Essay - Catcher in the Rye

Monday, October 30, 2006

essay- catcher in the rye

Angelica Davila

Mrs. Bosch

English Honors 10

30 October 2006

Rite of Passage In the Catcher In the Rye

The novel The Catcher in the Rye was written by J.D. Salinger in 1951. Having

Holden Caulfield as the protagonist, facing many internal and external conflicts.

His internal conflicts, for Holden passes many challenges in which affect him

emotionally, even though he has the opportunity to change. External conflicts were

surely an important part in Holden’s character for these external conflicts forced a

change and reaction to come forth in his path. The author J.D. Salinger, clearly

presents the setting of the novel within conflicts. When it comes to Holden’s

appearance, he describes himself as a tall sixteen-year-old teenager with gray

hair. At times Holden sees his age as being an excuse for being ‘immature’, but at

times he still compares himself to a thirteen year old. At the same time as he

matures and immatures along phases, he also has a tendency to lower his intelligence

level with his low self-esteem and tendency to lie. Pencey Prepatory, the school in

which he attended to at one point cannot be one of his greatest achievements. For

he constantly informs the reader of how students as well as those around him tend to

be ‘phonies’. His brother Allie’s death had also impacted his life as well as those

around him in tremendous ways. The need to give his brother a greater importance

may also be part of the conflicts he goes through internally. At the same time

Holden finds console in his deceased brother in which he asks for his guidance in

times of despair. As if he cannot make it to a certain point in his life without

him. Making his character look immature as well as unsure of himself at times. It

is when he stumbles upon the fact that he or no one else can change what had

happened, but the memories of his younger brother will always be with him, honoring

him for his qualities every step he takes. Holden’s Rite of Passage affects him in

ways, in which he finds himself having to look back at his past, to fully understand

and proceed to his future. Giving his Rite of Passage a greater meaning in his

peruse towards maturity.


Holden’s age seems like it varies through out the novel. At times acting

appropriately for his age, and at others acting as if he was someone else. As he

once admit, “I was sixteen then and I am sixteen now, and sometimes I act like I am

thirteen”(page 9). Being so unclear of himself shows his internal conflict towards

the fact that he at times does let go of his maturity. Maybe that being the reason

in which he feels the need to act older, and to show himself he really is “mature”.

A great example, in which he constantly tries to mature himself, is his need to

smoke. For he knows he looks older with a lighter and a cigarette in his hand. “I

must have smoked about three cartons that day”(page 161). This being in his own

words, he admits to smoking a lot. Too much actually, for he stresses the number of

cartons he had gone through that same day. Showing the reader his internal conflict

in which he clearly knows his level of immaturity. The level being so low, he has

to smoke constantly to remind himself of his level of wisdom. These conflicts

helping him succeed or fail on his way to find his own meaning of maturity.

A major conflict in which Holden seems to struggle in is his urge to lie. Even

in the smallest conversations, he finds a way to lie about something as small as his

current destination. He well knows his ability to forge the truth. In a way, he

doesn’t seem to feel bothered by all his lies. He almost does it as his own form of

delight. Holden himself acknowledges his habit by stating, “Im the most terrific

liar you ever saw in your life” (page 16). Making Holden go about as someone

immature, by such unnecessary, slight internal conflict. It almost makes one

wonder. Does he feel the need to make himself seem as something, he is not? Holden

also deals with another side of his dishonesty. With his need to lie to other, he

also tends to lie to himself. He makes himself believe things which as untrue, in

many cases making himself seem less intelligent than someone else, when he might

have the same or even more intelligence as the other person. “Im quite illiterate,

but I read a lot” (page 18). This quote of his, being a great example of how he

easily puts himself down, for something he admits to being. In this case, a

profound reader. His immaturity is very noticeable in this particular internal

conflict, for he isn’t quite sure, who he is yet. Not noticing this, also explains

why he struggles to overcome his conflicts, and to move onward to the greater things

in life. Maybe one day he will truly see who he is, and confesses to himself of his

talents and truths.

As the reader learns that Holden has gone to a number of schools, they also

learn of his lack of study and determination. Though as many of his schools

weren’t “fit” for him, his most current school, Pencey Prep as he says is the most

cruel and worst of all. “It was the worst school I ever went to. It was full of

phonies” (page 167), there he describes Pencey as a very “phony”, and superficial

school. The school being so face that he wouldn’t attend to any school activities.

The cruelty that also arises from the school also adds up to the hate he has towards

the school. Giving him an immature level of internal conflicts, for he chooses to

hate on only the aspects of most things. For Holden, Pencey Prep symbolizes the

artificial, harsh world of those who rum them. “It was a stinking school” (page

167), is how Holden personally describes his past school in much shorter terms. The

fact that the schools’ social club members were primarily chosen by a certain

popularity level, tremendously bothered Holden. The school’s misleading ways also

angered Holden for he knows such descriptions of the school are clearly being

exaggerated. The school itself giving themselves a forged image. Perhaps one day

of his Rite of Passage, he will notice how the school might have actually helped him

in ways he would have never thought of, and that his internal conflict could have

been resolved within time. Giving his conflicts much more value for they might have

been the beginning of a happier future.

With so much hate Holden carries along with him, there might be a possibility

that his brother Allie’s death could have affected him, as he carries his memories

along with him. Not only is he saddened by his brother’s death, but his mother also

seems to be morning her son after all this time. She also cannot fully face the

fact that Allie had died and no longer is living, giving a bad influence on Holden.

For now he related with someone who also is reluctant to face the facts of such

horrible memories. Memories that refresh Holden’s mind to such an external tragedy

who no one would ever forget. Constantly telling himself, “Especially my mother,

because she still hasn’t gotten over my brother Allie yet” (page 155). Yet his

little sister, Phoebe must have also felt deep sadness over her brother’s death. As

much as Holden loves his brother, he also believed that his brother Allie was

incomparable. He would constantly put himself after his brother, which had

everything going for him. It was easy for Holden to say his beloved brother was

better than he was, having the utmost respect for him, easily becoming an internal

conflict. At times he finds guidance within his deceased brother in moments when he

needs comfort the most. Just like as when Holden crosses a street, he admits to

saying, “Every time I’d get to the end of the block, I’d make believe I was talking

to my brother Allie” (page 198). Leaving Holden to deal with his own Rite of

Passage and to develop into a fully understandable man with such internal conflicts

in which he can only confront.

As Holden appears to reject any confidence he may have, it almost seems as if

he is hesitant to notice his personal talents, which he carries. “He was two years

younger than I was, but fifty times as intelligent”(page 38). This quote making

clear his tendency to give his brother the most acknowledgement. He almost doesn’t

leave himself any appreciation towards his own skills. Giving his brother

Allie more meaning than his can lead him into a deep internal conflict. For he

might be traumatizing his mind into saying he is only the second best. In the

future accumulating into a very low self-esteem boy with almost no confidence. As

much as it would seem that his brother’s loss affected him internally, his death in

many ways could have also affected him externally. Yes this unforgettable news

might have scared Holden as he exceeded towards his Rite of Passage. Yet in the

end, there was nothing anyone could have done to bring him back to life. Making

Allie’s death in a different perspective, also an external conflict. In a way, it

is good to know that Holden still remembers his younger brother with great respect

and honor. Knowing that not only he was honored to have Allie as his brother, but

also that many others felt enlightened to be of acquaintance with him. “But it

wasn’t just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the

nicest, in lots of ways”(page38). This quote being one of many validations of how

deep Holden’s admiration for his brother really was. Holden looking back at all his

past memories might encourage him to move forward, into possible conflicts, which he

can now overcome.
Having Holden Caulfield as the protagonist was an excellent

choice taken by the author of The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger. Who wrote the

novel in 1951. Having many internal and external conflicts caused Holden to

challenge himself emotionally, as well as mentally. Surely his external conflicts

shared an importance in Holden’s character for they gave way in many of his

decisions. Holden not believing in himself simply describes himself as a gray

haired sixteen year old. Affirming his external and internal conflicts to resemble

and clarify his lack of effort. One of Holden’s achievements must not be attending

his most resent school, Pencey Prep. For he is sure to say that everyone around him

are fake and phony people. What must have impacted his like was the death of his

brother Allie. His brother’s death sparked an internal and external conflict around

Holden’s cycle of passages. Honoring his brother as much as he reminds himself of

him. His past being a passage in which he must confront and grow before he can

surpass any more obstacles along his path to maturity. Maturing and acknowledging

in every step he takes.





















Work Cited
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. London: Little, Brown and Company, 1951.