Holden Caufield in the dark novel "Catcher in the Rye" and Conrad Jarrett in "Ordinary People" prove this point to be true. Together, these two books portray the lives of two teenagers striving to stay alive in the rigorous world they live in. J. D. Salinger points out how Holden is constantly angry with the world. He often seeks refuge from old friends, attempting to forget about both his past and his future. Judith Guest, author of "Ordinary People", shows Conrad as a young man, confused and hurt by so many things such an adolescent shouldn't have to endure. The two stories are both similar and contrasting in the aspects of family and relationships, loneliness and isolation, and their maturation throughout the novels.
Holden creates a dark, isolated appearance from the very beginning of his tale when he tells of the football game with everyone in the school attending it but himself. After the death of his brother, Allie, Holden has sought refuge in his younger sister Phoebe. Although she is young, Holden often confides in her, feeling as if she is all he has left. He refers to her in the story, often wishing she were there to comfort him. To Holden, his parents are naive and, many times, nearly nonexistent. His mother, crushed by Allie's death, secludes herself from the rest of the family. His older brother, D.B. is thought of as some sort of guy that, according to Holden, "threw his life away" by giving his literary talents to Hollywood. There is little spoken of his father. Many people fall in and out of Holden's life throughout the novel. Holden seems to be asking for help from various people. Although secluded, he seems as if he's looking for someone to grab onto for security, seldom receiving any at all. Spencer, his professor at Pency Prep School, attempts to motivate him to stay there. However, drawn to the monotony of failure, Holden declines and leaves Pency. His roommate Stradlater and is next door neighbor Ackley are two people he half-way finds comfort in, but knows he will never be like either of them.