Jamie Beckman
September 8, 1998
English p.2
After reading the first half of Catcher in the Rye, I have come to discover how insecure Holden Caulfield is. This could be why he is always so critical of everyone else. He has to point out their flaws in order to make himself feel more comfortable. He does this when Mr. Spencer picks his nose, when Ackley picks at his acne, and when Stradlater shaves with an old, rusty razor.
Holden is also unsure about going home from Pency after being kicked out. He is afraid that his parents will be extremely mad and upset. He hesitates to even call home to talk to his younger sister. What surprised me most, however, was that instead of going home, Holden, a teenager, packed up, moved out of Pency and went to live in New York City without giving it a second thought. This same example makes me think that Holden is very stubborn. It takes a strong person (especially a teenager) not to go home to his parents when he has no where else to go.
I think things would be different if D.B. or Allie were waiting for Holden at home. Holden looks up to D.B. a lot. But now that D.B.'s in Hollywood, he's torn between being supportive of his career choice or hating his profession. Had D.B. still been at home, I think Holden would have gone home after being kicked out of Pency to see his older brother whom he admired. He would probably have gone home if Allie were there as well. It seems as though Allie was his best friend as well as a brother and Holden misses him terribly. Phoebe seems like she is good company for Holden, but she can't take the place of a brother figure.
I predict that before the book reaches its conclusion, Holden will learn a lot about himself. I think that it is possible he will gain self-confidence from being alone in such a big city. He might even re-evaluate his situation and be happy to go home and see his family. He may also consider his future. Maybe he'll realize that if he fails high school he won't get to go to college and further his education. I'm also hoping that Holden will interact with Jane because he's talked so much about her. After not seeing her for so many years, I think their meeting again would be very interesting to read about.
Back to My Journal Page