Holden Character Essay

Holden Character Analysis Essay

Like many teenagers, Holden Caulfield is a teenager that deals with adolescent issues, and adult life. In J.D. Salinger's novel ''The Catcher in the Rye'', the main character Holden Caulfield, describes in detail the parts of his life and his environment that bother him the most. Holden is a teenager that can relate to most teenagers like us, his life revolves around problems, and he seems helpless in evading them. Holden can be characterized as a sensitive, self-conscious teenager. The first trait that Holden possesses is sensitiveness. Holden is definitely sensitive, and be very emotional at times. The first example that shows that he is sensitive is when he breaks all the windows in his garage, as a result of his Brother Allie's death, ''I broke all the goddam windows just for the hell of it''. Salinger characterizes Holden as sensitive, in order to accord with the novel’s theme that depression can be a quarantined disease. Holden being sensitive contributed to the decision of him writing the composition about Allie, because of how he remembered breaking the windows in the garage, after Allie died. Another example that shows his sensitiveness is when he leaves Mr. Antollini's house as a result of him petting his forehead and waking up ''I was embarrassed as hell.'' Holden’s sensitive state of mind provokes him into acting faster on things, without thinking of it first. This act that happened contributed to the depreciation of his health. Another trait that Holden has is self-conscious. Holden is self-conscious of himself, but at te same time strives for independence and individuality. The Red Hunting Hat that he wears represents independence, because he wears it when he feels sad, happy, and doesn’t care how he looks with it on when it’s cold. One example of how Holden displays self-consciousness is when he tells Sally that she was a royal pain in the ass, and later apologized to her, ''No kidding, I'm sorry.'' Salinger characterizes Holden as self-conscious, in order to prove that anyone can be self-conscious, even when depressed. Holden proves that he has the state of mind to apologize to someone, after he bagged on them, and messed up. Another example that shows his self-conscious is when he asked Luce many questions about sex, but when alone with a prostitute, Holden gets nervous and makes up an excuse that he can’t have sex, because ‘’I’m recovering from an operation on my clavichord.’’ Even though Salinger promotes that Holden is sensitive and acts on things without thinking, Holden proves that he knows what’s right and wrong. This example proves that Holden has cleverness and self-conscious, when he makes up an excuse to not have sex with a prostitute, because he knows that it’s not the right thing to do. Holden Caulfield, like many teenagers, is a teen that deals with daily life issues, and adult life. Holden is a sensitive, self-conscious teen, who is seeking individuality and independence. To seek this, he wears a Red Hunting Hat to represent his individuality and independence. Holden can be perceived as one of us, who faces the same challenges and problems that we as teens face, but Holden manages to show us the many ways to deal with these problems and challenges.