Parental voids at the cause of adolescent struggles

Adolescence can be a very trying time in an individual’s life; it is a time in which people search and struggle to understand themselves and the world that surrounds them. Three prime examples of adolescent struggles are in the characters Ellen Foster, from the novel Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons; Holden Caulfield, from the novel Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger; and Gordie from the movie Stand by Me. Each of these children has conflicts with their parents. For Ellen, she experiences grief due to her mother’s death, and her father’s abusive behavior. Holden has problems accepting adulthood; this is why he does not like adults and therefore isn’t close with his parents. Gordie experiences neglect from his parents, who discourage and under- appreciate his amazing knack for writing. Each of these young peoples’ issues are centered around their dysfunctional relationships with their parents. The difficulties, which young people often experience in trying to understand themselves, are intensified by the severity of the relationship void between themselves and their parents.

At the beginning of the three stories, Ellen Foster, Catcher in the Rye, and Stand by

" 'Did you mean what you said?' she asked me"

Although in the end, all three characters were able to obtain that understanding which they lacked at the beginning of the stories, the path, which Ellen took, was different from that of Holden or Gordie. We find that, though these characters seem to begin at the same place in their development of confusion, each seemed to discover a different way to work through it all. For Ellen, she got the amazing chance of a new start when she went to live with her foster family. Holden’s strong connection with his younger sister Phoebe was able to assist him out of his trying time. Finally, Gordie’s spectacular friendship with Chris Chambers allowed him to develop in his skills, which would eventually make his future. Parental relationships are imperative in a young adults life. Because Ellen, Holden, and Gordie, had such sever conflicts with their parents, they were more deeply affected and influenced in the search for understanding themselves.

" 'Yea,' I said. I meant it too. I wasn't lying to her. I really did go home

As the ends of the three stories drew nearer, it became more evident that Ellen's relationship with her parents and Holden and Gordie's relationships with their parents had evolved and were no longer at similar stages as they were in the beginning. Each of these three characters took different paths in resolving their issues with their parents. Where Ellen was able to start anew with her foster family, Holden and Gordie were forced to find resolution through other means, such as siblings or friends. At the end of Ellen Foster, there is a moment in which Ellen is lying in bed and says, "I have laid in my bed many many days since that first afternoon I heard her in the kitchen and I am

Some topics in this essay:
Holden Gordie, Ellen Gordie, Salinger Gordie, Ellen Foster, Phoebe Holden, Knowing Chris, Denny Denny, Holden Gordie's, Struggles” Adolescence, Chris Chambers, holden gordie, parents ellen, ellen foster, ellen holden gordie, relationships parents, understand themselves, ellen holden, phoebe holden, sister phoebe, parents holden, detached parents, struggle understand themselves,