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Finally the rotations obtains self-knowledge, maturity, identity; and the values society is accepted. A blossoming tells about the growing up or coming Of age Of a sensitive person who is looking for answers and experience. The goal in a blossoming is maturity, which is achieved gradually with difficulty. There is usually conflict between the protagonist and society but the values of society are accepted. The Catcher in the Rye is a perfect example Of a typical blossoming as it contains all the elements of a typical blossoming.
A blossoming is composed of different stages; the first stage includes an motional loss and a period of awkwardness which results in a ‘setting forth’ for the protagonist. The first way the reader notices Holder has experienced an emotional loss is when Holder mentions the death of his younger brother Allele. Holder recounts the story of the night his younger brother dies and says: “l slept in the garage the night he died, and broke all the goddamn windows with my fist… ” (Slinger 39). Holder describes Allele about how smart he was and that he was the nicest kid.
This is an extreme emotional loss for Holder which has made him very sad and depressed. He was going to be psychoanalysis because of this emotional loss, because Holder idealized his younger brother. He has been deeply affected by the death of his younger brother and it has made him a very negative person because he thinks it’s unfair that he had to die. Holder really demonstrates his love for his brother when he wants to fight Seedeater after he rips the paper which Holder wrote about his younger brother Allele into pieces.
Secondly Holder displays a lot of awkwardness because he looks at the world as being ‘phony’ and he hates almost everything. He visits an Old teacher Mr.. Spencer who Starts talking about how Holder is being sent home and reads one of his past assignments. Afterwards, Holder says “He stopped reading and put my paper down. I was beginning to sort of hate him” (Slinger 11). S. Dunn 2 This is an example of how he can hate people after the simplest little things annoy him. He is always getting mad at people and being depressed, but he doesn’t realize that Mr..
Spencer is trying to help him. If someone or something bothers Holder he will simply ignore it and leave the problem there to grow bigger. Thirdly, Holder is in a period of awkwardness because he is phony himself. It is quite ironic because he doesn’t like phony people that lie and that are ‘fake’. Holder says “I’M THE MOST terrific liar you ever saw in your life” (Slinger 16). This is strange because he always talks about people he hates and how he hates liars. This puts himself in an awkward situation because he is contradicting himself. He lies, but he hates liars.
This may be another reason why he is so depressed because he is a ‘phony’ himself. Finally Holder is setting forth by deciding to run away from all his robbers in life. Holder is talking to Sally about running away with her and Holder asks her: “How would you like to get the hell out of here? ” (Slinger 132). After he asks her this question he talks about going to Vermont and living in a cabin with her in the woods. Holder’s goal is to completely run away from society. When Holder faces problems he chooses to deal with them in a very immature way.
Instead of facing the problem and trying to fix them, he just runs away which will never work out and won’t help him grow and mature. The way Holder faces emotional loss, the awkwardness, and the tenting forth is all very childish and he will newer solve any of his problems very well. This is going to make Holder a very isolated and lonely person. The second stage in a blossoming is a journey alone which forces the protagonist to change. Holder ends up changing after he is put through multiple difficult events.
Firstly Holder encounters two nuns where he has a conversation with them, Holder says; “l said I’d enjoyed talking to them a lot, too. I meant it, too” (Slinger 112). Holder really liked talking to the nuns because they are genuine authentic people. Holder hates people that have been corrupted by adulthood and are also phony. He thinks the nuns are genuine because they collect money for charity not just to make their reputation better. Holder realizes that the nuns haven’t been affected by his definition of adulthood and that not all adults are phony.
Secondly, Holder tries to force a relationship with Sally. After the date, Holder says “If you want to know the truth, I S. Dunn 3 don’t even know why I started all that stuff with her… I probably wouldn’t taken her even if she’d wanted to go with me” (Slinger 134). After the date goes terribly wrong, Holder realizes that he doesn’t actually like Sally and that he was just trying to force a relationship with her. Holder is searching for a connection with anyone because he has been alone for so long with no authentic relationships.
He is simply reaching out, trying to find relationship to end his loneliness. While Holder visited Phoebe’s school he noticed graffiti on the wall, Holder says: “Somebody written you” on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy… I kept wanting to kill whoever written it” (Slinger 201). Holder is very upset because he doesn’t want his sister or other little kids seeing what was written. He doesn’t want little kids to lose their innocence by seeing this but he realizes when he is trying to rub it off the wall that you can’t protect kids from everything.
Kids are going to grow up no matter what because it is impossible to protect kids from all the bad things in the world. Finally phoebe is begging Holder to let her join him as he runs away. Holder says “l almost hated her. Think I hated her most because she wouldn’t be in that play anymore if she went away with me” (Slinger 207). As phoebe begs Holder if she can go with him, Holder realizes what he has done to her. Holder has begun influencing her negatively. He sees that Phoebe is willing to quit school, run away, and not participate in society, just like him.
He knows that he can’t do that to his little sister and knows that Phoebe needs him around. Phoebe forces Holder to take responsibility and stay at home because their relationship is one of the only authentic ones Holder has. These four point make Holder realize he needs to change but also mature and identify himself. The third Stage in a blossoming novel is hen the protagonist obtains self-knowledge, maturity, and identity. Finally the values of society are accepted by the protagonist.
The first way Holder shows self- knowledge is when he says; “The thing is with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (Slinger 211 Holder notices that the ring symbolizes maturity and success. If someone “falls off’ they will learn from experience that they need to get back up and go after success as well as mature. He also realizes that he needs S. Dunn 4 to start reaching for the ring because if you don’t, you will go around and around without ever changing or maturing.
He knows that you have to let them fall sometimes and stop protecting them, let them pick themselves up and try again. Secondly, Holder understands the inevitability of change in others and himself, he says; “l was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth” (Slinger 213). In this section Of the book, the rain symbolizes renewal. This symbolizes that Holder is being renewed and that he is going to be a new person. He has finally accepted that change is inevitable and that other people change but he also has to change if he wants to be accepted, less lonely, and finally happy.
Thirdly Holder realizes his obligation to be a part of society when he decides to go back to school, he says; ” A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I’m going to apply myself when I go back to school next September’ (Slinger 213). After Holder realized that he has to start reaching and growing up, he decides to go back to school. Going back to school could e a new beginning for Holder and allow him to be an active person in society.
It symbolizes a new beginning where he will have the chance to apply himself and start forming better relationships. Finally Holder tries to end some of his alienation, he says; “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody” (Slinger 214). Holder accepts the fact that he needs to mature and tell someone all his problems. He tells the psychoanalyst all of his problems which are a sign that he is beginning to open up to people. This allows the possibility for him to form more legislations with people because he is reaching out.
He mentions that he sort Of misses everyone he had spoken about in the novel which is another example that he is beginning to form relationships and become less alienated and lonely. When he starts telling the psychoanalyst about his problems, it shows the reader that Holder is beginning to face his problems. He is starting to mature by facing all his problems and expressing them rather than just running away from every problem he encounters. Holder really shows that he has obtained self- knowledge, maturity, and identity as well as accepting he values of society in the last two chapters.
Phoebe really helps Holder realize that he needs to mature and grow up because she is one of the first and only close relationships Holder has and she influences him greatly. S. Dunn 5 The Catcher in the Rye is a perfect example of a typical blossoming where it tells the reader about the growing up or coming of age of a sensitive person, who is looking for answers and experience. Holder has gone through a few stages in his life such as the emotional loss, period Of awkwardness, which culminates in a ‘setting forth’.