Catcher In The Rye Holden Character Analysis

Every teenager and every person experiences the stress and challenge of growing up. The main character in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, experiences challenges with feeling alone and growing up. Holden is sometimes in denial of growing up because he doesn’t want to feel alone or lost in the world. In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, J.D. Salinger challenges the nature of growing up through symbolism, point of view, and characterization.

In the novel Holden talks about his brother, Allie. Unfortunately, Allie passed away from cancer. Holden still thinks and talks to Allie as if Allie was there with him. When Holden feels alone, Holden tries to communicate with Allie, saying, “Every time I’d get to the end of the block
Salinger also shows symbolism through the ducks. Holden is usually always asking about where the ducks go. Holden asks these questions by saying, “Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? In the springtime and all? Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance? -“Where who goes? -”The ducks. Do you know, by any chance? I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take the away, or do they fly away by themselves-go south or something”(91)? Holden connects the ducks to his life because Holden wants to know where life will take him. Just like when Holden wants to know where the ducks go. This is because Holden wants to know if life will just take Holden where he needs to be or will life take Holden onto a journey that Holden is not ready for. Which is why Holden is afraid of growing
Salinger challenges Holden through point of view because Holden experiences depression and mental health issues, because of Holden's situation. Which is that Holden feels alone and that Holden feels that Holden doesn’t belong. Since Holden is the narrator, the reader could go through the situation with Holden. Holden explains his situation by saying, “You can’t ever find a place that’s nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you’re not looking…(224). Holden feels depressed because he can never find peace, anywhere Holden goes. Something just happens to be messed up or not peaceful. Holden also goes to a mental hospital for his illness by saying, “A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I’m going to apply myself when I go back to school next September”(234). Holden is going to a mental hospital because he feels depressed and alone. By going to the mental hospital, Holden seems to feel more put together and not alone as much. Which is how the author challenges Holden though the point of view through depression and mental illness.

In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, J.D. Salinger challenges the nature of growing up through symbolism, point of view, and characterization. Holden, throughout the novel, expresses his loneliness and the difficulty of growing up because, like most teenagers, Holden is stressed out and depressed because of the expectations he has for himself