Holden the troubled teen has just left his boading school called Pency, and is now on the road before he returns home. For many of us, this would be a blast, with no adult supervision, but not for Holden. He has admitted several times to "feel sad as hell." (96) But why is Holden feeling this way? Why does he feel so terrible everywhere he goes and to everyone he talks to? I think the answer is that he is very lonely
Holden really just seems like he is in the confused crosswalks of life. He wants to be independent, but at the same time he is unable to comprehend his surroundings. He doesn't seem to like being with his fellow peers, but as we see with Ackley, Holden couldn't help but be drawn to him because Ackley was one of the only living people (regarding Allie) Holden could talk to. "I got so lonesome and rotten, I even felt like waking Ackley up." (50)
Holden shows how torn he is when he talks to people, especially women. "Women kill me. They really do. I don't mean I'm oversexed or anything like that- although I am quite sexy. I just like them, I mean." (54) Holden seems to wish he had somebody to talk to, and he has all these sexual tensions that he seems to be uncapable of showing.
Holden is desperate for company. That is why he gets a prostitute, but he can't do anything with her bacause he is too depressed and all he wanted to do was talk to her. "'Don't you feel like talking for a while?'-'What the heck ya wanna talk about?'-'I don't know. Nothing special. I just though perhaps you might care to talk for a while.'"(95)
Works cited:
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown, 1951. Print.
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I think that Holden is very confused with his life. When he was talking to the prostitute I think that he was thinking of Jane while this was happening. If Holden would just let people in his life he might be a better person.
ReplyDeleteHolden definetly needs to let more people into his life. Instead of just pushing everyone away because they are "phonies" doesn't help him with the depression that he has. He really needs someone to talk to besides Allie. I think that he wouldn't be having all of these suicidal thoughts if he would just let someone in to talk, and to help him.
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