The Catcher in the Rye chronicles the growth from childhood to adulthood.
the narrator, is a 16-year old adolescent that has the desire to be in the adult world,.
which is full of choices and responsibilities that he wishes to encounter. Holden.
thinks being a child is comfortable and is protected from all the impurities in the.
world, therefor he wants to become an adult too quickly. Throughout the novel there.
are several instances that show the struggle inside Holden to make the switch from a.
boy to a man. Holden constantly battles the two different sides. This directly affects.
him mentally, physically, as well as socially. Often times an adult will discourage an.
action of an adolescent by saying they are too old or too young to act a certain way,.
like going on dates or staying out to late. These contradictions can lead an adolescent.
to complete uncertainty of their actions. The novel clearly shows Holden's growth.
from an immature child to a more mature man.
.
Throughout the novel several childish acts display Holden's behavior. .
Holden's first immature act is that he leaves his school without permission .
from his parents or the school. Since Holden leaves school this shows his need for .
independence. Another attempt at adulthood while in childhood are the numerous.
instances to order alcohol by Holden. Up until the age of 21, all young adults want to.
give the illusion they are older than they are in hopes to recieve special adult.
privileges, such as the ability to drink alcohol. Holden tries to act as an adult when he.
says, "Would you care to stop off and have a drink with me somewhere"(83)? Since.
adults often go out for drinks Holden sees this as an opportunity to act older than he.
is. Yet another way to determine his immaturity is the fact that he realizes he is not.
ready for sex and rejects the prostitute. He also thinks he knows everything about.
sex, yet he really does not. Nothing occurs between Holden and the prostitute.