Lifes Many Obstacles - Catcher :: essays research papers

Lifes Many ObstaclesIn J. D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye the protagonist, H ancienten, is faced with numerous obstacles. Like most tragic heroes, he is a man who is reasonably happy at the beginning of the tragedy, but as the tragedy develops, some failure in his personality begins to affect events, so that his progress is a movement from happiness to misery. The ultimate misery results from his final cognisance of his personalities limits or failures. Much of Holdens misery is a result of his inability to successfully handle particular problems regarding adolescence.Holdens loneliness and overall low vanity are the primary adolescent motivaters for his breakdown. Holdens general need for female companionship leads him to a reasonably accurate self-analysis he thinks that he is the biggest charge maniac you ever saw, but later admits that he really doesnt understand sex or know much about it. Holden, however, finds himself feeling rather horny and decides to call upon the service of Faith Cavendish. She wasnt exactly a whore or anything but she didnt mind doing it once in a while... Holden feels this experience will thrust him into what he con viewrs the handsome world. The conversation with Faith was a long one but inevitably led to nothing. An incursion into the adult world, or what Holden considers it to be, had been thwarted. In part, the failure happens because he doesnt really know the rules, and also because loneliness is not a substitute for experience.Habitual lying is a trait not only found in adolescence but also in people of all ages. It is sometimes generated from a lack of self-esteem, boredom and self-preservation. Holden exaggerates many truths not out of a conscious decision to deceive, but rather to lend emphasis to facts he is unsure of as when he states, Pencey Prep advertises in about a thousand magazines. However, Holden also has no convictions against telling outright untruths if he can come out for the better on the other sid e of the exchange. Im the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. Its awful. If Im on my way to the store to demoralize a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where Im going, Im liable to say Im going to the opera. Its terrible. So when I told old Spencer I had to go to the gym to get my equipment and stuff, that was a sheer lie.