The Problem With Holden Essay, Research Paper

Holden is a complex individual with many conflicting features. He has many

aspirations and desires for his life but he is faced with the basic struggle in the narrative,

corruptness. This corruptness is what drives him and at the same clip restricts him

Holden & # 8217 ; s being surrounded by corruptness disgusts him. There are a few chief

cases in which Holden encounters corruptness straight. One type is Stradlater, the

& # 8220 ; secret sloven & # 8221 ; or Ernie, who & # 8220 ; performs for the people & # 8221 ; . Two that affect Holden really

much is his brother D.B. & # 8220 ; selling out & # 8221 ; to the films and Pheobe finally holding to

turn up. This corruptness is really apparent in Holden & # 8217 ; s life and state of affairs.

Corruptness is what Holden wants to avoid but can non because he wants to turn

up and move like an grownup. Drinking, telling the cocotte, and utilizing money are all

things that grownups do but Holden yet still wants to stay guiltless. Thesiss are

few of the obvious sarcasms of Holden & # 8217 ; s personality.

Holden & # 8217 ; s arrant hatred for the fact that we have to turn up and how he ties

maturity with corruptness merely shows how he has a big job finding semblance

from world. He doesn & # 8217 ; t understand that to turn does non intend to go corrupt

but to go wiser through experience. These experiences are what scare

Holden because this male child of 16 has already been involved in many of the

pleasances and jobs that come from these experiences. Holden & # 8217 ; s & # 8220 ; backstop in the

rye & # 8221 ; analogy shows how he wants to salvage the kids from this corruptness but he

ne’er will. Holden wants to be the great Jesus of a helpless cause and does non

realize he has fallen into the evil custodies of corruptness.

Holden idolizes Allie is small brother who died. The ground for this adoration is

that Allie will ne’er go corrupt. He will ever be in Holden & # 8217 ; s mind a small male child

non affected by the soiled custodies of society. Pheobe, on the other manus, will hold to

enter the universe Oklahoman or subsequently and so she excessively will go corrupt. D.B. , though,

has already submitted to that corruptness by & # 8220 ; selling out & # 8221 ; to the films. Holden

realizes that D.B. has given his narrative to the film concern and does non like it

because he wa

nted his brother to go on composing the small narratives he loved so much.

Pheobe, diametrically, has non yet been absorbed by society but is on her manner and

Holden nor anyone else can halt her.

Holden finds corruptness in about everything he sees but does non yet even

realize that he excessively is portion of that corrupt universe the minute he stopped being a kid

and desiring to be an grownup. By making many of the things he does he expose a desire

to turn up, to move mature, to finally intermix in with society but he is restricted by

his ideals of artlessness. The manner he orders his drinks, dances with the two ladies in

the hotel, and sends his money frivolously shows how Holden has accepted the

world of being an grownup but can non come to footings with the fact that all kids will

besides enter Holden & # 8217 ; s corrupt society.

Holden & # 8217 ; s basic description of a corrupt individual is a hypocrite. This word picture

is frequently rough and unfair to many of the people he attributes this characteristic to. But

there are people that Holden does like other than Pheobe and Allie. James Castle,

Jane Gallager, the two nuns he spoke to in the java store, and the small kid on the

kerb of the route are a few. James Castle is person that Holden could possible

identify with. He dies because of a refusal to take something back ; something that

was true. In regard to Jane Gallager Holden could possible be in love with her but

does non inquire her in fright of her stating & # 8220 ; no & # 8221 ; but if she says & # 8220 ; yes & # 8221 ; he would non be able

to come through a property of maturity Holden has yet to get.

Holden has yet to get many different facets of maturity. This is what keeps his

personality in a province of ambiguity. No 1 knows whether Holden wants to go an

grownup or remain a kid. In my sentiment, he wants to go on his life as an grownup but a kid at

bosom and head. By making this he destroys many incorrupt things that he has yet to

experience. Holden & # 8217 ; s whole life revolves around the conflict of corruptness and artlessness.

This conflict, through Holden & # 8217 ; s eyes, is one of maturity poetries childhood. this conflict is an

impossible one an until Holden realizes this he will ne’er go forth his land of semblance and

adjust to the universe.

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