An Analysis on Antiheros in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Diablo Cody’s Juno and the Preservation of Childhood Innocence

An archetypal hero is respected for their good moral character, maturity, and courage. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Diablo Cody’s Juno there are excellent examples of antiheros, characters who lack heroic qualities, but are still considered to be protagonists. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye features Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old teenager from New York, who has been expelled from school multiple times. Holden deals with the phoniness of his classmates, roommates, and teachers, and tries to come to terms with the fact that society is superficial and materialistic. The main character in Diablo Cody’s Juno is a sixteen year old girl by the name of Juno, who becomes pregnant and now regrets having intercourse in the first place. She suffers from general pregnancy sickness, emotional stress, and public humiliation. The protagonists in both pieces act as antiheros. Both Holden and Juno are ashamed of their actions, as they reflect poorly on their characters. Though they are embarrassed, both protagonists fail to improve their situations and instead behave like antiheros. Holden and Juno demonstrate cowardice, are irresponsible, and try desperately to preserve their childhood innocence.
Holden and Juno are classified as antiheros because they demonstrate cowardice. Holden acts cowardly when he tries to hide things from his parents. For example, when he got expelled from Pencey Prep because of bad grades and overall bad behaviour, he decided to roam the streets of New York instead of accepting his mistake and facing the consequences. This is illustrated when Holden says, “I decided I'd take a room in a hotel in New York--some very inexpensive hotel and all--and just take it easy till Wednesday. Then, on Wednesday, I'd go home all rested up and feeling swell. I figured my parents probably wouldn't get old Thurmer's letter saying I'd been given the ax till maybe Tuesday or Wednesday.”(Salinger 28). This quote demonstrates that Holden knows