How Does Holden Caulfield Similar To A Caged Bird Longing To Be Set Free

Holden Caulfield is similar to a caged bird longing to be set free. Although it has the ability to fly the metal bars of the cage hinder it from doing so. However the bird being a natural nonconformist refuses to accept captivity. The bird makes several attempts to escape the confines of the prison in which he has been placed to no avail. As a result the bird begins to succumb to the environment which surrounds him. Holden like the bird is confined by the metal bars of the cage. Holden’s mind is plagued with a series of traumatizing past experiences that cause him to develop a list of phobias. Among these phobias are; Thanatophobia (the fear of death), Genophobia (fear of sex), and Social phobia, especially when it comes to confronting

It is made clear throughout the novel that the two shared an inseparable bond. Readers can infer this from the expression of utter disbelief in his voice when mentioning his deceased sibling. Caulfield repeatedly states that “He died from leukemia.” The repetition in the way which his brother died also implicates to readers that the loss of his sibling was life altering. The second incident which can be believed to have increased Caulfield’s fear of death is being the eye witness of a homicide. Caulfield is very explicit in his description of the state of the victim. Caulfield states “His blood and teeth were all over the place, and nobody would go near him. He had on the turtle neck sweater I lent him.” The gory details provided by Caulfield leave readers with an unimaginable image causing them to sympathize with him. He also references the turtle neck sweater that the boy was wearing in an effort to make readers understand the depth of the trauma that he felt as a result of what he

As a result he possesses great hostility for those who disrespect women and he hopes to shield children from the subject of sex. This is made clear when Holden becomes gravely upset at the vandalizing of the bathroom stall located in the elementary school. Caulfield’s stance on sex is revealed when he states that “Somebody’d wrote fuck you on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought about how Phoebe and the other little kids would see it…” This particular quote allows readers to see how Caulfield’s mindset has been corrupted by the vulgarities he has been forced to witness in his life. He immediately pin points the crime to an adult hand due to his own personal experiences. He doesn’t even take into consideration the possibility of an immature kid vandalizing the bathroom stall. Another piece of key textual evidence that provides readers with insight on how uncomfortable Caulfield is when it comes to the subject of sexual intercourse is the discontent he expresses towards Stradlater’s actions. Caulfield states “I don’t think he gave that girl the time that night-but damn near. Damn near.” This quote expresses the infuriation that Caulfield was feeling on the double date he attended with his roommate. Caulfield expresses great disregard towards Stradlater’s interactions with women. Readers can infer this because instead of praising Stradlater for his tactics. Caulfield describes