growing Up and Loathing It Alienation can be interpreted as loneliness caused by the lack of understanding of others, and may be caused by oneself or inflicted upon by another. During teenage years, boys are especially susceptible to the anguish felt as a result of alienation. Jerry Renault, the protagonist of the Chocolate War, is encumbered by both the alienation imposed upon himself, and that which is burdened upon him by a secret society known as the Vigils. The Catcher in the Rye introduces Holden Caufield who has segregated himself from all but a few of those surrounding him, and is deeply troubled by this. The alienation wrought by Caufield's awkward ascension into adulthood is manifested in his fallacious attempts to casually interact with others. Because of their ages, Jerry and Holden feel threatened by the individuals whom they would normally associate themselves.

This intimidation spurs the alienation and loneliness felt by Jerry Renault and Holden Caufield. Jerry Renault, an average teenager, has an issue with confidence that influences him to doubt himself, and thus alienate himself from his peers. Because Renault has low self-esteem and feels little influence from his classmates, he refuses to sell chocolates "like every other kid in... school" (Cormier 66). He lacks the school spirit that others posses because he is excluded from them in his head. This reinforces Renault's lack of influence felt as a result of others, and shows the fact that he is indeed alienated. In addition, after he refuses to sell the chocolates and is shunned by his classmates, "he [feels] invisible" (163).

Jerry causes this himself, for his actions alone influence the entire student body to dissociate him from their ranks. Jerry who is suddenly forced to come to terms with the situation, instead, separates himself from his former peers even further. Also, even when the students realize that Renault is "some kind of rebel hero", he refuses to respond to them and continues his self-imposed alienation (175). Jerry Renault, who at this point has lost all hope of being a normal student, continues his assault on all of that which he would hold dear. If it would not have been for his minuscule sense of self-esteem, he would not alienate himself from the rest of the student body. Jerry's alienation from all the people that he would normally embrace has caused him mental and physical hardship concerning the interactions with others.

The malicious gang known as the Vigils is responsible for much of the hardship faced by Renault. For instance, most students tend to display a certain demeanor known as "a Vigils thing"; they become very upset at Jerry when he doesn't act in this specified manner (103). When opposed, the Vigils rely on the average student's tendency toward conformity to inflict their wrath; however, when conformists don't affect Renault, the malevolent Vigils resort to tactics that aim to alienate Jerry and influence him to do their bidding. Moreover, after Renault "defies the Vigils", they try even harder to make him feel lonely (109). Jerry's friends eventually turn on him and attempt to strike him down. They cruelly bastardize him in order to make him feel as low as dirt.

When Jerry continues to " refuse to fall into line", they brutally assault him and reinforce that they believe he is dirt (145). This makes him feel the loneliest of all. Horrible alienating treatment such as this spurs Jerry Renault to feel as if he is the only boy alive. After much of the ridicule passes and Jerry feels slightly more comfortable and secure, he begins to, unwittingly, attack himself by asking rhetorical questions that invoke a sense of self-loathing. Jerry can not ignore the role, or lack there of, school administration has had in his deprecating misadventure into adulthood. Jerry cannot help but ask whether teachers are "corrupt", pretentious, "villains" who care for nothing other then themselves and their paychecks (85).

The reason Jerry asks this question is because he notices how little time his would be mentors are devoting to his cause. However, Jerry is the kind of person that would feel guilty if encountered by a caring individual such as his father. When his father has no choice but to answer the phone and is victimized by chronic crank calls, Jerry is saddened and laments the fact that his dear father is " involved in his trouble" (164). It is not Jerry's responsibility to worry for his father; therefore, his regrets regarding his father are groundless. They are a direct result of the self-image that he has concocted because of his depreciated status on campus. Regardless of his lack of feeling for his teacher and his exaggerated conceptions regarding his dad, Jerry has hit a new low with respect to himself.

For instance, while walking home from school after a particularly scrutinizing day, he considers why he is " so lonely" (7). The mere act of asking questions such as this can produce no positive response whatsoever. In the catacombs of his intellect he derives some sort of satisfaction from the fact that he cannot answer such a question. Jerry Renault, a boy, keeps himself motivated by letting himself be weakened by ridicule and his own self-doubt. The protagonist in Catcher in the Rye is estranged from all with which he interacts with in a concrete manner. For example, because Holden's envied roommate Stad later displays slight neglect toward his shaving equipment, Caufield firmly believes that his roommate is " a secret slob" (Salinger 27).

Eventhough the fact that his dirty razor is trivial, Holden disassociates himself from him by completely overlooking his own flaws. In addition", phony" adults seem to anger and annoy him; which, in turn, cause him to withdraw and ostracize himself from them as well (9). For instance, the usage of the word "grand" by his former teacher influences him to disregard him. Moreover, because Caufield visits nearby museums more than occasionally and notices the consistency of the exhibits as opposed to his constantly inconsistent and ever changing being, he comes to the conclusion that "the only thing that would be different would be [him] " (121). This observation invokes a deep sense of resentment and animosity aimed toward him. Profound questions soon arise and confuse him even further.

This snowballing effect throughout the novel breaks Holden down and inflicts him with a harsh, but self-imposed, feeling of loneliness. Holden Caufield also has a tendency to alienate people who he doesn't connect with on an emotional level; consequentially this happens to be almost everyone. Holden enjoyed attending "swanky" clubs and bars at one point, but neglects to "show up any more" (141). He feels that all of the yuppies who attend the bars are not even worth socializing with due to their irredeemably ignorant ways. Unfortunately, making blind judgments such as these, condemn Holden to the prison he has constructed for himself. Caufield also enjoys responding to situations that he does not approve of with sarcasm.

For example, after visiting the house Mr. Antolini, a former teacher, Holden contemptuously mutters "thanks a lot" after their brief meeting (193). Lack of respect such as this is a direct result of the alienation Holden feels while interacting with people. Holden Caufield, very confused youth, has a particularly difficult time coping with the death of his younger brother Allie. When regarding his brother he commonly states", If [people would have] known him, [they] would know" how he is. This is a defensive reaction to his own thoughts, for Holden never really knew Allie in the first place.

He never admits it, but the reader can conclude that it is true. This fact weighs heavily on Holden's heart and disillusions his own identity causing profound alienation. All of the emotional distresses that occupy Holden provide many levels of loneliness for Holden Caufield to incorporate into his life.

Bibliography

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. New York: Dell, 1974.
Salinger, J. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Bantam Books, 1945.