The Catcher in the Rye

holden byy augg 23 plz

how is holden caulfield a critic of the social and moral orders that have rejected him? Plzzz helpp i am soo dearly confused

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Catcher in the Rye is very much a novel about adolescent rebellion and alienation. Holden rejects all that is considered "normal" as phony and boring. For example, teachers who “act like” teachers try to be different people in front of class than they are in their private lives. Holden looks at people who try to dress like a social class as conformists. I don't think the world has rejected Holden rather than the other way around. Holden rejects everything that he doesn't permit himself to have. Holden simply can't fit in so he re-labels this as choosing to not conform and hence less contrived than anyone else. Thus, everything "mainstream" becomes fake. I suppose Holden has a point. He resonates with so many readers because we all see his world to some extent. People constantly seek external validation through less than genuine means. As humorous and critical that Holden is, he thinks in absolutes. The human psyche is full of emotions and motivations that Holden is not yet mature enough to understand.