Catcher in the Rye and Conformity

Conformity and the Catcher in the Rye

One of the central conflicts of every adolescent's life is the quest to establish his or her identity. In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caulfield is on a quest to establish an authentic adult 'self.' Holden rejects the models of sexuality, convention, and success offered by his society. However, by rejecting these models, he is unable to establish a secure sense of 'being in the world' and eventually, as is alluded to at the beginning and end of the novel, he experiences a mental breakdown.

During the first chapter of The Catcher in the Rye, the narrator Holden is expelled from school. Holden refuses to conform to the requirements of being a student at Pencey Prep. He is miserable because of his self-important roommate and his own lack of friends. Holden is in a dilemma -- he does not want to proceed through prep school, rack up a series of good grades by obeying his teachers, and get into an acceptable college. But because he resists authority, the adults in his life do not respect him and he cannot secure any obvious markets of success, through athleticism or academic excellence.

Holden fantasizes about remaining a child forever because he rejects adult ways of living. He is disgusted by the prostitute he encounters when he 'escapes' to New York after leaving prep school, but also by the advances of his former English teacher Mr. Antolini when he takes refuge on the man's sofa. He is rude to the girls to whom he is attracted, showing a discomfort and immaturity regarding his sexuality. The only person to whom Holden can relate is little sister Phoebe.

When imagining a future for himself, Holden can only envision becoming a 'catcher in the rye.' This imaginary occupation is someone who prevents children playing in rye fields from falling off a nearby cliff. The cliff symbolizes a 'fall' from innocence into the worldly corruption of adulthood. Holden does not want to grow up: he only feels happy when not moving forward, as symbolized by his enjoyment of watching Phoebe going in circles on a carousel in the park. He does not want to conform but he cannot imagine a way of growing up in a non-conformist, non-'phony' way.