Holden Caulfield’s Inability to Heal Holden Caulfield, by the end of the novel, hesitates when it comes to accepting his imperfections and refuses to accept the idea of maturity which inevitably hinders his growth. Due to Holden’s fixation on the purity of childhood innocence, he is unable to accept the responsibilities of adulthood. Ultimately, he remains stalled due to his reluctance to accept change and confront uncomfortable emotions, preventing him from moving forward by the end of the novel, "The Catcher in the Rye." Holden is incapable of healing due to his hesitation to confront his own imperfection. Holden is quick to criticize others, but at the same time reluctant to accept responsibility for his own actions. When Ward Stradlater goes on a …show more content…
He is unable to embrace the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood because he is fixated on the innocence and purity of childhood. His interactions with Phoebe, his younger sister, demonstrate this. When Phoebe asks Holden "you know what I'd like to be? I mean if I had my goddamn choice?", he starts to talk about being "the catcher in the rye" (173). He sees himself as the protector of childhood innocence, Holden also imagines scenarios showing his resistance to adult responsibilities and challenges. He is incapable of moving forward and getting closure by clinging to this fantasy and avoiding facing the realities of growing up. It is further demonstrated in the way he interacts with other characters. To avoid confronting his own issues, Holden relies on superficial relationships in the novel to form meaningful connections. When Holden considers his own future he says he does not “feel like going into it” because he is reluctant to deal with his emotions and the challenges of adulthood (224). In avoiding these challenges, Holden remains stagnant and unable to move