Holden's Physcological Development in Catcher in the Rye
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- Category: English: Novels
- Date Submitted: 12/17/2014 06:44 PM
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After reading Catcher in the Rye one could imagine hundreds of questions about Holden Caulfield pointed towards the dilemmas he faced and how he handled certain situations. Was Holden gay for his attitude towards other characters? Was he a hypocrite, believing himself above all the ‘phonies’ in the world, while being a ‘phony’ himself? Every situation and problem Holden Caulfield has in the book all deals with his maturity, where he fits within the natures of childhood and adulthood.
Early in the novel, we see Holdens struggle with schooling. He’s been kicked out of high schools before, and now he is being kicked out of Pencey. We see through his mind that he isn't at all very slow, instead he is rather intelligent. His intelligence however, is limited by his own internal struggles as he transitions into manhood. The evidence of his intelligence is hidden within quotes of wisdom unparalleled by your average seveenteen year old, “Lots of times you don't know what interests you most until you start talking” (Salinger, Ch. 24), or through his ability to keep a cool head and plan out his life as it seems to crumble around him. His articulate narrative alone is enough to prove intelligence. Yet his teachers would disagree, stating that his report cards are a sign of his limited potential. Holden Caulfield is failing out of every school he goes to, why? As one grows, they must go through the mental change of a view towards authority. A young child sees authority as an indisputable power, a power over them. An adult, however, would see authority as a power for them, a guide rather than a bully. A person must go through the change of working for authority to working with authority as the view and attitude towards this power changes though acquiring authority of your own or learning the importance of its social structure. There is a time between, however, that Holden Caulfield is stuck in. A time where authority is still viewed as a bully, as a child might see it, but...
Early in the novel, we see Holdens struggle with schooling. He’s been kicked out of high schools before, and now he is being kicked out of Pencey. We see through his mind that he isn't at all very slow, instead he is rather intelligent. His intelligence however, is limited by his own internal struggles as he transitions into manhood. The evidence of his intelligence is hidden within quotes of wisdom unparalleled by your average seveenteen year old, “Lots of times you don't know what interests you most until you start talking” (Salinger, Ch. 24), or through his ability to keep a cool head and plan out his life as it seems to crumble around him. His articulate narrative alone is enough to prove intelligence. Yet his teachers would disagree, stating that his report cards are a sign of his limited potential. Holden Caulfield is failing out of every school he goes to, why? As one grows, they must go through the mental change of a view towards authority. A young child sees authority as an indisputable power, a power over them. An adult, however, would see authority as a power for them, a guide rather than a bully. A person must go through the change of working for authority to working with authority as the view and attitude towards this power changes though acquiring authority of your own or learning the importance of its social structure. There is a time between, however, that Holden Caulfield is stuck in. A time where authority is still viewed as a bully, as a child might see it, but...