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Catcher in the Rye Essay Example

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Catcher in the Rye Essay Example
Catcher in the Rye Essay

In the novel The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger Holden believes childhood, and adulthood are completely different. Holden believes childhood is very immature, and playful, and adulthood is mature and serious. Childhood, and adulthood are not as different as Holden makes them out to be, there is a difference but even some adults act childish, and some children act mature and serious for their age. Holden believes he is superior to all other people including adults, making him believe he is in adulthood, but in reality the things he does and say make him very childish. Holden believes there are distinct differences between adulthood and childhood. Holden thinks adults don’t care about anyone but themselves and that they try to ruin his life like his teachers and his parents, “He put my god dam paper down then looked at me like he’d just beaten hell out of me in ping-pong or something. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him for reading me that crap out loud”(12). Holden believed all adults were out to get him and make him feel terrible about himself. He thought adults always had to have it their way because their age made them superior, “ Its ten bucks, chief. I tole you that. Ten bucks for a throw, fifteen bucks till noon. I tole you that. You did not tell me that. You said five bucks a throw. You said fifteen bucks till noon, all right, but I distinctly heard you”(101). Holden believed adults thought they could just take advantage of you because they were older and knew children couldn’t do anything about it. Holden thought the nature of childhood was the complete opposite of adulthood, he believed all were naïve, innocent, and always did what they were told. “ She’s not little enough anymore to go stark staring mad in the toy department, but she enjoys horsing around and looking at the people”(197). Holden thought because of someone’s young age all they cared about was having fun and playing with toys but a lot of children are

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