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Catherine Yin Mrs. Maxon Honors English 11 (Per ) 8 March 2013 An Adolescent Crisis A host of archaic, well-worn brick buildings looms over lush fields. Well-mannered, studious students mill about the campus in their preppy school uniforms, eagerly interacting with one another. As the prestigious Pencey Prep school is introduced, the campus and its students affect the narrators life monumentally. An intense and provocative chronicle of a troubled teens thoughts, The Catcher in the Rye reflects upon Holden Caulfields journey of examining his life from several aspects. As the novel unfolds, author J.D. Salinger expresses Holdens mental instability and depression stemming from a regression into his turbulent past. A lost individual searching for the unknowable, the undefined, the unseen, Holden reminisces upon fleeting moments with his classmates to try to find meaning. In the novel, Salinger presents Holdens superficial relationships and interactions with his schoolmates to reveal his inability to mature and his grip on his childhood innocence. In doing so, he suggests that often times, people with confused identities will alienate themselves from others. Throughout the novel, Holdens relationship with his schoolmates at Pencey Prep illustrates his irresponsible manner and immature persona. As Holden describes one of the boys in his dorm, Robert Ackley, he mentions, He was sort of a nasty guy. I wasnt too crazy about him, to tell you the truth (Salinger 19).Yet Holden doesnt hold as much contempt for Ackley as any of the boys as For once, [Holden is] really glad to see him (Salinger 35). Ackleys disgusting habits and crude personality do not bother Holden because Ackley demonstrates a

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similar amount of immaturity to which Holden can relate to. In contrast, Salinger depicts Holdens relationship with Stradlater as more bellicose through Holden attacking him on several occasions due to his jealousy over Jane. Holden describes Stradlater as always [walking] around in his bare torso because he [thinks] he has a good build (Salinger 26). Representing everything Holden lacks, Stradlater and his mature physique are juxtaposed with Holdens pettiness to reflect Holdens uncontrollable emotions, and thusly his childishness. Ultimately, Holden, unable to handle his classmates moving on into adulthood becoming phonies, leaves Pencey Prep on a whim, illustrating his immaturity to deal with confrontation. As Holden wanders through New York, he encounters a former classmate, Carl Luce asks Holden, Very funny, same old Caulfield. When are you going to grow up? (Salinger 144). Not only does Luce underscore Holdens juvenile behavior, but also through his interactions with Holden, it is evident that Holden harbors some sort of antipathy towards Luces sudden maturity and emerging adult life. Describing him as a flit and making fun of his girlfriend, Holden resents Luces changes because while the world and all his male peers are changing, Holden remains in his thirteen year old psyche, stunted and caught in the past. Furthermore, Holdens interactions and memories of his former classmates reveal his grasp on his childhood innocence and his contempt for the adult world. When he assaults Stradlater, Holden claims, I told him he thought he could give the time to anybody he felt like. I told him he didnt even care if a girl kept all her kings in the back row or not, and the reason he didnt care was because he was a goddam stupid moron (Salinger 44). Holdens innocence is reflected through his anger in assuming that Stradlater tried to take advantage of Jane, corrupting her possibly against her will instead of enjoying a pure, innocent date. His explosive reaction towards Stradlater also demonstrates his disdain towards the grown-up, real world where

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everybody acts like phonies by trying to benefit from one another. Holden assumes that Stradlater seduces and debases Jane because Stradlater himself is a phony, often putting up an act to maintain his jock image and to impress girls. Through Holdens physical assault on Stradlater, Salinger explains Holdens scorn toward the phonies of the world who will take away innocence and implies that the only way to avoid becoming a fake is to alienate oneself in a world of insincerities. Later, as Holden goes on a date with Sally, she spots an acquaintance named George whom Holden describes as Strictly Ivy LeagueHis name was George somethingI dont even rememberand he went to Andover. Big deal (Salinger 127). To Holden, George seems very pompous as he had one of those very phony, Ivy League voices, one of those very tired, snobby voices (Salinger 128). George seems to represent the adult world of phonies, who brag about their Ivy League excellence and have phony conversations with one another, and Holden, who is the epitome of the opposite, despises that and shows his disdain for this whole faade by attempting to escape and further distance himself. Afterwards, as Holden sneaks back home to talk with Phoebe, he remembers a former classmate, James Castle who committed suicide. Holden describes him as a boy who, wouldnt take back something he said about this very conceited boywhat he did, instead of taking back what he said, he jumped out the window (Salinger 170). James undeserving death reminds Holden of Allies death and the way Holden describes the injustice of James emphasizes his innocence through disbelief that such horrific tragedies happen. Furthermore, James represents a type of innocence in that he died a martyr and because Holden feels intrinsically linked to him since James was wearing Holdens turtleneck sweater when he died, Holden hasnt let go of his own innocence yet.

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Indeed, Holdens interactions with his male peers demonstrate his antipathetic feelings against boys his own age who are maturing and growing up. Instead of embracing adulthood, Holden ridicules his peers, denying the fact that he himself is the problem. Ultimately, his inability to connect with other isolates him and sends him into a spiraling depression.