The Catcher in the Rye vs. Looking For Alaska
Looking For Alaska vs. The Catcher in the Rye Many parallels can be drawn between the main protagonists in John Green's Looking for Alaska, and J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. Although these two coming of age novels differ greatly in setting and in circumstance, many of the broader, more fundamental themes in each are actually quite similar. John Green was very much influenced by J.D. Salinger, and even admitted that Miles "Pudge" Halter in Looking For Alaska, was based largely off of Holden Caulfield, the main character in Catcher in the Rye. In reading the two books, this statement becomes less and less difficult to believe as we see ignorance, rebellion against authority, death, isolation, and eventually maturity, and self-reassurance as underlying subject matters in both coming of age novels. Almost immediately, we see immaturity in both Miles, and Holden in something as discernible as each of their voices. It doesn’t take long to notice that most of Miles' main concerns are ones that directly affect himself, and his pursuit of the affections of Alaska Young. Even after Alaska passes away, we see Miles torturing himself over her still, asking himself things like, "Did she ever love me? Would she have left Jake for me? Or was it just another impulsive Alaska moment? It was not enough to be the last guy she kissed. I wanted to be the last one she loved. And I knew I wasn't. I knew it, and I hated her for it. I hated her for not caring about me." (Looking For Alaska, p. 171). While Miles shows his immaturity subconsciously in the sense that his biggest worries revolve around himself rather than others, Holden demonstrates his own sophistication, or lack thereof, through his recklessness in school, casually telling the reader things like, "They kicked me out. I wasn't supposed to come back after Christmas vacation, on the account of I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself at all. They gave me frequent warning to start applying myself - especially