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The Fall From Innocence : An Inescapable Reality Of Life

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The Fall From Innocence “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly” (Henri Bergson). The transition from childhood to adulthood, immaturity to maturity, is an inescapable reality of life. This transition is characterized by one fundamental aspect -- change. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, 17 year-old protagonist Holden Caulfield gradually begins to grasp this concept and change his perspectives on life. The story begins with Holden failing out of yet another school; “one of the worst schools [Holden has] ever went to. It was full of phonies. And mean guys” (167). To avoid returning home, Holden leaves school two days early to New York City, where he encounters and interacts with teachers, prostitutes, nuns, women, and his younger sister, from which he gains spiritual growth and emotional maturity. Throughout the course of the novel, readers are able to experience the “madman stuff” (1) that occurs to Holden, and his struggles against death and adulthood in these two days. Ultimately, Holden Caulfield exhibits significant growth in moving from immaturity to maturity when he shows the willingness to take on responsibilities, acceptance of the impossibilities in the world, and overcoming the fear of emotional attachment. At the beginning of the novel, Holden’s hypocritical attitude towards every flaw and imperfection in the world causes him to struggle against maturity. Being on the line of division between

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