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Self-Discovery in The Catcher in the Rye

Another example of when Holden used lies to put up a front was when he meets the three girls in the bar and introduces himself as James Steele. From these two instances it is clear that Holden does not enjoy talking about himself very much and prefers to ostracize himself from people. Near the end of the novel however, a major character change is seen when all of that bottled up emotion that was never before visible, arises to the surface when he and Phoebe are in the park and she is riding the carousel. He says: "I was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth" (213). This was the first time really he demonstrated any kind of positive emotion in the entire novel which shows a drastic development in his overall views on life and how he sees himself. Lastly, a major moment that contributed in his character change was when Phoebe puts the hat on his head. The red hunting hat is symbolic of individuality and throughout the novel, Holden only wears it in private at very special moments because he does not have the courage to wear it in public and stand out. Phoebe's gesture at the end of the novel is symbolic of her accepting him as who he is giving him that sense of identity that he was lacking throughout the novel thus changing how Holden views himself.
             Holden maturing in a more responsible adult can be seen in the way that near the end of the novel he finally accepted responsibility for his own life and took matters into his own hands instead of running away from his problems like he did earlier on in the novel. After flunking out of school, Holden wants to run away, first to New York, then to work on a farm far away, literally running from his problems. This is the perspective of a child; with the belief that distancing oneself from the issue will make it go away as a whole. As Holden matures, he decides to face them head on and follows Mr.


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