ipl-logo

Growing Old In 'Catcher In The Rye And' The Outside

813 Words4 Pages

Growing old is a natural part of life that everyone must eventually face, but it can be a difficult and confusing process. In literature, authors often explore the theme of growing old through their characters, depicting the challenges and changes that come with aging. This is evident in two classic young adult novels: "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger and "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton. While both novels deal with the theme of growing old, they approach it in different ways. In "The Catcher in the Rye," the protagonist Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy who is struggling to come to terms with his own impending adulthood. Holden is disillusioned with the adult world, which he sees as phony and superficial, and he longs for the innocence …show more content…

He sees Phoebe as the embodiment of childhood innocence and purity, and he is afraid that she will eventually grow up and become corrupted by the adult world. He wants to protect her from this fate, but he knows that he cannot. He doesn’t want Phoebe to grow old but he knows he can’t have her stay young. Everytime Holden sees his sister he is hoping she doesn’t grow older and how he turned out because he knows she looks up to him and he knows if he keeps dropping out of school she will start to drop out of …show more content…

He is forced to confront his own mortality when his best friend Johnny is killed in a gang fight. This experience forces Ponyboy to grow up quickly and take responsibility for his own life. Ponyboy doesn’t want to leave the gang because he is scared that they will call him an outsider. He also doesn’t want to leave everyone behind. Despite their different approaches to the theme of growing old, both "The Catcher in the Rye" and "The Outsiders" share some common themes and motifs. Both novels explore the idea of innocence and the loss of innocence that comes with growing up. They also both depict the challenges of navigating the complex social hierarchies of adolescence, and the struggle to find a sense of identity and purpose in a confusing and often hostile world. In both novels, the main characters struggle to find their place in the world, and they are often alienated from the people around them. Holden Caulfield is a classic example of the alienated teenager, who feels disconnected from his peers and unable to relate to the adult world. Ponyboy Curtis is similarly isolated, as he struggles to find acceptance and belonging within his gang and his

Show More
Related
284 Words | 2 Pages

Outline: I. Introduction A. Hook and Background of the issue: adolescence in general + brief intro of the book (1 or 2 sentences each) B. Thesis: Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger uses Holden to convey the immature mentality, painfulness of growing up and alienation for protection of typical teenagers. II. Immature mentality A. When Holden asks about the ducks, this reveals his childish side of his character. His search for the ducks represents his curiosity and his encouragement to encounter mysteries.

Read More
548 Words | 3 Pages

Growing up is difficult and sometimes frightening to imagine as a child. It is not surprising, then, that throughout the Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, Holden is unwilling to mature into a man and accept his responsibilities. Yet, he feels the need to save children in order to preserve their innocence. As Holden is introduced to different characters and places, he labels them into categories, distinguishing what he thinks is genuine and from what has changed. Holden’s view on adulthood is one of discomfort because of the way people are merged into acting, making them phonies that are abhorred by him.

Read More
858 Words | 4 Pages

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, focuses on a young man–Holden Caulfield–who fears growing up. Throughout the book, Holden struggles to accept that he is entering the “phony” world of adulthood. He has rebelled in various ways to prove that he has control over his life; however, the one thing Holden yearns to control is the inevitable change of growing older. J.D. Salinger uses symbolism and point of view to convey the theme of this book: fear of change and growing up. The fear of entering the adult world can lead somebody to protect themselves to avoid failure of fitting in.

Read More
656 Words | 3 Pages

Holden says that all he want to do is be the catcher in the rye protecting children from falling. The whole novel Holden makes observation around him that are taking away from children's innocence. This is what upsets him the most the fact that everyone will eventually have to grow up. While he is trying to go get Phoebe he is reminded this in the following quote. “I went down by a different staircase, and I saw another "Fuck you" on the wall.

Read More
776 Words | 4 Pages

Occasionally, Holden acts upon these thoughts; however, it’s not always for the best. Holden’s thoughts often come back to his younger sister, Phoebe, as he can’t bear to think of her

Read More
1032 Words | 5 Pages

This connects to the theme of the story, which is that people should not force themselves to grow up when they are not ready yet. Throughout the novel, this theme is emphasized by Holden's love for the innocence of children. Overall, The Catcher in the Rye is an amazing novel to read, and very much deserves its position as a classic of American

Read More
2021 Words | 9 Pages

He feels very protective of his little sister Phoebe because she reminds Holden of Allie since they are both younger than Holden and have red hair. For example, when visiting Phoebe’s school, Holden becomes infuriated by the profanity written on the wall and is concerned that other kids, including Phoebe, may see the writing (Salinger 221). Not only does Holden want to prevent other kids from growing up, he wants to keep his own innocence so he does not forget about Allie. Holden notes that “the best thing [about museums] was that everything always stayed right where it was… The only thing that would be different

Read More
790 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield sways between maturity and immaturity. While Holden is extremely observant and often has thoughtful views on the world around him, he continues to act rashly and immaturely at times, letting his emotions get the best of him. As critic James Bryan puts it, Holden “is poised between two worlds, one he cannot return to and one he fears to enter.” Holden Caulfield embodies the limbo between the worlds of childhood and adulthood by play-acting at both adulthood and childhood, never fully embracing either.

Read More
643 Words | 3 Pages

Within the most arduous interlude of one’s life, – the transitory period from childhood to adulthood – one must discover oneself as an extension of the surrounding world. Acknowledging the world’s woes are requisite in becoming an adult. The struggle in accepting this reality is evident in J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, which presents the prelude to Holden Caulfield’s admittance into a mental institute. His conflict with himself and the adult world is the epitome of the novel: Holden yearns to preserve innocence while vituperating adulthood. Although he initially sees the two as an unfulfilling dichotomy, Holden slowly reassesses his perspective to see that both can coexist and that his presence within it is plausible.

Read More
464 Words | 2 Pages

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is considered a coming of age novel. Throughout the novel, Holden, a confused teenage boy, matures and understands more about himself. Salinger conveys Holden’s increasing levels of maturity by using a variety of symbols. The ducks in central park, the red hunting hat, and the carousel ring symbolize the the development of Holden’s adulthood.

Read More
1142 Words | 5 Pages

Phoebe is a child and she is innocent. Holden wants to keep Phoebe innocent because his older brother prostituted himself to Hollywood, the place full of phonies. Holden does not want children to lose their innocence so soon, but he realizes that he cannot save them

Read More
489 Words | 2 Pages

Seventeen year old Holden Caulfield is a character who is resentful of the adult world, while displaying immature, almost childish behavior as the novel progresses. He is afraid of change and struggling through life, despite having the whole world ahead of him. The first quote that I’m going to analyse is one of the most powerful and memorable quotes from the entire book, namely because it’s in the title. Holden is protective of his youthful qualities and doesn’t want to abandon them when he drifts into adulthood. He refers to himself in chapter 22 as ‘the catcher in the rye’, saving ‘thousands of little kids’ from their impending doom as they start running off of the edge of a cliff.

Read More
859 Words | 4 Pages

In the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger depicts the immature mentality of typical teenagers through Holden’s childish curiosity. Teens experience

Read More
763 Words | 4 Pages

Adulthood from a Child's Perspective Throughout the novel, Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses symbols like the natural history museum. The confusion about where the ducks migrate during the winter and the poem "comin' thro’ the rye'' shows how Holden Caulfield is afraid of getting older because of the instability of adulthood. Catcher in the Rye is a well-known novel written about the journey of a 16-year-old after he flunks out of school. The novel teaches us that if one is not given a lot of guidance through one's life, the transition from teenager to adult can be frightening and confusing. In Holden Cauldiefs’s situation, life is terrifying.

Read More
837 Words | 4 Pages

In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden demonstrates the struggle of transitioning between childhood and adulthood by revealing his hassle to grow up. Maturity comes through being an adult and growing up is all about becoming more mature. Throughout the book, Holden goes through numerous conflicts and problems. In the beginning of the book, Holden is gives information about himself.

Read More

More about Growing Old In 'Catcher In The Rye And' The Outside

Related Topics

Open Document