Real World And Holden example essay topic

In J. D Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden, goes through many hardships in his journey to self-knowledge. In the beginning, Holden has to deal with being kicked out of school and not having any place to call home. He is also struggling with the unfortunate tragedy of the death of his beloved younger brother Allie. At the same time, Holden is trying to deal with growing up and accepting the adult world.

Throughout the novel Salinger addresses the conflicts faced by a young man struggling with the trials and tribulations of growing up while also confronting personal loss and loneliness along the way. In the beginning of the novel the reader learns that Holden has been kicked out of his school Percy-Prep. Holden talks about how he has been kicked out of schools in the past and says, "They gave me frequent warnings to start applying myself... but I didn't do it. So I got the ax" (4). This shows that Holden doesn't really care about school, it is not all that important to him. In fact, he decides to leave school early, a few days before Christmas break begins saying that, "I just didn't want to hang around anymore.

It made me too sad and lonesome" (51). Holden clearly doesn't feel like he belongs at Percy and he doesn't seem too upset about having to leave either. However, when he does leave Holden isn't ready to go home yet. Stating I "decided I'd take a room in a hotel in New York... and just take it easy till Wednesday" (51). The fact that Holden isn't going home is a sign that he doesn't really feel like he belongs there any more than he feels he belongs at Percy. Holden doesn't really have anywhere to go, not even a friend's house.

Most teenage boys who were running away from school because they flunked out and didn't want to face their parents just yet would very likely choose to retreat to a good friend's house for a few days. But Holden doesn't have many friends other than his little sister Phoebe. Holden has to deal with not only being once again kicked out of school but also not having any place to go when he leaves. It is clear early on that Salinger depicts Holden as a loner and an outsider with nowhere to go. Along with having to cope with being kicked out of school and having no place to go Holden is also struggling to come to terms with the death of his younger brother Allie. He thinks of Allie and how much he admired him all the time.

"He's dead now", Holden said, "He got leukemia and died... He was terrifically intelligent" (38). Even though Allie was two years younger than Holden, he obviously admired Allie very much and is having a difficult time dealing with his death. He even mentions how he "Broke all the God-damned windows with my fist, just for the hell of it" (39), the night that Allie had passed away.

Holden had no other way of coping with his brother's death when it happened and it still haunts him. He finds himself thinking about Allie late one night after sending a prostitute out of his hotel room. He is bothered by the fact that he sent the girl away and "What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed" (98). Holden is clearly upset and thinking about Allie. He is also at this point in the novel feeling guilty for a time when he wouldn't let Allie join him and his friend on a bike ride.

He says that Allie didn't get upset about it but it bothers him from time to time. Holden's talking out loud to Allie shows that he has not come to terms with his brother's death or found any way of dealing with his death. He is full of feelings of guilt and depression because he has not dealt with Allie's death and his won regrets about their relationship. Finally, as well as dealing with getting kicked out of school and his brothers death, Holden also is struggling to understand the concept of growing up and dealing with the adult world. He tells his sister, I keep picturing all these little kids... Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around... except me.

And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff-I mean if they " re running and they don't look where they " re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know its crazy but that's the only thing id like to be. (173) Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye and save the children from falling off the cliff.

This cliff, however, is the real world, and Holden himself is afraid of it so he wants to protect children from it. This is also demonstrated when Holden visits his sister's school and sees swears written on the wall. This makes Holden very mad, "It drove me damn near crazy. I thought of how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they'd wonder what the hell it meant...

But I rubbed it out anyway, finally" (201). Holden was able to protect the children for a short while but a few moments later he sees the same thing written on the wall again. Only this time it is scratched in with a knife or something and Holden is unable to rub it away like before and realizes "It's hopeless, anyway... it's impossible" (202) he indicates here that growing up and facing certain reality is inevitable. Holden finally realizes that he can't protect the kids from the real world when he watches Phoebe ride a carousel at the zoo.

"All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring... this thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If the fall off, they fall off, but its bad if you say anything to them" (211). The gold ring represents the adult world and Holden realizes he can't protect Phoebe or anyone else from it. He realizes he needs to accept the real world and grow up. When the novel began Holden was a lost young man trying to find out who he was while dealing with being kicked out of school, the death of his brother and the reality of growing up.

The novel starts with Holden being kicked out of school because he doesn't care and needs to deal with his own issues before dealing with the issue of growing up and accepting work and the real world. Once Holden is able to cope with his problems and checks into a hospital he realizes what he needs to do with his life. When asked if he is going to try in school when he starts again in September Holden says, "I think I am" (213). This shows that Holden has coped with his hardships and realized that he can't save himself or anyone else from the real adult world so he must learn to accept it the way it is. J. D Salinger showcases the many struggles Holden has to go through and how he defeats them and realizes who he is and what he needs to do with his life. Holden faces the typical teenage years, as we all do; however, his passage into adulthood is compounded by personal tragedy. One he confronts his loss and realizes he can't save the world Holden comes out a new person.