Acceptance In Catcher In The Rye

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Teenagers often attempt to find happiness through the acceptance of others, as they believe it will make their life whole. In the novel The Catcher In The Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist and narrator of the novel is a sixteen year old junior who is expelled from his school Pencey Prep for failing 4 out of 5 classes. Holden Caulfield seeks acceptance from the people surrounding him, which affects him both positively and negatively. In the novel The Catcher In The Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield, seeks acceptance from those around him when he goes home to look for Phoebe, when he goes to his old teacher expecting pity, and when he visits the nuns because he heard what good people they are. The first example of Holden yearning acceptance from the people surrounding him is when he goes home to look for Phoebe, his sister, after his expulsion. As Holden tiptoes through the house he glances through rooms searching for Phoebe and discovers she is in her favorite place to sleep, D.B.’s room. Before waking her, Holden sits and reads through her schoolbooks, analyzing the way she signs her name as “Phoebe Weatherfield Caulfield” even though her middle name is Josephine. When Holden finally decides to wake her, Phoebe is overjoyed to see him and starts filling him …show more content…

As a teenager it is easy to get caught up in the idea that it is important for everyone to be liked by everyone. The Catcher In The Rye teaches that although many situations may feel negative at the moment, often times it turns out for the better.I Holden Caulfield was shaped by his rejections, failures and by the people who accepted him.In conclusion, in the novel The Catcher In The Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield, seeks acceptance from those around him when he goes home to look for Phoebe, when he goes to his old teacher expecting pity, and when he visits the nuns because he heard what good people they