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Catcher in the Rye

 

            Holden Caulfield is the main character in J. Salinger's, "The Catcher in the Rye". The story begins with Holden telling the chain of events since leaving the Pencey School to his psychiatrist. At first, Holden sounds like a typical, misguided teenager, rebellious towards his parents, angry with his teachers, and flunking out of school. Holden is motivated, just not academically. Holden begins his story misguided and without direction. .
             After flunking out of the Pencey School, Holden decides to leave early. Before he leaves, though, he visits his teacher, Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer and Holden talk about his direction in life: "Do you feel absolutely no concern for your future, boy?" "Oh, I feel some concern for my future, all right. Sure. Sure, I do." I thought about it for a minute. "But not too much, I guess,". After leaving Pencey, he wanders the city and finally checks into a hotel where he invites a prostitute up to his room. He gets nervous and just wants to talk and decides not to have sex with her. She gets mad and leaves, but not before getting into an altercation with Holden about they payment of her time. Later, Maurice the pimp comes up to Holden's room and punches him in the gut for refusing to pay the entire amount. Holden was trying to be mature and stand up for himself, but he is still a young boy and lacks responsibility and is inexperienced. Holden decides to meet up with his old girlfriend, Sally Hayes at the theater. After taking her to the theater, Holden formulates a crazy plan which includes running getting married, and growing old together. Sally thinks that he is crazy, and she decides to go home. This again shows Holden's want to do mature things, but is still too immature and is very inappropriate. Holden drinks and smokes, showing even more misdirection while on this joyride away from school and home. .
             Holden returns home and talks to his sister, Phoebe. Holden wants to be the Catcher in the Rye to protect children from the world in which he is must live.


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