Theresa+Tran+Final+Draft

Theresa Tran English 10 Mrs. Jacobson 5 March 2008 Beyond the Eyes Are the reactions of many teens towards many situations contrast from one another? Believe it or not, there are some that are different but many that are alike. In the novel, //The Catcher in the Rye//, by J.D Salinger, Holden is a normal adolescent in many ways. In the book, Holden captures a life of many teenagers. For example, many teens tend to argue back with their parents when they’re getting yelled back. It is not an unusual reaction but typically to many young adults. Holden may be viewed as an abnormal teenager but, he is actually just an average one. Throughout the book, Holden's actions toward his mistakes and society are taken like an adolescent. He is like some people say old enough to know better and young enough to not care. Although he is looked upon as a strange teenager at some points, he makes the same mistakes compared to the many teens and learns from it. Holden learns what the right thing to do is and what wrong doings he would regret throughout the novel. This essay will prove how Holden is like many teens in the world and reacts the same way as many adolescent because his actions toward many situations are similar, which shows his personality to be similar to many teens, and reflects his personal likes. Holden’s ways of life are like pieces of a puzzle of a normal teenager. For the most part, his actions toward many situations are common to many adolescents. Holden throughout the novel runs away from some of his problems in his life, such as many teens currently when put in certain positions. For example, many young adults go through a time when their academic grade is at a low average, which later on receive a lecture or a talk from their teacher. For example from the novel, “I flunked you in history because you knew absolutely nothing. I know that, sire. Boy, I know it. You couldn’t help it” (Salinger 10). Like many students, they would just take it in and eventually keep ending up where they have started. In the novel, Holden goes through the same situation, he tend to not take much blame and simply let the wise words from people flow out of his ears. "He gets lectured with such frequency and to such little avail that he actually generates sympathy for the teachers charged with his improvement” (Tolchin 2). His actions are not abnormal but, solutions many young teens go to when they’re stuck through a problem. Another challenge that Holden face and attempt to solve was that he didn’t do so well in school. For instance in Holden’s essay he wrote, “It is all right with me if you flunk me though as I am flunking everything else except English anyway” (Salinger 12). For that, to avoid receiving any punishments or troubles, he decided to run away. Similar to teens in trouble, they think running away is the key to avoiding the problem. Although, Holden and many teenagers do not realize, that later on they will have to face the consequences for such actions. Holden has many situations like many normal teens in the every day life. Few people just do not see because they do not realize the connection there is between Holden and themselves. Additionally, Holden personality captures many average adolescents in the society. Holden may come off as a tough, aggressive guy but, deep down inside, has a part of him that many teens do not show. He tries to act assertive to avoid being viewed in a wrong way or looked down. "Sensitive and perceptive as Holden is, he is still an adolescent and so an immature judge of adult life” (Seng 1). The way he acts is basically immature in the society like many people act and they’re not ready to face the adult life. For instance, many teens may give the impression that they’re prepared to have sex but later on realized that they’re not, so they simply back down. In the book, Holden has the opportunity to have sex but as his personality is, he finds a reason to pass up sexual contact with the person. The problem of not being ready for sex is related to man