Holden is the Model for Teenage Growing Pains; Not the Model for Teenage Trends

Youth culture could be defined as the behaviors, beliefs, and styles the youth social class follow. This youth social class primarily is made up of teenagers ranging from thirteen up to nineteen. The teens try to find their own identity outside of their family or home life and sometimes even outside of their school life. Many kids follow the ideas of youth culture because they feel neglected by their parents. For example they are not getting the attention they desire from mom because she is too busy with the other kids in the house and dad is never around cause he is always gone at the bar drinking instead of taking care of his family. Others just feel like their parents don’t understand how hard it is growing up and the parents can’t find ways to relate to their children. A lot of kids just want to fit in with the kids they associate with so they make their decisions based on what the group or cliché believes. Some of these decisions could be what clothes they should wear, what genre of music to listen to, breaking the rules and doing illegal things, and saying common slang words. The book Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a great example of what a teenage boy, Holden Caulfied, could be like during his teenage years. Holden finds growing up as a sixteen year old boy in the 1950s to be painful and difficult and can’t find a single person he can relate to. He thinks that everyone he meets is a phony and doesn’t want to be like them. He applies the term phony to anyone that is insincere, people that are too typical, and anyone who follows the mainstream or also known as the mass culture. By the end of the book, we realize that he is a very troubled boy. The criticism that he aims towards other people could easily be aimed right back at him. Holden displays as much meanness, phoniness, and superficiality as anyone else that he mentions in the book. The Catcher in the Rye appeals to people everywhere because Holden expresses the same feelings as adolescents struggling to find their way. He could be looked at as a Model figure for adolescents from the 50s when the book was written all the way up to now.

The first and most obvious feeling Holden has as a teen is alienation. Alienation is the state of being isolated or withdrawn from the world. Holden seems to be victimized and excluded from the world around him. An example that shows Holden feels excluded from the world was when Mr. Spencer says to him that life is a game (Salinger 8). Holden replies back saying if he was a hot shot life would be a game but he isn’t, he is on the other side (Salinger 8). As we read more of the novel, we learn that he alienates himself to protect him from everything going on in his life. The cynical sense of superiority he has actually alienates him even more from society. For example, Holden’s school, Pency Prep in Agerstown, PA, has their rivalry football game against Saxon Hall and he says he has no interest in going (Salinger 2). There are many reasons why he didn’t go to the game, but one of them was because he didn’t really like anyone at this school too much and didn’t want to be hanging out at a football game with them. Later on in the book when Holden goes to Greenwich Village night club called Ernie’s, he runs into a girl named Lillian Simmons, who dated Holden’s brother D.B. (Salinger 86). Holden doesn’t want to sit with her and her navy boyfriend being bored to death so he says he has to leave and meet somebody. Since he felt like he was better than Lillian and was unwilling to hang out with the couple Holden ended up leaving Ernie’s and going back to the hotel he was staying at in New York City. Holden’s alienation also causes him to feel lonely at many times. Most of the novel Holden is on a quest to find companionship but constantly shies away from the opportunities that come his way and sabotages his own attempts to end his loneliness. One opportunity he shies away from is the date he has with Sally Hayes, a girl Holden once dated. Holden and Sally go to the theater to see I Know my Love, which stars the Lunts, because he knows Sally loves the theater (Salinger 125). Afterwards they go to the ice rink so Sally can wear a little skirt and skate on the rink in it (Salinger 128). When they take a break Holden beings to rant about all the “phonies” he knows from prep school and how he feels alienated from the world (Salinger 129). He then states the he and Sally should run away together, away from society, and live in a Cabin together but Sally tells him that his dreams are ridiculous making him more agitated (Salinger 132). Holden tells Sally she is a royal pain in the ass making her cry and ending their date on a bad note. Even though he apologizes to Sally it doesn’t change how he behaved and he continues to be alone.

Another feeling Holden feels which is also common among many kids is the painfulness of growing up and maturing. Holden struggles with growing up, maturing or taking on responsibilities because he wants to stay young and resist maturing. Holden fears change and is overwhelmed by complexity. When he goes to the Museum of Natural History is an example of Holden not wanting things around him to change. He focuses on the way life is frozen in the museum’s exhibits (Salinger 121). He says you could go there a hundred times and the Eskimos could still be fishing, the birds still flying south, and the deer still drinking water (Salinger 121). Holden says every time he went to the museum he felt like everything had stayed the same except for him (Salinger 121). Holden is basically saying he wants everything to stay frozen, simple, or unchanging. This shows he is unwilling to confront his problems and doesn’t want to deal with the real world. The death of Holden’s younger brother Allie is a reason why he is afraid of change and is struggling to grow up. His brother died of leukemia three years previously and has tormented Holden ever since. Holden is now terrified of the idea of change and disappearance since his brother’s death. Being afraid of change is making Holden not want to grow up since becoming older is changing into something new. Holden wants to know where the ducks in Central Park lagoon go during the winter. Holden knows they don’t disappear but doesn’t know where else they could go. If the ducks don’t go anywhere the only logical thing to think as a kid would be they disappear. Since his brain is maturing as he is growing older Holden knows there must be some location the ducks live at during the winter. Another example of how Holden wants to stay young and doesn’t want to be mature or be older is with the idea of sex. He says he really doesn’t understand it but yet in his mind, he thinks he is one of the biggest sex maniacs someone could ever meet (Salinger 62). He is constantly making these sex rules which a kid would make rules for their childish games they play but he constantly breaks (Salinger 63). It is common for teenagers to have sexual desires but Holden doesn’t realize this. Holden breaking his own childish rules shows he is growing up and becoming a teenager but doesn’t want to. Realizing that he doesn’t understand sex, things in life don’t just disappear and that life changes as you move on into the future are some of the few things Holden expresses as being painful.

Holden often expresses how he thinks most people he knows are phonies and how he doesn’t want to be like them. The term phony is his eyes could be defined as anyone who is a hypocrite, superficial or shallow. It is common for most teenagers wanting to be different than everyone else in society or be an individual. This is usually shown by different music they listen to, a unique sense of style, or even an uncommon hobby. Holden seems like he doesn’t want to be like anyone except for maybe a little kid. When he talks to Phoebe, his younger sister, about lawyer he says that adults are inevitably phony and what’s even worse is that they don’t even realize it (Salinger 172). Holden explains that if a lawyer did go around and saves guys lives, does he do it because he really wanted to help the poor guy, or does the he do it because it he is a terrific lawyer (Salinger). This is idea of inevitable being a phony when you’re an adult is most likely why Holden likes Phoebe since she is still a kid so she isn’t phony yet and because he still wants to be a kid. Holden spends so much energy in searching for phonies that he doesn’t realize he himself is a phony. For example, Holden he penetrates a heartless and silly prank on Mrs. Morrow, the mother of a boy he went to Pency Prep with named Ernest, showing the readers that he is a compulsive liar (Salinger 55). He also says that anyone who buys into mass culture is a phony such as his older brother D.B. who used to write great books but now writes movies for Hollywood (Salinger 1). Holden goes to the theater with Sally for a date which is mass culture technically meaning he is buying into it also. He doesn’t like mass culture because it takes away peoples individuality. Holden also thinks the Ivy League boys are phonies because of they way they are dressed. He wears the red hat that he bought real cheap in New York because it makes him different than those boys. Holden wearing the hat could also be an example of him not buying to the mass culture clothing style. Phoniness is the most common phrase Holden uses to describe other people but doesn’t realize it could be used to define himself many times too.

J.D. Salinger created a teenage model in Catcher in the Rye simply because Holden’s feelings are similar to many teenage feelings everywhere. It is common for teenagers entering into their adult years wanting to stay young and not needing to mature. Asking where the ducks go is a very childish question but not wanting to have sex with a prostitute is a mature thing to do. Holden is very conscious of moving away from childhood but not conscious of the fact that he is struggling with this issue. Holden might be afraid of change because his first big change was the death of his brother and he associates change as something bad due to Allie’s death. The loss of his brother is huge and could be what has triggered some of Holden’s emotional and mental issues. Holden is affected by Allies death immensely because his brother is the smartest, nicest person he knew. No one he as met since has compared to Allie which causes Holden to label all the people as phonies. Anyone who buys into mass culture is not being sincere to them self and is labeled as a phony according to Holden. Everything that is wrong with the world around him is classified as phony to Holden which gives him a reason to isolate himself. This isolation and loneliness isn’t something that Holden consciously wants but he evidently always ruins his chance of relating to another person by being immature. Many teens base their opinions and feelings on what their peers think according to Eugene Gilbert's article (Gilbert 91). H.H. Remmers and D.H. Radler are quote in the article saying the typical teenager is responsive to the feelings and opinions of his peers on such questions as what to wear to a party, what clubs to join, how to act when out with the gang, and personal grooming (Gilbert 91). Holden doesn't want to be like the rest of his peers so he goes against their opinions. Although Holden’s feelings might be to an extreme compared to the feelings of other teens, he has moments that make us feel like we are him.

Works Cited

Macdonald, D. "Profiles: A Castle, A Culture, A Market." The New Yorker 22 Nov. 1958: 57-93.

Salinger, J. D. Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1991.

Images

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Rebellion is only a Phase for Teens

The fifties created the idea of teens having their own style, behaviors, and interests, known as youth culture. Young adolescents had feelings of wanting an anti-traditional, anti-authoritarian, and anti-serious way of life (The moorings). You may ask yourself, what was the driving force behind this and why did these ideals start in the fifties? Both 1955 movies “Rebel Without a Cause,” directed by Nicholas Ray, and “Blackboard Jungle” directed by Richard Brooks, are two great examples to answer the questions, ‘why are teens acting this way’ and ‘can it be fixed’.

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The movie “Rebel Without a Cause” focuses on the lives of three young teenagers named Jim Stark (James Dean), Judy (Natalie Wood), and John Crawford (Sal Mineo) also known as ‘Plato’. Jims rebels because he does not want to be like his parents who have scrambled gender roles. Kids at school will call him a chicken and he hates being called that. Usually Jim ends up in trouble and he and his family move to different towns hoping the next town he won’t get into any trouble. Judy thinks her dad hates her and that’s why she rebels. She wants to be accepted by her dad and have him give her the attention she desires. John rebels cause his mom is never home anymore and his dad left the family, he just lives at home with his nanny. When his parents were around he would run away but they would always take him back. Now his mom is always away from the house and his dad left his family but John wishes they were still there.

The movie “Blackboard Jungle” takes place in a tough high school, North Manuel High School, where the students make the rules and the teachers accept their defeat. The main troubled characters are Gregory Miller (Sidney Poitier), and Artie West (Vic Morrow). Miller is more intelligent and less bitter than his surrounding students. He originally wanted to get the most he could out of his education but soon realized the teachers, his friends, and his family didn’t really care. West is one of the worst kids in the class because he has control over the other students who look up to him and fear him. He is also the leader of a gang that is constantly putting innocent people in danger.

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Every kid in both movie rebels for different reasons. In the beginning of the movie, “Rebel Without a Cause,” Jim, John, and Judy are shown at the city jail in town for misbehaving. Judy is there for walking around at one in the morning after her dad called her a dirty tramp. Jim was taken there after being caught by the police as a minor under the influence of alcohol. John is there on his birthday for shooting puppies and killing them. All three of their families and Ray Fremick (Edward Platt), want to help them but don’t know how to get through to the teens. While in the other movie, “Blackboard Jungle,” West and Miller are in school misbehaving during class and outside of the classroom. Miller was never shown in the movie actually doing anything wrong but that doesn’t mean he didn’t behave his best or have respect for their teacher, Richard Dadier (Glenn Ford). West on the other hand tried sexually harassing another teacher in the library, attacked Mr. Dadier and another teacher in a dark alley, and tried fighting Mr. Dadier with a knife during class. Mr. Dadier is the only person who wants to help these kids and find a way to get through to them.

Throughout both movies we get a better understanding of why the teens decided to make their poor decisions. We also see which ones can be helped or saved and which ones have no hope. Judy just wants to feel loved by her dad and not rejected when she wants a kiss. With Jim it is because his parents don’t listen to him even after he doesn’t want to get into trouble anymore. Plato wants a family that is actually around to spend time with him like all the other kids families. Miller realizes no one cares so he is only staying in school until he can legally drop out. West doesn’t show any clear or exact reasons why but it is presumed that he misbehaves because of society or because he is less privileged. By the end of “Blackboard Jungle” and “Rebel Without a Cause” we find out which kids turn out differently in the end and which kids do not. Jim learns his lesson and his dad finally says he will stand behind his son. Miller is shown by Mr. Dadier that he actually cares about him and wants to Miller get a high school education. Both of these kids get what they have been belonging which gives them a reason to conform a better way of life. On the other hand, Plato and West are not so lucky. Plato thought he, Judy, and Jim could be a family but when he realizes it was just for fun he gets really angry and makes more bad decisions. The police shoot Plato when they don’t know what Plato is doing next and he dies because of this. West tries to fight Mr. Dadier with a knife and wants his buddies to back him up. His buddies realize this isn’t right and help the teacher which gets West taken to the principal’s office to be expelled.

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The movies show how some teenage rebellion can be tamed or easily fixed, while other kids are unredeemable. Most of the rebels just slip into these negative behaviors because they don’t know the other alternatives but come out when they realize what is right (the moorings). The unredeemable teens don’t just change their ways because they were caught and got in trouble or because they see their friends making better decisions. None of the kids have the same reason for why they express their teenage angst, but all find a common ground to rebel. Both movies show the main characters constantly struggling to do what’s right or go with what’s wrong. A quote from Senator Estes Kefauver clearly sums up why kids act this way (Doherty 83). He said “Somehow we must get at the causes, must clean up the conditions, which breed criminals. We will find them, I think, in the slums, where the kids don’t have a place to play; in social conditions, where the young feel that society is their enemy; in economic conditions which breed hunger and despair; and, perhaps; even in a lack of understanding on the part of some of our correctional institutions”. Even though society isn’t going to change for just one kid, a parent or a friend who cares might which could save a young adolescent from more dangers.

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Works Cited
Doherty, Thomas. Teenagers and Teenpics: The Juvenilization of American Movies in the 1950s. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002.

Rickard, Ed. "Youth Culture, the Crisis of Early Adolescence." Bible Studies at the Moorings. 7 Feb. 2009 http://www.themoorings.org/life/family/crises/ycult.html.