The Catcher in the Rye, a Medley of Failure - 825 Words

The Catcher in the Rye, a Medley of Failure All humans make mistakes, unfortunately, Holden Caulfield is notorious for committing one too many. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye appears to be a long string of consecutive failures for the protagonist. The novel describes his attempt to reconcile with these failures and find a path that suits his qualities and desires. However Holden can not find a way to succeed and even Mr. Antolini says, â€Å"This fall I think you’re riding for – it’s a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling† (187). This whole fall that Holden is heading on seems to have started with the flunking out of school.†¦show more content†¦At this point in his life Holden is just confused and overwhelmed with growing up and having to enter adulthood. He is afraid of what he doesn’t understand and reverts to a c ynical view of society to shield himself from the painfulness of growing up. Holden wishes he could live in a simple and understandable world but he must face the realities of life and the complexities that come with it. Confronting failure is often the most difficult thing to do especially at a young age for adolescences, however education is able teach not only book work, but life values as well. By obtaining an education, Holden will be able to transgress his previous conceptions about society and learn to succeed in the rapidly changing society he is thrown