Examples Of Irrationality In Catcher In The Rye

For the logically inclined, irrational behavior can be frustrating to read. Nevertheless, it often becomes a key element of the story since impulsiveness reveals the protagonist’s views on a particular situation. Of all the characters in literature, perhaps none are as impulsive as Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Often throughout the novel, Holden’s mercurial disposition leads him to act in ways many people see as irrational. However, upon closer inspection, this irrationality can be justified by considering the frustration Holden feels when growing up. He is no longer a child and can no longer return to the state of innocence that childhood houses. He is thrown into an adult world full of “phonies.” Although Holden

In addition, he never actually does what he intends to do with her since he would rather talk than have sex (52). This is all made reasonable when one considers Holden’s conflict with adulthood. He feels pressured to grow up, but at the same time, he admires the innocence of childhood and does not want to acquiesce to the pressure. He would much rather have someone to talk to in his lonely stay at the hotel. This is the same attitude Holden has when he attacks Stradlater before leaving Pency. His actions are justified when his reasons are analyzed. When he is pinned down by Stradlater, Holden “tells him he didn't even care if a girl kept all her kings in the back row or not”(24). In Holden’s mind, Stradlater cares only about sex and not about a girl’s personality and who she is as a person. Holden is willing to fight someone bigger than he is if it is to protect the innocence of someone who is important to him. He despises how not genuine Stradlater is for only caring about the adult pleasures of

He dreams to “just be the catcher in the rye”(93). This dream consists of catching small children before they fall off a cliff. His vision is to be a guardian to protect the children’s innocence since he that is what he treasures most. His preservation attitude shows when he says that “Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone”(66). Holden wishes that his life stays the same so that he does not have to face the phoniness of the adult world, even if it means acting irrational once in a while. For example, when Holden skips the remaining of his coins in the lake, he demonstrates that he would rather the childish fun that comes with skipping coins than deal with the adult reality that he is running out of money to support himself (84). Holden represents one extreme in the way of dealing with change, which is to attempt to deny change. The other extreme is to blindly accept the adult world without question. In writing this novel, J.D. Salinger demonstrates the flaws of both approaches. He endorses a middle path. Holden briefly comes to this approach when he realizes that his little sister is also growing up and “if [the little children on the carousel] want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off they fall off,