Tales of Adolescent Redemption and Social Stigma "Life is a game that one plays according to the rules" (Salinger 12). This quote, from one of Holden Caulfield's professors in The Catcher and the Rye, is meant to give Holden advice for the future. The message is that one must follow the formula of living a successful life to be happy. It can be inferred that the two main characters of this ISP essay are not playing the game of life according to the rules of Holden's professor. Holden has been kicked out of school, and Juno is pregnant, which can be seen as unredeemable qualities due to social stigma. However, they have a different mindset than many, and are supported by the people around them. Although they do not seem like the best influence …show more content…
Holden has a strong relationship with his younger sister, Phoebe, and his past teachers have made an impact on him as well. Mr. Antolini, Holden's professor from an old school, tells him, "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one” (Salinger 244) He gives Holden advice just as old Spencer has done, hoping that it would help Holden understand that he needs to put forth more effort in life. Juno seems close to her loved ones, as she manages to have calm and rational discussions about what to do with the baby. There seems to be rarely any fights between her and her parents, and they seem to be in a healthy relationship. Her dad says, “I thought you were the kind of girl who’d know when to say when,” and Juno responds, “I don’t really know what kind of girl I am”. Her parents were surprised to hear that she was pregnant out of all other possibilities, and it seems that Juno was just as shocked. The protagonists’ relationship with the other characters show how different they are from the typical stereotypes of “bad boy gets kicked out” and “troubled girl makes terrible