What's in Holden's Life?
People usually go to museums to see things that are preserved from many years. They are
impressed by how something might be so saved and not even changed, but not only, people like
to see life from one different perspective. In the Museum of Natural History everything is just
like it has been 50 years ago and still every time you go you see something you have not seen
yet. The same glass cages, the same mummies, the same stuff all over, but one word written that
has not been there before changes everything. Mr. Caulfield is a person who likes everything to
be the same. Why? Does not he like changes and new stuff? Doesn't he prefer to experience
instead to stay the same? As a teenager he is tasting the sour of everyday life. Since he is the one
who does not like almost everything and anybody, he need to change things. Holden needs to see
the world from different perspective, that is why he is doing his journey.
Holden's life is really tough. He hates everything that surrounds him. For him life is unfair,
cruel and everyone is stupid moron or a phony. Even his sister- Phoebe, accuses him by saying:
"'You don't like anything that's happening'" (152). For a boy his age that has the possibility to see
so many things it's strange not to like almost anything and anybody. From their birth people are
used to cares and help whenever they need it. When they grow up unfortunately those cares and
help start to disappear from your life till you realize that you are alone and you are the one that
have to now take care for yourself. Holden Caulfield is a teenager, who has now realize that he
has to take care for himself and he does not like that. He wants someone to be near him in every
moment and to actually hold him when he feel weak. His dream to be the catcher in the rye and
we can see that he needs a support some times, whenever he is near the cliff. Still if you need a
support, something might have changes something new might have happened, something you are
not capable to manage with.
Holden is still saying that he like things that never change. The reality is that in his life
everything changes so fast that he does not have time to even think rather he like it or not. That's
why he wants to try to conserve the moment till he is ready to change it: "' The best thing,
though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right were it was.'" (109) The only
thing that is different is the way he is living. He is not supposed to live like this- behind the rules,
behind the way other boys are living. Holden likes to save the things and people that surround
him, to stay the same forever, but still he wants this to happen so slow that he has time to escape
if he does not like anything. Holden feels like he wants to slow down the time. This can be still
connected with his dream, because when he slow it down he will have more time to go and safe
the kids right before their fall from the cliff. For me Holden does not want little kids to grow up,
because in some way he is afraid that they may become like him.
Holden Caulfield is person who needs changes. He needs to see other and new things rather
than the usual stuff, to let the world make his circles and the time to run. He needed his journey
to discover this: "' I felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around
and around.'" (191) Holden Caulfield realized that he can not stop anything from improving in a
way. He just realized that must leave everything to develop. Holden can not mess in the others'
business anymore, he needs to leave his life to lead him, if he really want to taste life, not only
through it's sour but also through it's sweetness. Does not matter if this mean to leave Phoebe to
grow up, or to get Allie out of his mind. He just need to make his life be like one very big
museum, where you can see things from different perspective, where you can enjoy the way you
are living, and feel closer to the people surrounding you, rather to run away from them.
Even though the museum may seem the same, it changes in some way. Holden Caulfield
through his difficult and strange journey, realizes this. He realizes that he needs to see life from a
different point of view, because he judge it good or phony and moronic.