Katrina Bright
3-Gold
A Mandala Comparison
A typical boy, a typical girl
Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy and he is the main character in the book, “The Catcher
in the Rye.” Holden is a party boy and I like to have fun. Holden and I both love our families. I
have freedom and I spend a lot of time away from adults, such as my parents but he has much
more space than I do. Holden makes all of his decisions on his own, some which are bad.
Overall, he is a mature, responsible boy. He seems like he would go a lot further in life if his
parents were there to guide him in the right direction. My parents do a much better job at
watching over me and keeping me on the right track. From attitude to culture, Holden and I are
similar in many ways but we have some differences in our opinions.
Holden and I have many things in common. We hang out with the same type of people
so he would fit in with my group of friends. He smokes, drinks, and tends to “go out” a lot of
nights. He flirts with many ladies but most teenage boys do that. I am outgoing, crazy, and I like
to have fun. I have a lot of male friends that like to race, ride dirt bikes, and snowmobile with
me. There is a love for participating in exciting activities and there is a love that serves as a bond
between family members. When Holden is not around others, he shows how much he cares
about his siblings. He comments on how pretty his sister, Phoebe is many times throughout the
book. He explains the meaning of all of the poems written in the baseball glove that his brother,
Allie wore before he passed away. On page 171 in “The Catcher in the Rye,” Phoebe asks Holden
what he likes. “I like Allie,” he replies. “And I like doing what I am doing right now. Sitting here
with you, and talking, and thinking about stuff.” My family also means a lot to me. Whenever
Holden talks about his little sister, a picture of my two nieces appears to me, on the page of the
book. My nieces are beautiful, cheerful, and energetic girls.
Even though Holden’s family means as much to him as my family means to me, he does
not mean as much to his family. The biggest difference between Holden and me is that I have a
better life at home. Once in the book, Holden mentions how he wishes his parents would spend
more time with him and show him that they care about him. I talk to my parents about how my
day was in school and at work every night. My parents let me stay out late at night with my
friends, as long as I am not getting into trouble. My parents ask where I am going and request
for me to be home by a certain time usually. It makes me frustrated when my mom asks me to
call her but it shows me that she cares about me. Throughout the summer, I spend every
weekend with my parents. We travel to tracks where I race my go-kart and they support me as
owners, fans, and parents! I would miss having someone to listen and give me good advice. I
would also miss the fun memories I have had with my parents if I were in Holden’s shoes.
Another big difference between Holden and I is our goals and outlook on life. Holden
tends to blow off schoolwork. I always do my homework and try my best to do well in school.
Nobody has ever expressed to Holden that he needs a good education. I know that I need a
good education to get a job that I like and reach my goals in life. Holden picks out the negative
things in life that he does not agree with. When Phoebe asks Holden why he came home from
Pencey early, he replies, “It was one of the worst schools I ever went to. It was full of phonies.
And mean guys. You never saw so many mean guys in your life.” This quotation shows that
Holden did not like school at Pencey. For the most part, I love the way my life is and I realize
how much worse it could be. Also, Holden and I come from different areas of the United States.
He lives in New York and goes to school in Pennsylvania. Holden spends much more time in the
city than I do. I was born and have been raised in the same house in the small town of Wilton,
Maine. Therefore, we probably speak using different words and dress a little differently than each
other.
As children grow up, their behavior relates to their caregivers’ behavior and the
environment they were raised in. If Holden had been raised by parents that acted the way mine
do, he probably would have acted more like me. If he had been raised in a small town instead of
a city, he would probably act similar to the way I do. There are a few, minor differences in our
behaviors and many differences in the environment we were brought up in. Holden has done well
for making all of his own decisions and raising himself. His parents were more concerned with
spending their money on fancy vacations than raising their son. My parents spend their money
on items for me or fun things that involve me! I am lucky to live with two caring and
understanding parents. Living in a good home gives a teenager a better base to begin their life.
By growing up in a well-mannered, healthy environment, they tend to get into less trouble.