The Novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger illustrates the struggle and confusion in teenagers when entering adulthood. Through unusual thoughts and mannerisms, main protagonist Holden Caulfield expresses his story. He thinks everything in society is “phony” and goes through a lot of pain in his life, which reinforces him struggling to find himself as a teen. Adulthood is a challenge that Holden is faced with and Catcher in the Rye represents how Holden adapts and comes of age.
Normal teenage behavior does not come easy for Holden. He is confused about being sexually active, but it frustrates him because he hasn’t had sex before. He desperately wants to have a companion, someone who he can relate to and interact with.
Holden is living on his own in New York to hopefully find the right girl. Unfortunately, there is no one who can find a connection with him. Holden is very arrogant person, which leads to others being fed up with him frequently. This is a reason why people can’t spend long periods of time with him. Whenever Holden is feeling lonely, he will feel like “giving someone a buzz”, which usually results in him hanging up if the person answers or not getting an answer from the other person. Even though Holden doesn’t get along with very many people, he has a special bond between him and his brother, Allie.
When Allie died a few years back, it has caused him to have many rough patches in his life. He has struggled a lot with grief, which caused people to not want to be around him. Holden would think so highly of Allie and would talk about how great and intelligent he was.It makes you feel sorry for him, because his brother was the closest connection he had to anyone and now the special bond is buried away.