Catcher In The Rye Flaws

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The main protagonists in the texts The Song of an Innocent Bystander, by Ian Bone and The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger are both depicted as psychologically affected by the difficulties of growing up. This is demonstrated to the audience through the protagonists identifying faults in others to compensate for their own faults, developed through the ageing process. In addition, this is shown through their multiple obsessive compulsive traits. The difficulties of growing up have contributed to the characters alienating themselves which has, consequently affected them psychologically. The texts, The Song of an Innocent Bystander and The Catcher in the Rye, both show the main characters as psychologically affected through their seeking out…show more content…
The reader then establishes that when she looks at her father she sees a ‘grown up’ who has made some bad decisions, causing her to feel unsure about how she will mature and if she will make similar choices. Similarly in Salinger’s text, the protagonist, Holden Caufield, reveals he believes that “mothers are all slightly insane”(p.49). The character, by identifying this fault, shows that he did not have a smooth relationship with his mother growing up, and is consequently psychologically affected. Both protagonists sought faults predominately in the adults around them. Salinger’s protagonist comments that the “Bartender was a louse… a big snob”(p.128), demonstrating he is afraid of the adult world and what impact it will have upon his personality. Through the quote, “force him like a puppet on a string”(p.213) the audience sees Bone’s character trying to manipulate elders, helping her to feel in control of her development. The seeking of faults in the protagonists companions, displays to the audience that by finding faults in others, the characters are distracting…show more content…
Bone’s character Freda wishes “That [she] be nobody. That [she] be nothing”(p.53). This demonstrates to the audience her psychological issue, as she wants to be invisible in the world because she does not have anyone she can relate to. The character Holden also alienates himself from others due to his “lousy childhood”(p.1). Revealed when he states “[I] didn’t want anyone to know [I] was wounded”(p.135) showing that he sought comfort in being alone. The audience sees the character Freda using alienation to feel more secure within herself when she labels herself as “cold, distant, a strangling”(p.7). Through her placing labels upon herself she can acknowledge her psychological issues without any attempt to improve upon them. In Salinger’s text the same technique, to remove the responsibility of trying to deal with self-alienation, is seen when protagonist states “I was wild and had no direction in life”(p.53). The alienation enhances the characters psychological issues further, as they build walls between themselves and everyone around them. This is shown in Salinger’s text when Holden confesses he “couldn’t think of anyone to call up”(p.53), similarly in Bone’s text when Freda states “she doesn’t speak to me much, I think I scared her”(p.58).Alienation has caused the protagonists in both texts a greater sense of depression as they are not able to voice their

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