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Holden In The Rye Character Analysis

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The challenges Holden prevails overemphasize his diligence and highlight the committed route he embarks on as a hero. Salinger utilizes Holden’s hardships to portray the struggle he encounters while battling against his adverse odds during his escapade. Through Salinger’s interpretation of a hero, he depicts Holden as a character who persists to pass the obstacles that confront him; to illustrate, Holden’s constant feeling of loneliness consumes him along with his demoralizing background, providing an unstable foundation for Holden to grow and mature: "…I had this feeling that I 'd never get to the other side of the street. I thought I 'd just go down, down, down, and nobody 'd ever see me again…I 'd make believe I was talking to my brother …show more content…

When Holden ventures to find his life’s purpose along with searching for a new perspective of humanity, he gains insight and becomes a figure of erudition mounting to his potential of a hero. With the objective to show that all protagonists are not merely brave and benevolent but also have astute assets, Salinger designs Holden in the role of a new kind of hero, in which he realizes the meaning of life and maturity. In detail, while Holden observes his little sister, Phoebe, riding the carousel in Central Park, he begins to understand the significance of growing up and the value of life-impacting his view of humankind: “All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she 'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn 't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off they fall off, but it 's bad if you say anything to them” (Salinger 211). Behind the initial judgments of his character, Holden’s makeup entails a gift for profound comprehensions. Even though Holden’s boarding school, Pency Prep, expels him due to his failure in four classes, Holden exemplifies brilliance in abstract thinking during his trip to discern a different interpretation of society. With a deeper understanding of life Holden has a better grasp on achieving victory to make the world a better place, solve problems, and spread happiness. When Holden does not “say or do anything,” it shows him discovering that nativity must be gowned out of at a particular age and maturity level. Therefore, he will not interfere with children learning to fall and then getting back up. Everyone must learn persistence and to never give up in their life. Children “trying to grab for the gold ring” symbolizes striving for maturity and development. Attaining this philosophy, Holden opens his mind to the wonders of growing up aiding him to be a role model

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