Both characters were early archetypes for the adolescent male portrayed as protagonist in American literature. Both are dissatisfied by the society they must live within; Huck hates being "sivilized" by the widow Douglas and Holden views adults in his society as phonies that have lost their childhood innocence. Additionally, both characters go on a journey during which they each learn quite a bit about themselves and how they o (or don't) fit into their societies, respectively. One major difference though is the psychology of each adolescent: Huck is a happy-go-lucky kid while Holden experiences severe trauma in his life, including death of a sibling and a resulting depression.

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