The Stage appears to be challenging for Holden in Catcher in the Rye, as reflected from his severe need to be hypercritical. Holden demonstrates a hypercritical and unreasonable attitude towards elders, especially Mr. Spencer. " everything smelled like Vick's nose drops. It was pretty depressing; I"m not too crazy about sick people anyway" (Salinger 7). Before Holden even converses with Spencer, he takes away the older man's credibility, shielding Holden from any constructive criticism. The results of unresponsiveness demonstrate the danger in being hypercritical at a time where a youth truly needs guidance. Holden desires isolation from peers at Pencey as he demonstrates by staying in his dorm for the football game, "He was probably the only guy in the whole dorm, besides me, that wasn't down at the game" (Salinger 19). The yearn for alienation foreshadows Holden's later actions and makes sense of his dislike for Ackley. When Holden simply wants to be alone Ackley comes to be with him, thus bothering the novice. Holden later physically isolates himself from the group which he formerly belonged. Soon after a fight with Stradlater and rejection from Ackley Holden resorts to fleeing, "All of a sudden, I decided what I"d do, I"d get the hell out of Pencey right that same night and all" (Salinger 51). Holden's initiated the initiation process.
Although Henry, from the Red Badge of Courage, would not be considered as stubborn as Holden, in order to escape the boredom he makes well-thought-out decisions that create conflict with his family and later, his regiment as his thoughts reveals mental unrest. To his mother's dismay, in search of his true identity Henry enlists in the Army as boredom exists in the farm life he currently lives. After thought and internal conflict Henry announces, "ma, I've enlisted" (Crane 5). This blatant betrayal of his mom's wishes demonstrates his newfound goals in life, as he puts himself in a position in which he will need to assume the responsibilities of adulthood.