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Argumentative Essay On The Catcher In The Rye

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When people have a consistently negative personality, a key factor to this attitude has to do with former time periods in their life. Unpleasant instances from the past, prevents some from their true potential and stops them from reaching for new opportunities. In retrospect, compiling excuses is used to avoid the truth. People are the ones who have control of their own bad decisions; it is not their past, or any person from their past who is responsible for the choices they make. The author, J. D. Salinger, created a certain character who has a similar mindset in his book, The Catcher In The Rye. The character Holden, is a major downer, who is a generally unhappy person. He has the ability to make friends and forge relationships, however, …show more content…

His negativity can be validated to some extent due to this fact. When Holden was little he was extremely attached to his younger brother Allie. Allie was one of the major reasons Holden was somewhat positive about life with a happier outlook. Unfortunately Allie had died from leukemia at a very young age of 11, which ultimately destroyed Holden. He could not handle this devastating loss. Upon hearing about Allie’s death, Holden was besides himself. In extreme agony and anger, he broke all the windows in his garage. As a result of this action, he couldn’t even make a proper fist even if he tried. The death of a beloved brother would clearly leave a person with a heavy heart for life. “It wasn’t just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest …. God, he was a nice kid”(21 Salinger). Evidently, Allie was one person, that made Holden remember his childlike innocence. This innocence, he treasured deep inside of his lackluster personality. Consequently, sadness overcame Holden's mental state and caused him the bury his emotions from society. Holden hates change and pays very close attention to detail, when hearing how well he still remembers his brother at such a young age, is heartbreaking. “Allie's baseball mitt. It was a very descriptive subject. It really was. My brother Allie had this left handed fielders mitt. He was left handed”(Salinger 38). It is easy to tell others to move on from their past. But once you step in someone else's shoes, it's harder than it

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