The Catcher in the Rye Group

Question:

rhss111
rhss111
Student
High School - 12th Grade

How does Holden experience coming of age, that is, how does he mature from the beginning of the book to the end?

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Posted by rhss111 on Monday April 14, 2008 at 7:09 PM and tagged with catcher in the rye theme, the catcher in the rye.

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  1. allyson Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    One could argue that we know Holden has matured when he returns home, instead of running away. Near the end of the novel, Holden decides that he needs to go west; he even writes Phoebe a note to meet him, so that he can say goodbye to her. When Phoebe arrives with her bags with the intention of joining him on the trek, Holden changes his mind, however. He seems to change his mind because he realizes that his little sister cannot run away from home, not because he should not. Nonetheless, "Going home seems to symbolize rebirth, getting his life in order, maturity."

    In the final chapter, the reader understands that Holden has been telling his story from a mental institution. We can take whatever we like from that-- Salinger has certainly left all meanings wide open. But one could argue that with maturity comes self-reflection. Maybe Holden realized that he needed help.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/catcher/chapter-25-26-summary-analysis

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    Posted by allyson on Tuesday April 15, 2008 at 6:36 AM