the narrator, is a 16-year old adolescent that has the desire to be in the adult world,

which is full of choices and responsibilities that he wishes to encounter. Holden

thinks being a child is comfortable and is protected from all the impurities in the

world, therefor he wants to become an adult too quickly. Throughout the novel there

are several instances that show the struggle inside Holden to make the switch from a

boy to a man. Holden constantly battles the two different sides. This directly affects

him mentally, physically, as well as socially. Often times an adult will discourage an

action of an adolescent by saying they are too old or too young to act a certain way,

like going on dates or staying out to late. These contradictions can lead an adolescent

to complete uncertainty of their actions. The novel clearly shows Holden’s growth

from an immature child to a more mature man.

Throughout the novel several childish acts display Holden’s behavior.

Holden’s first immature act is that he leaves his school without permission

Holden is learning something from his mistakes, and in turn becomes mature. The

ready for sex and rejects the prostitute. He also thinks he knows everything about

adult, and emphasizes that an individual at this age cannot pretend to be an adult or

the experiences encounter, both good and bad, mold the individual and shape them

can they regress back into the security of childhood. Salinger also emphasizes that

smokes. He offers people a cigarette to look older. Another sign of immaturity is

one must take and to encounter this, despite the twists and turns that come with it,

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