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Holden Caulfield's Maturity

410 Words2 Pages

To start with, let us define the meaning of immaturity and maturity in order to pass our judgment on Holden Caulfield’s characterization throughout this thesis. According to Argyris, a well-renowned theorist on business management gave out his theory which focused on the Immaturity/Maturity-Continuum. Argyris laid out the seven types of personal growth which employees are supposed to jump from and onto; but a few shall be plotted out in order for stronger relevance to the main content of this thesis. These relevant types are (from immature to mature): short span of attention (to) long span of attention, dependence (to) independence and few shallow interests (to) many broader and deeper interests. In order to relate this with the focus of …show more content…

At the beginning of Chapter 18 in the novel, Holden Caulfield faced an indecisive direction whether he should contact a girl named Jane Gallagher. However, before Chapter 18, Holden had been manifesting his idea to contact her, whereas this moment plays a role to Holden Caulfield’s sexual views. Jane Gallagher plays an absent role throughout the story; despite the fact that Jane Gallagher has been mentioned to be one of the most important female characters to Holden Caulfield, with his younger sister Phoebe being the other. Holden Caulfield tried contacting her home telephone but no one picked up. As a result, Holden tried to consult one of his childhood friends Carl Luce suddenly, in order to discuss sexual experiences that Carl Luce have had out of “random interests”. The reason behind the sudden consultation was that Holden remembered back when he was studying at Whooton School, before his expulsion, his older friend Carl Luce would secretly share his own sexual experiences with the other boys in his class. “He was about three years older than I was, and I didn’t like him too much, but he was one of these very intellectual guys … I thought he might want to have dinner with me … and have a slightly intellectual conversation.” Moreover, this applies to the idea of Holden Caulfield’s immature sexual view, through his curiosity which he decides to consult someone who bears the expository idea on sexual

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340 Words | 2 Pages

Holden Caulfield’s story begins on a December Saturday at Pencey Prep School in Pennsylvania, where he 's just been given the ax for failing all his classes except English. As it turns out, getting the ax is a frequent theme in Holden 's past. Before he leaves the school Holden runs to his favorite teacher’s house to say goodbye to him. Back in the dorm, Holden goofs around with Robert Ackley, a pimply and annoying kid. We 're introduced to Holden 's red hunting hat, and we meet his roommate, Stradlater, who is getting ready for a date with Jane Gallagher, an old friend and sort-of romantic interest of Holden 's. Holden is not happy about this impending date, but agrees anyway to write an English composition for Stradlater.

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294 Words | 2 Pages

Another very common characteristic found in most teenagers, including Holden Caulfield, is obsession about sex. Throughout the story, Holden is always thinking about sex or in his own words thinking about “giving a girl a feel”. When Holden had a temporary stay at hotel in New York, he wanted to lose his virginity by calling a prostitute over his room, but after calling the prostitute over, he was afraid to have sexual intercourse with her since he never practiced it before, so he ended up rejecting the prostitute. The only thing Holden got from this experience was a punch in the stomach from a pimp. Holden also spends a lot of time fantasizing about sex with the girls he knew from school, which is very immature, but not surprising for a

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378 Words | 2 Pages

Jane Gallagher is a very important character throughout the book. Whenever Holden is thinking of her or not thinking of anything, she always finds a place in Holden's mind. “All of a sudden, on my way out to the lobby, I got old Jane Gallagher on the brain again. ”(85) Holden has key memories with Jane, and notices whenever they play checkers she, “kept all her kings in the back row.

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479 Words | 2 Pages

Holden is lonely and this is very noticeable throughout his stay at the hotel. He was desperation to talk to someone so had thoughts of calling his little sister (Phoebe). “ I certainly felt like talking to her on the phone. Somebody with sense and all.” Holden announces his needs to be intoxicated by begging the waiter for alcohol in the Lavender at the hotel.

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1685 Words | 7 Pages

Holden thinks Jane is a great girl and that she’s the type that he likes. Holden misses her and that’s why he starts to think of her at that

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583 Words | 3 Pages

In the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe, the author uses the rhetorical device of symbolism. In this allegorical piece Edgar uses symbolism to explore his central idea more thoroughly. The central idea is that no matter what the characters did or where they went, they couldn't escape death as death is inevitable. Throughout the story the masqueraders were living life to the fullest, but then they were quickly reminded that morality cannot be avoided. Poe uses symbolism with the seventh chamber, the ebony clock, and the masked figure to expand on the theme of death.

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517 Words | 3 Pages

“I saw a man and a woman squirting water out of their mouths at each other… I’m not kidding, the hotel was lousy with perverts.” (34.1). Holden reveals a great deal about his feelings toward sex and toward what makes him uncomfortable about sexuality. Although, he did admit that he was roused by the idea of spitting in someone’s face, he believes that people should only have sex if they care deeply for one another.

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1348 Words | 6 Pages

(Salinger 49). Caulfield constantly talks about Jane Gallagher in the book, it is apparent that he holds her as a special friend, perhaps reminding Holden of his brother. It scared Holden to think that Stradlater had sexual intercourse in the car since that would mean she lost her innocence from childhood and is no longer his special friend that he remembers, he wants to have someone in his life who still reminds him of his innocent little brother so that he has something to remember him by physically and emotionally. Finally, at any chance Holden gets, he will proceed to make cynical comments directed at

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1374 Words | 6 Pages

Family isolation can cause depression and sadness for a teenager. In the novel Catcher in the Rye, the author makes the reader follow the main character, Holden Caulfield around New York. Holden has just gotten kicked out of another school and decides to go around New York without telling his parents. Over the course of his journey, he tries to find himself and where he is going in life. He starts to go downhill as is past starts to haunt him and he starts to think about the future.

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1171 Words | 5 Pages

However, Holden comes out of the booth without having a conversation: “ The first thing I did when I got off at Penn station, I went into this phone booth. I felt like giving somebody a buzz [...] but as soon as I was inside, I couldn’t think of anybody to call up. My brother DB was in Hollywood. My kid sister Phoebe [...] was out.

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923 Words | 4 Pages

As he embarked a new journey on his own he tried reconnecting with people he had met in his past , to use as a guidance. Furthermore, Holden Caulfield is afflicted with agitation, abandonment, and despondency and these

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664 Words | 3 Pages

Part of the reason Holden does not call his sister, Phoebe, is due to his “parents being the ones that answered the phone” (77). Holden finds protection in avoiding talking to anybody, which results in isolation. This event contributes to plot development as after refusing to call anybody, Holden continues to make excuses for things he should be doing, but does not. With each of Holden’s excuses, new adventures arrive, thus thickening and developing the

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904 Words | 4 Pages

He believes that all adults are “phonies,” and doesn’t want people like Jane to lose their innocence and become and “phony” adult. This is shown after Holden finds out about Stradlater’s date with Jane, Holden explains, “I kept thinking about Jane, and about Stradlater having a date with her and all. It made me nervous I nearly went crazy” (Salinger 34). This quote explains to us how Holden feels as though Jane is innocent and shouldn’t be with someone like Stradlater. He is nervous because he realizes that Jane and Stradlater are growing up and doing adult things, unlike himself.

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693 Words | 3 Pages

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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85 Words | 1 Pages

In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, there are many characters and they manipulate the events in the story in their own way but the main character is Holden Caulfield. This novel is narrated from his point of view so we only know his perspective about the outside world. The other really important character in the story is Phoebe Caulfield. Phoebe is Holden’s little sister. She is The analysis of Holden’s and Phoebe’s characteristics represents how distinctive and identical they are.

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