Examples Of Holden In The Average Teenager

Holden thinks children are authentic and in order to stay authentic in a world full of phonies he seeks to preserve his childlike nature. In chapter 13, Holden talks about the concept of his virginity, he says “If you want to know the truth, I’m a virgin. I really am. I’ve had quite a few opportunities to lose my virginity and all, but I never got around to it yet. Something always happens.”(92). Holden admits he’s still a virgin and to many people losing your virginity is a step to adulthood. This is Holden’s way of trying to protect what little he has of his childhood to prevent himself from becoming an adult. That “something always happens”(92) is his own subconscious telling him to stop and to save this moment for someone who he really likes not a prostitute whom he bought. Holden even says earlier ,in the novel, “I don’t like the idea...I think if you don’t really like a girl, you shouldn’t horse around with her at all”(62). The author is trying to show how kids can avoid being an adult in the real world. Although he tries to protect his youth, Holden also likes to pretend his is an adult. He does things like being an avid smoker, constantly wanting to drink, and wanting to hookup with girls. Doing acts like these: ”After a while I sat down in a chair and smoked a couple of cigarettes.”(63), “‘Would any of you girls care to dance?’ I didn’t ask them crudely or anything. Very suave, in fact.”(70), “Boy, I sat at that goddamn bar

Holden has matured in many ways throughout the novel. He had grown from an immature child who only cared about himself to a mature adult who wanted to make something of his life. In the beginning of the story we are introduced to

Jane Gallagher was one of the only people outside of his family whom he had a close relationship with. While he described her to Stradlater, Stradlater didn’t care about the details. Stradlater failed to even remember her name correctly, referring to Jane as “Jean” (35). Being a caring friend, Holden only wants someone who truly cares about Jane to be with her. But more than that, Holden wants to be with her. He’s a teenager, and Jane is probably the only girl he’s made a meaningful connection with. Naturally, he feels attracted to her. In fact, it is heavily implied that he was sexually attracted to her as well. When Holden was horny, he thought about calling Jane(71). Knowing that someone like Stradlater is dating her, who is experienced with women and “gave the time” to many of them (55) makes him scared that Stradlater would have sex with her, too. Holden may also be frustrated that Stradlater was able to get with her, while he repeatedly couldn’t bring himself to contact her, making the excuse that he just “wasn’t in the mood” (37 & 71). Holden’s inability to talk to Jane adds to the theme of alienation, and gives merit to the idea that his constant isolation is of his own

Teenagers lives their life differently. However, when the time of being a adolescent arrives, they all have the same confusion and mindsets. J. D. Salinger’s novel, “The Catcher in the Rye”, is about a seventeen year old boy named Holden Caulfield, who lives his life with complexes and problems of his owns. Holden lives his life according to his favor and commit unreasonable actions. Holden has a difficult time trying to understand what being a teenager is. Holden Caulfield is a typical teenager because he expresses the problems of being a teenager.

Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel, is not the typical sixteen year old boy. Holden has many characteristics that aren 't typical of anyone that I know. Holden is very afraid of growing up. He feels the adult world is "phony", everyone in it, and everything associated with it. Holden never actually states that he is afraid of growing up, or that he hates the idea of it, instead he expresses his resistance to become

To begin, Holden Caulfield is a character who tries to act tough and know what he is doing at all times. However,

Holden Caulfield is a seventeen year old junior who was kicked out of Pencey Prep school in Pennsylvania for failing his academics. He lives in New York with his father, mother, and sister, Phoebe Caulfield who Holden adores for being so mature for her age. He has an older brother named D.B. who lives in Hollywood as a screenwriter and a brother named Allie who died from leukemia. Holden is very picky in taste when it comes to books- his favorite author is Ring Lardner, D.B., and war novels. Holden has a deep hatred for watching movies. He tries to quit smoking, but has an addiction to cigarettes (also drinking) which affects his health. Holden is the manger of the fencing team and is considered to be well off. He is a liar- he agrees with

Holden thinks the people he met once earlier in life and made friend with will be his future wife. Holden takes everyone else’s sex advice except his own. By not listening to himself Holden is in a way wounded. Holden finds other people’s stories fascinating. Holden describes, “The only thing he ever did, though, was give these sex talks and all, late at night when there was a bunch of guys in his room.

Roberto Villalon Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy who struggles growing up. Throughout the book Catcher in the rye by J.D. Sallinger, Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy who experience struggles growing up and facing the real world he is living in. Holden unable to accept growing because he is not mature enough to take responsibilities. Holden is a teeanger who refuses to grow up because of his sad childhood and he does not understand people around him.

Holden Caulfield is a very immature teen. He pesters many people around him and almost seems to enjoy getting under people’s skin. In the beginning of the book, Holden meets with one of his Professors, Mr. Spencer. His professor

Holden Caulfield is a very unlikely protagonist. The reader ages along with Holden while he spends his week in New York. His journey starts at Pencey Academy and ends in a zoo. Holden sees the world in two different ways the child world and the adult world. The child world is innocent and full of honesty.

It is very clear that Holden is immature. One of the most obvious times that this is shown is when Holden is talking with Luce. Luce says, “ Same old Caulfield. When are you gonna grow up?” (Salinger 144).

However, he admits that while the couple’s actions are “crumby” (Salinger 81) and crude, he is still aroused and “wouldn’t mind” (Salinger 81) doing it, especially to a girl he is attracted to. While Holden wants to preserve his innocence by not thinking about sex at all, he agrees that he is a “sex maniac” (Salinger 81), and is a fiend about losing his virginity. Holden even goes as far as to make rules for himself. On page 82, he recounts, “I made a rule that I was going to quit horsing around with girls that, deep down, gave me a pain in the ass. I broke it, though, the same week I made it-the same night, as a matter of fact” (Salinger). He is slowly losing his innocence, and while he hates to admit it, Holden’s constant thoughts about sexuality is a sign of adulthood. To him, one should only have sex with someone they truly love. Holden is almost proud of himself for having such a morally correct view of sex. This is why he is so riled when he discovers that Stradlater had sex with Jane Gallagher. Holden realized that Jane barely knew Stradlater and felt that he, if anyone, should be dating Jane. His increasing thoughts on sexuality and loss of a conventional or shielded view of sex show that his loss of innocence is apparent.

Holden Caulfield plays a timeless character in the sense that his way of life is common for the American teenager, in his time as well as now. Today parents dread the terrible and confusing adolescent years of their child's life. In J.D. Salinger's book, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is in this terrible and confusing point of his life. At this point in his life, as well as in modern teenager's lives, a transition occurs, from child to adult. Holden takes this change particularly rough and develops a typical mentality that prevents him from allowing himself to see or understand his purpose in life.

He drinks, he smokes and rebel against both his teachers and adults. Holden is a very negative person and is constantly trashing other people, if not he is lying to them. He likes calling people ‘phonies’, even tough he acts like a phony himself. And this is his hefty scare, he is terrified of growing up, yet he realises it is time for his body is changing and turning him into a man. Holden has had an uncomplicated life if you disregard away from his brother’s death. He comes from a good family, has never lacked anything and has agreeable opportunities. An instead of using this to his advantage, he gets sucked down into a pessimistic and sad vortex. He never feels at home anyplace or feels a strong connection to people. Rebelling is an ordinary thing to go through in your adolescence and Holden has it bad. He is indeed a ‘rebel without a