Holden Caulfield Term Papers

It may be safely assumed in this research paper that Holden Caulfield, the main character of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, puts all his efforts into constantly avoiding the inescapable coming of adulthood, responsibility, artificiality and ultimately death. Sanford and Pinsker argue that Holden Caulfield, whose actions would be more suitable for a boy of thirteen, as he is challenged by what he sees as the world’s issues, nevertheless tries to do his best to prevent them from influencing others. Holden himself acknowledges that sometimes he acts like he is thirteen, but he adds that in some situations he acts a lot older than he is, although nobody ever notices. Some researchers call the protagonist of Catcher in the Rye excellent worrier and a top-notch neurotic. Although these words are severe, they can only be applied in that this is how the writer has decided to describe Holden Caulfield at the beginning and while he eventually asks for the help of psychiatric counsel, we can premise that he will continue worrying about the same things. What is even more surprising, for a person who is accredited with so much concerns for others, research papers indicate that Holden is in fact inactive and belligerent, righteous in his own esteem and full of compassion at the same time, which suggests that he will ultimately be capable of reconciling himself with adulthood. It is fair to implies that his split personality is for the most part the result of the fact that, as much as he would like to ignore it, Holden is unable to prevent the journey into adulthood.