Catcher in the Rye Essay Argumentative Essay

Catcher in the Rye Essay In the novel The Catcher and the Rye by J. D. Salinger Holden believes childhood, and adulthood are completely different. Holden believes childhood is very immature, and playful, and adulthood is mature and serious. Childhood, and adulthood are not as different as Holden makes them out to be, there is a difference but even some adults act childish, and some children act mature and serious for their age. Holden believes he is superior to all other people including adults, making him believe he is in adulthood, but in reality the things he does and say make him very childish.

Holden believes there are distinct differences between adulthood and childhood. Holden thinks adults don’t care about anyone but themselves and that they try to ruin his life like his teachers and his parents, “He put my god dam paper down then looked at me like he’d just beaten hell out of me in ping-pong or something. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him for reading me that crap out loud”(12). Holden believed all adults were out to get him and make him feel terrible about himself. He thought adults always had to have it their way because their age made them superior, “ Its ten bucks, chief.

I tole you that. Ten bucks for a throw, fifteen bucks till noon. I tole you that. You did not tell me that. You said five bucks a throw. You said fifteen bucks till noon, all right, but I distinctly heard you”(101). Holden believed adults thought they could just take advantage of you because they were older and knew children couldn’t do anything about it. Holden thought the nature of childhood was the complete opposite of adulthood, he believed all were naive, innocent, and always did what they were told. She’s not little enough anymore to go stark staring mad in the toy department, but she enjoys horsing around and looking at the people”(197). Holden thought because of someone’s young age all they cared about was having fun and playing with toys but a lot of children are mature because of experiences they have gone through that have forced them to lose their childhood and grow up faster then expected, “ I’m going with you. Can I? Okay? What? I said I almost fell over when she said that”(206).

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Two children wanted to run away one because he needed to get away and the other because children are influenced by their elders and want to do things they see or in many cases younger siblings want to be just like their older siblings. Childhood and adulthood are not as different as Holden makes them out to be. Childhood and adulthood can be determined by many different factors age, maturity, and experience. Their are many children who have not had a childhood because they were forced to grow up because of certain experiences they have gone through, like Holden.

He was forced to grow up when he was on his own for the three days, he got on a bus by himself, got a hotel, and ordered a prostitute. Holden also was forced to grow up when his brother Allie died, he was now the oldest sibling, and just the going through the experience of losing a sibling had to have made him stronger as a person. Holden believes he doesn’t have to listen to anyone, because he thinks he knows everything. He didn’t think he had to try in school so he failed out of 5 schools, he didn’t listen to the advice his teachers gave him, “ I’m pretty sure he yelled Good Luck!

At me. I hope not. I hope to hell not. I’d never yell Good Luck! At anybody. It sounds terrible when you think about it” (15-16) Holden thought when elders gave him advice they we insulting him, or calling him dumb. These acts making him very childish but he thinks he is mature and an “adult” even though he is still in high school. He has gone through experiences in which made him have to grow up but by thinking he had to grow up he began to think that adults shouldn’t have to tell him what to do making him childish.

Holden is still young and naive and in his childhood stage but has gone through so much making him a mature boy that still has his childish moments. In the novel The Catcher and the Rye by J. D. Salinger Holden has an opinion that adulthood and childhood are nothing alike. He thinks he is an adult and can do whatever he pleases. Holden may have matured as a person and in age but he still has his innocent and childish moments like any adult out there.

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