Examples Of Coming Of Age In Catcher In The Rye

Authors often use their main character’s journey to highlight a character coming of age while learning something along the way. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger is one case in which the main character goes on a coming of age journey. In the story The Catcher in the Holden is a 17 year-old telling the reader about his 16 year-old self. In the story Holden in dealing with the loss of his younger brother Allie as well as his parents not being very present in his life. The story shows Holden’s physical journey; from Pencey Prep to the carousel in central park, as well as his emotional one; which lands him in a mental hospital. Along his journey Holden is looking for someone that is truly authentic, not a phony like everyone else. Holden ultimately

Holden has high standards for what a person should be and he sees the most authenticity in children, like his sister Phoebe. Holden breaks into his own house so that he can talk to Phoebe and possibly make an authentic emotional connection with her. While having their conversation Phoebe asks Holden what he truly likes, she says ““You don't like a million things. You don't.....Name one thing."...."I like Allie." "Allie's dead – You always say that! If somebody's dead and everything, and in Heaven, then it isn't really–" "I know he's dead! Don't you think I know that? I can still like him, though, can't I? Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's sake – especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive and all." (Salinger 222 - 223) Holden says the one thing that he likes in the world is Allie whom is dead. Holden likes Allie because he will forever be a child and cannot be corrupted by adult life and will never become a phony like everyone else. Phoebe calls out Holden’s unrealistic standards for what a person should be and challenges him to change his standards and realize that he has to accept the fact that no one in the real world is perfect enough to fit his standards. Moreover, Holden’s unrealistic standards get in the way of him making a connection although in this case with his former teacher Mr.Antolini. In this case Mr.Antolini does his best to connect with Holden and shares his genuine concern for Holden’s well-being. Then Holden wakes up to Mr.Antolini patting him on the head out of affection although Holden sees it as Mr.Antolini being “flitty” towards him. Later Holden realizes “he went to all that trouble giving me that advice about finding out the size of your mind and all, and how he was the only guy that'd even gone near that boy James