Catcher In the Rye Motif
Problematic Fantasy
Trying to run away from your problems is futile. The sole inevitability of them to come back to face you will always be there, as the main character of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, experiences. The book narrates Holden’s venture into New York City after being kicked out of school for the third time after his brother’s death. Drinking, smoking, and other self-destructive behaviors largely constitute most of Holden’s time spent over the course of these three days. Salinger uses the motif of avoidance to illustrate that teenagers hide from their problems in order to attempt an escape from the pain of reality. Holden tries to run away from the sources of his problems, thinking that this esape will allow them to be solved by themselves. Holden first tries to do this when he gets kicked out of Pencey Prep, and decides to leave the school campus early, residing in a hotel instead of going home because he does not want to be around his parents when they first get the expulsion letter, as his mom would be “very hysterical” (51). Staying in the school would just be a reminder of Holden’s failure, yet he does not want to go home because facing the disappointment from his parents would be unbearable. So instead, he tries to pretend it never happened by spending his time elsewhere alone. Eventually, the depression and frustration he has in himself drives him to make the decision to “sort of say good-by to Phoebe” before he travels west, and then “never go home again” (198). Holden wants to live in a world without trouble, and tries to run away so he can live in his fantasy. However, Holden’s problems will follow him wherever he goes because they are caused by what he does and says, which will not change if he is simply in a different place. Not only does Holden attempt to physically separate himself from his problems, but engages in destructive behaviors to try to take his mind off of them. After Sunny, the prostitute,
Trying to run away from your problems is futile. The sole inevitability of them to come back to face you will always be there, as the main character of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, experiences. The book narrates Holden’s venture into New York City after being kicked out of school for the third time after his brother’s death. Drinking, smoking, and other self-destructive behaviors largely constitute most of Holden’s time spent over the course of these three days. Salinger uses the motif of avoidance to illustrate that teenagers hide from their problems in order to attempt an escape from the pain of reality. Holden tries to run away from the sources of his problems, thinking that this esape will allow them to be solved by themselves. Holden first tries to do this when he gets kicked out of Pencey Prep, and decides to leave the school campus early, residing in a hotel instead of going home because he does not want to be around his parents when they first get the expulsion letter, as his mom would be “very hysterical” (51). Staying in the school would just be a reminder of Holden’s failure, yet he does not want to go home because facing the disappointment from his parents would be unbearable. So instead, he tries to pretend it never happened by spending his time elsewhere alone. Eventually, the depression and frustration he has in himself drives him to make the decision to “sort of say good-by to Phoebe” before he travels west, and then “never go home again” (198). Holden wants to live in a world without trouble, and tries to run away so he can live in his fantasy. However, Holden’s problems will follow him wherever he goes because they are caused by what he does and says, which will not change if he is simply in a different place. Not only does Holden attempt to physically separate himself from his problems, but engages in destructive behaviors to try to take his mind off of them. After Sunny, the prostitute,