STARS OR MUD WITHIN THE SAME JAIL IS HOLDEN FREE? In regards to the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

STARS OR MUD WITHIN THE SAME JAIL

IS HOLDEN FREE?

In regards to the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Valeria Luna Cantillo

Colegio Jefferson. Grado noveno.

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“Life is a game, my boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.”[1] Freedom is limited, one may think one has reached the maze’s exit however there is no way out. How does one escape from its own mind? A human’s mind is the worst enemy, as it knows its biggest concerns, and uses these concerns and emotions to force the person to lose faith in itself. Through fear and insecurity. It coerces humans to cover their eyes with the blindfold society provides, and permits them to lock themselves in their own dark room. Even the people who act as they are not affected by the enemy’s standards, imprison their own colors. Even though, Holden Caulfield the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger has isolated himself from everyone, and asserts he does not want to please society’s ideals, at the end, gets affected by what happens with his surroundings. Holden expresses his desires of living somewhere far away from humanity, alone. Mainly because the enemy, society, has ripped his innocence, disappointing him and making him see the world as an evil game he does not want to be part of. But unwittingly, mankind along with depression has enshrined Holden making him unable to go outside himself and achieve even the simplest goals of a teenager, in this case Holden’s freedom. He is locked in his own mind constantly making up fake scenarios, lying about who he is and wishing to escape from his own reality because he is not comfortable with himself. Caulfield is in his own world, and his depression like barriers constantly grows while he becomes smaller, therefore, death becomes a feasible path to him. “I felt so lonesome all of a sudden I almost wished I was dead.”[2]

 

[1] Mr. Spencer to Holden Caulfield; The Catcher in the Rye, (CH-2; pg. 5)
[2] Holden Caulfield; The Catcher in the Rye, (CH-7; pg. 26)

Holden represents an intimate portrait of a disturbed teenage boy. Holden faces universal situations that regardless the era, place or status teenagers identify with, as most teenagers face and feel the same way throughout their transition processes. Yet, it has been sixty-six years since the novel was released, and most teenagers find and feel a connection with the protagonist and its story. Perhaps is because Holden went through and faced similar situations that today’s teenagers face in a different context. Eventually, every gets disillusioned with the world, their childhood innocence disappear meanwhile they start self-loathing themselves. Growing is essential in life, mistakes and disappointment help teenager realized life is not a fairy tale. Thus, one can say that most teenagers feel just as Holden does, he feels that childhood is not safe from evil or profanity.

Every teenager seeks to protect and preserve child innocence, and tries to pretend everything is perfect in front of children because that is what they would have wanted. As Holden, most people in general try to avoid kids from suffering, weather is mental or physical. By trying to accomplish this, teenagers imprison themselves and those who they want to protect. After all, everyone is a prisoner, everyone is incarcerated somehow, thus, everyone has its own imprisonment, its own jail.  Likewise, teenagers identify with Holden’s emotions and feelings, they feel understood. “You’ll find that you are not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior.”[3] Hence, Holden, teenagers, are never really free from society, as society dictates who everyone is, and how everyone is to behave and live.

[3] Mr. Antolini to Holden Caulfield; The Catcher in the Rye, (CH-24; pg. 102)

Although, every teenager claims to be unique and apathetic to other’s criticism, most teenagers have built a superficial mask of strength that does not show pain publicly. Hence, when teenagers are alone they suffer, being lonely is one of the most painful feelings they experience. Therefore, in order to avoid that feeling they isolate themselves in a jail where no one can enter, they do not care about the intentions of the person that wishes to get closer, and they will not let that person enter, thus, isolation wins. Moreover, teenagers change unconsciously, they adapt to societies standards in order to satisfy other likes, and they stop fulfilling their own wishes. “I am always saying “Glad to’ve met you” to somebody I’m not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.”[4]

 

[4] Holden Caulfield; The Catcher in the Rye, (CH-12; pg. 47)

To conclude, one can say that everyone lives behind the same bars, the same metaphorical prison. Perhaps is all about perspective, most people see mud inside it, especially teenagers, as they see their life pass by while they wonder how can they scape from that jail. After failing in the search of finding a place that fulfills their expectations and provides the definition of perfect most teenagers look for company, family and loved ones. He does not find this company and answer he is looking for. He only sees negativity in the world, mud. He is captive by a society that is turning him into a prisoner, Holden, is never free. “You can’t even find a place that’s nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any.”[5] Contrary to this, there are teenagers and positive people that see stars, see the glass half-full, see the positive in the world, and see an opportunity to learn from every experience regardless of the outcome. Are you willing to see stars or the mud?

[5] Holden Caulfield; The Catcher in the Rye, (CH-25; pg. 110)

The End

Gracias por leer mi escrito.

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