In life there are people like Holden, who have the ability to make their own decisions and consequently decide his own fate. Then there are people like Pai and Kathy, who live in a society where their respective fates are decided for them. While Holden and Pai both attempt to overcome their adversity and change the course of their fate, Kathy doesn't try to change her fate and accepts what is eventually going to happen to her because she is unaware of her life being any different.
In Never Let Me Go, Whale Rider, and The Catcher in the Rye, the the transition from adolescence into adulthood plays a vital role in the establishment of each of the protagonists' fates; while a loss in innocence results in Holden and Pai to contemplate their respective destinies, Kathy's realization causes her to succumb to what's in store for her future. Holden is afraid of change; as he starts to mature, he realizes that he doesn't want to yield to the "phoniness" of adulthood. Instead he want things to remain the same. When Holden is killing time before his date with Sally Hayes, he notices the Museum of Natural History, and remarks about the longevity of its exhibits: "Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that's impossible, but it's too bad anyway"(16.25). When Holden first came to New York City, he was eager to commence into the world of adulthood, but now after many encounters in the real world that have left him with nothing but problems, he is starting to realize that adulthood isn't what it was cut out to be. Holden is beginning to realize that he liked things better when they didn't change and stayed the way they were. However, it is a bit to late for Holden to change his fate, even though he wants to, because he has already lost his innocence. So instead, he later decides to somehow achieve his purpose by protecting the innocence of others.