Response 1 to The Catcher in the Rye

After thoroughly discussing the first half of the book with my four group members, I have come to some interesting conclusions about Holden Caulfield and his life.

To start off, it seems like the only people Holden gets along with are Phoebe, D.B., and his late brother Allie. This, in my opinion, is because they are the only ones who accept Holden for who he is. They alone show and give him the affection that no one else is willing to exert. This could be why Holden finds something critical with everyone else except his three siblings. Any mention of Phoebe, for instance, leads to praise, but at the sight of any other human being, Holden engages in deep criticism and emphasizes every flaw. It seems almost as if Holden is in a race to find a problem with everyone else before they are able to find something wrong with him. This strongly pinpoints the fact that Holden is extremely self-conscious and insecure.

Though he deliberately tries to act self-confident and assured of his future, we are shown through HoldenŐs thoughts just how nervous about himself he actually is. In one instance, Holden felt weird wearing his hat into a hotel, afraid he would seem like a "screwball." At another time, when contemplating committing suicide, he remarked, "I didnŐt want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory." This is a perfect example of how even when dead, Holden still worried about what people would think of him.

Because of all these haunting insecurities, Holden strives to be accepted among the few people he surrounds himself with. He let Stradlater borrow his jacket and even agreed to write an essay for him. It seems he is willing to do whatever it takes, just to be shown a little affection from his peers.

In the midst of all these character traits and feelings, we are already shown how Holden Caulfield relates to us, as teenagers. He, like us, is insecure about succeeding, self-conscious, afraid to do things wrong, striving to be accepted, and is analyzing everyone else in fear he will be analyzed himself. The similarities to my life are remarkable.

Overall, Holden truly has a ways to go to find himself, and I am looking forward to seeing how his character progresses.