Is The Catcher In The Rye Selfish

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In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the main character Holden alienates himself due to his refusal to take responsibility of his life as he is growing up. Holden Caulfeild struggles through his teenage life, has been kicked out of several schools, is disgusted by society, and is naively fixated on childhood. Holden continually envies the innocence that children possess as he finds the adult world repulsive. Holden’s fear of growing up was so subconsciously intense that he yet again ruined another chance to turn his life around. He failed all of his classes except for English when enrolled in Pencey Prep; Thus proving that he is capable of maintaining some substantial grades… yet he single handily got himself kicked out of…show more content…
Holden avoids interaction with people that could help him, and instead he talks to strangers all because he does not want to face reality. After he got kicked out of school he wandered to the city of Manhattan instead of going home to face parental consequences. Holden didn’t call his home phone to contact his sister because “she wouldn’t’ve been the one that answered the phone. My parents would be the ones. So that was out.” (Pg.59) He avoided all contact with his parents. Holden becomes so lonely that he tries to interact with anyone within his reach. He even asks a cab driver if he would “care to stop on the way” and join him for a cocktail (pg.60) Holden has alienated himself for such a prolonged amount of time that it has driven him into somewhat of a state of depersonalization. Instead of getting the support from the people close to him, he uses strangers to socialize with because he thinks they wont judge him as they are unknowing of his troubles. Holden has tried setting up rules for himself like “Last year I made a rule that I was going to quit horsing around with girls… I broke it though, the same week I made it” (pg.63) Holden cant maintain even his own made up rules. He is in such denial of needing guidance that he sometimes acts even more like a child than a becoming of

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