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Examples Of Immaturity In Catcher In The Rye

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In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger explains faith, relationships, and immaturity. Holden Caulfield meets some very interesting people and reconnects with old friends throughout the book. To say the least, Holden probably has the best relationship with his sister, Phoebe. The people he thinks he can trust, teachers and friends, turn on him. The only thing close to a relationship is a baseball glove from his dead brother, Allie. This baseball glove is probably the only thing Holden has left to keep him even trying to succeed in life, because at the rate he is going, Holden doesn’t have a very good attitude about life. Salinger starts with Mr. Spencer as the first character Holden encounters. Mr. Spencer is Holden’s history teacher. ““I flunked …show more content…

Ackley got on Holden’s nerves and thought he was very disgusting, hence the word play on Ackley and acne. Holden wasn’t crazy about Ackley, but his other roommate, Stradlater, was more tolerable. Stradlater was a “secret slob”. He was good looking and athletic but uses his razor as an example of his secret sloppiness, every time he shaved he would use a rusted razor with hair in it (Pinsker). Although he liked Stradlater better, Holden got into a small fight with Stradlater over his old friend, Jane Gallagher. Holden is in love with her and cares for her deeply and is a little hurt when he finds out Stradlater is taking her on a date. When Stradlater returned, Holden questioned him about what they did and if Stradlater had sex with Jane. Stradlater wouldn’t tell him and he got very upset. Holden got up like he was going to the bathroom and tried to punch Stradlater in the face. Stradlater pins Holden to the floor and then sets him free. When Holden gets up he calls Stradlater a moron, which lead to Stradlater punching him in the face and this time leaving him with a bloody nose …show more content…

Antolini. While visiting Phoebe, Holden decides to call him and chat. He had to make it very quick because he felt like is parents were going to catch him in the house. Holden says he is the best teacher he has ever had. Well, Holden decides to stay at his house until he can come home. When Holden gets to his house, they catch up and Mrs. Antolini fixes them supper. After diner and coffee, they make the couch into a bed for Holden and he lies down. Holden wakes up suddenly to Mr. Antolini touching his head. Holden jumps up and ask him what he is doing. Holden made up an excuse and got out of the house (Salinger 93-104). After Mr. Antolini, Holden is pretty much on his own throughout the book other than a few encounters with others and old

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Holden reports that Mr. Antolini went to Mr. Antolini’s home and slept over for the night but woke up to the man petting his forehead. Holden immediately left and spent the rest of the night in Penn Station. Holden, feeling lost at this point, Caulfield reports that he left the city to go out and make a better life for himself and others around him. Before leaving, Caulfield left Phoebe a note stating to meet him before he left. Holden and Phoebe met each other in Central Park.

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1493 Words | 6 Pages

In this paragraph, the audience hears Holden’s negative immutable perspective about his school Pencey as he seems to not like the school at all, much less the people in it. The author uses words like “splendid” and “clear-thinking” to really express holden’s strong opinion about the guys at Pencey and how they don’t meet the expectations that the school holds. In the beginning of the book the reader is introduced to Mr. Spencer who is one of Holden’s teacher’s. Mr. Spencer comes out as a nice teacher whose only intention is to help Holden and guide him through the misfit of society as he realizes that Holden needs a hand to hold. Salinger writes, “Game, my ass.

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1025 Words | 5 Pages

Holden wants his sister, Phoebe, to see an everlasting childhood, but Phoebe is a strong character that does not think the same way as Holden, she has no desire to keep her childhood for long since she knows that one day she will grow into an adult. Phoebe helps Holden by comforting him with being “the catcher in the rye” who saves kids from falling. She has a good understanding that one must move on because for her Allie is dead and that people should need to interact and not try to save something that is completely

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744 Words | 3 Pages

In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a peculiar character portrayed as a skeptic living in “a world of phonies” in circa 1950. These personality traits can be seen through his doubts of society as well as his way of thinking and acting toward others. He also demonstrates a lack of responsibility adding to his role as a slacker. Holden flunks out of school repeatedly and has no desire to confront his parents. He mopes around the city for days, delaying the inevitable punishments he’s sure to get.

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1158 Words | 5 Pages

One of the first instances of this is when Holden has an encounter with his roommate named Stradlater. Holden, while he considers Stradlater a moron, does not really have a problem with the attractive, yet secretly uncleanly roommate. However, that changes when Stradlater steals the innocence of Holden’s old friend Jane. Holden is so enraged at him for infringing on the adolescent innocence that he still sees in Jane, that he starts a physical fight with him. However, because Holden is a sort of pacifist, he loses the fight and is left feeling defeated and lost.

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1022 Words | 5 Pages

Change Can Be Good As one grows up they may experience dramatic changes in their life that they wish had never occurred. In The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger, the main Character Holden Caulfield, goes through loss as his life begins to change right in front of him. His brother Allie who Holden was very close with, passes away, and his family and friends are all moving forward with their lives.

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657 Words | 3 Pages

As much as adults try to ensure a child maintains their innocence, it is nearly impossible. Though bitter, this harsh truth is demonstrated in J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Despite the fact Holden, the main character, has made numerous attempts to protect his little sister Phoebe's innocence, he has been unsuccessful. Phoebe is a mature young girl that is able to understand the struggles of the world. Moreover, Phoebe can see right through Holden.

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He talks quite a bit about sex, but his virginity is the last existing innocence to him. Holden pays for a prostitute to have sex with, but he cannot go through with it. He is very hesitant about losing his innocence. Holden wants to be “the catcher in the rye” (191) and save all the innocence in the world. He believes that that is what he wants to do in the future as he tells his little sister, Phoebe.

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1020 Words | 5 Pages

Stradlater was scared he broke Holden’s skull. They were both being childish. Stradlater fought him because Holden kept bothering him about a glove when it really wasn’t about it. It was more

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1378 Words | 6 Pages

The only motivator that Holden has to continue living is his younger sister, Phoebe, who is extraordinarily intelligent for her age. After he gets kicked out of Pencey, Holden is lost in life. He speaks to many people, seeking advice and comfort, but they are not able to help him find a human connection. Holden’s depression increases throughout the novel, almost to the point of suicide. He criticizes many people and ideas, labeling them as ‘phony’.

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668 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the story, Holden retells his relationship with D.B. In the beginning he describes him as, “being a prostitute”(Salinger 2). This is unexpected due to the fact that his brother is now a very successful screenwriter. Rather than showing support for his brother's new found success, Holden labels him as a phony. Similarly, when he is jealous of Stradlater's success with his love, Jane Gallagher, he immediately insults him and says, “all the athletic bastards stuck together.

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830 Words | 4 Pages

Holden’s Struggle To Find Himself: Throughout the novel, The Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden struggles to find himself and who he truly is in order to be happy. His struggles relate to many things that he does or say in particular. Holden lacks with a social status with women and his family, whether it’s a relationship or being antisocial. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield experiences the complexities and struggles involved with both physical and emotional relationships.

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Catcher in the Rye In the book Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the narrator and protagonist Holden Caulfield a sixteen year old junior undergoes a series of changes. Holden learns multiple life changing lessons; one of them is you must grow up. In the beginning of the novel, Holden starts out as “that kid”; the one with the parents who expect him to get into an ivy league school, and end up with a kid with no intentions of doing so. At the beginning of the book it is very apparent that Holden lacks motivation; he also has hit rock bottom.

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1268 Words | 6 Pages

How Holden matured People go through rough stuff in their lives, such as losing a close sibling. It seems impossible to pull yourself out of the pain and guilt of your loss. It appeared Holden was in the same predicament, but through his experiences in the novel The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger he learns to grow up. Aside from being very immature, holden refuses to grow up and dislikes people who have grown up.

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563 Words | 3 Pages

When Holden goes for the night to Mr. Antolini 's house, Mr. Antolini says, "Among other things, you 'll find that you 're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior"

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