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Nikki Bumbacco Ms. Morris ENG 3 A 0 May 15, 1999 Often in literature characters, through different experiences, undergo changes which enable them to grow. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, the author J. D. Salinger portrays Holden as a confused adolescent. The author conveys Holden?
s inner growth through specific incidents. When Holden is expelled from Pencey he grows and develope's a new attitude towards his family. After meeting with a prostitute Holden becomes more mature when he realizes that sex does not fill the gaps of loneliness. Finally when Holden is reunited with his sister Phoebe he realizes that the innocence of children can not be preserved forever.
Holden experienced inner growth after he is expelled from Pencey, he meets a prostitute and is reunited with his sister Phoebe. Holden? s poor marks and attendance have lead him to being expelled from Pencey. Pencey, Holden felt was crammed with phonies. ? It was one of the worst schools I ever went to, it was full of phonies. ? (67) Holden was always depressed and distressed at Pencey. ? I felt like committing suicide. ? (107).
Without any sense of direction in his life Holden seeks advice from from one of his old teachers, Mr. Spencer. During his visit with his former teacher, Holden is told by Mr. Spencer that? Life is a game boy. Life is a game one plays according to the rules. ? (8).
Holden feels that life is a game only if you are on the side where all the hotshots are, otherwise there is no game. Holden? s loneliness forces him to contact past friends. After meeting with a few of his old friends Holden is left feeling unfulfilled. Holden decides to return home to be with his family when he recalls memories of Phoebe. Phoebe was always very devotedly attached to Holden. ?
She likes me a lot. I mean she? s quite fond of me. She really is. Anyway, I couldn? t get that off my mind, so finally what I figured what I?
d do, I? d sneak home to see her, in case I died and all. ? (156). Holden comes to understand the importance of family and achieves inner growth after he is expelled from Pencey. Holden also experiences inner growth as a result of his encounter with a prostitute. Holden feels that when it comes to girls he can never find what he is looking for. Still a virgin Holden explains to us that in most cases the girl is the one who does not want to have sex.
Though in Holden? s case, he is the one opposed to having sex. When Holden is asked if he would like a prostitute he does not hesitate to accept the offer. Holden admits that having sex with a prostitute would be a good time to practice before marriage. ? In a way, that? s why I sort of wanted to get some practice in case I ever get married. ? (93).
Holden waited nervously yet anxiously for the prostitute to arrive. However when she finally arrived Holden comes to realize that the prostitute is all about buisness. Holden is completely turned off when she takes off her clothes and utters? Let?
s go, hey. I haven? t got all day. ? (96). Unexpectingly Holden requests tha prostitute to leave. ? The trouble was I just didn? t want to do it.
I felt more depressed than sexy, if you want to know the truth. ? (86). Holden was looking for someone or something to fill his gap of loneliness. Through Holden? s experience with the prostitute he realized that sex wasn? t the way to go about filling his gap. This situation caused Holden to grow and this changed his attitude towards sex.
Another individual who helped Holden grow was his sister Phoebe. When Holden is reunited with his sister he displays his yearning to preserve childrens? innocence. ? Some body? d written f k on the wall.
It damn near drove me crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them all cock-eyed naturally what it meant and how they? d all think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days. ? (201). Holden is obviously upset when he reads the slag written on the wall. It seemed as if Holden wanted to protect Phoebe from adulthood. He wanted Phoebe to remain young and innocent forever.
However near the end of the novel Holden reaches at turning point in his life when he witnesses Phoebe on the carousel. Holden comes to understand that he can not protect children forever. They must grow and experience the world. Witnessing all of the corruption and evil in the world molds children and teaches them to cope with life. Holden now realizes that he too must grow by coping with the side of life that he does not like. After Holden is expelled from Pencey, meets a prostitute amd is reunited with his sister Phoebe he undergoes changes which enable him to experience inner growth.
Holden has no sense of direction after he is expelled from Pencey. His aimless wandering and seeking of companionship finally leads him back to his family. Holden experienced inner groth when he gains a new understanding of how important family is. Meeting witha prostitute leaves Holden feeling unfulfilled. Holden grows and as a result realizes that sex does not compensate for companionship. Finally when Holden is reunited with Phoebe he learns that he can not preserve the innocence of children forever.
Holden? s new inner growth enables him to realize that he too must deal with the side of life he does not prefer. Growth and change are both an inevitable part of life? s long journey.
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Research essay sample on Life Is A Game Holden
