Similarities Between Catcher In The Rye And Mermaids

Losing a loved one is often times incredibly hard to cope with. In both the film Mermaids and the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, characters are forced to live their lives having lost people close to them. As characters experience both death and loss, the thought of it permeates all parts of their lives. Death and loss play a major role affecting the character’s religious views. As a child, Holden once betrayed Allie for not allowing him to shoot BB guns with him and his friend. As Holden reflects on the moment, he envisions himself inviting Allie to come play with them, regretting his past actions. Allie, Holden’s brother, was taken from the world too soon, exemplified by the metaphor of his glove being stolen from Holden, without

Holden’s anger springing from Allie’s death is illustrated by his actions in his garage shortly after. “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it” (39). Holden always has death and loss on his mind as a result of incidents like these. Because of this, Holden forms relationships with the wrong people to assure himself he is not growing closer to death. His relationship with Faith, a stripper, metaphorically gives him faith that her can reach out to others and form positive relationships. However, when Holden has the chance to have sex with her, he declines since it would mean having to grow up and be closer to death. Holden’s relationship with a prostitute named Sunny also relates to loss in his life. Holden’s brother has left for Hollywood to write movie scripts and Holden hates movies. Sunny is from Hollywood too, but unlike his brother D.B. who is selling his intellect, Sunny is selling her body. This is a reminder to Holden that his brother has left him for something he knows he hates. Holden’s loss of his friendship with Jane forces him to live in the past and causes his poor attempts at forming relationships in an attempt to recreate what they had. Like Holden, Charlotte and her mother form poor relationships as a result of the loss of Charlotte’s father. Charlotte irresponsibly reaches out to Joe, the caretaker at the local convent. He is ten years older than her but that does not stop her. At the time of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Charlotte cried out “I need my dad.” The lack of a stable male presence in her life causes her to chase after him, leading to them having sex. Charlotte’s mother is also affected by her the loss, of her husband, chasing after men