Monday, August 16, 2010

Conflict (Man vs. Society)

The second of the two main conflicts in The Catcher in the Rye is an external conflict between the troubled protagonist of the novel, Holden Caulfield, and all of (adult) society. Holden's conflict with others is created and influenced through his internal conflict- because he cannot cope with himself, he is also unable to cope with and understand other members of society.

Holden is unable to relate to the other characters in the novel, with the exception of his younger sister, Phoebe. Holden is still trying to connect with his childhood, but at the same time he tries to fit in with certain parts of the adult world, like when he goes to a bar and tries to proposition women. His belief that adults are phonies (which actually causes some of the conflict within his own mind) is one reason that he is unable to relate to adults- he doesn't want to become fake and phony, like he thinks all adults are. Holden continues to be unable to communicate properly with others throughout the novel, and that is his main reason for isolation.

Another reason for Holden's conflict with others is that he judges people too much. His knee-jerk reaction is to try and read people, but he usually does not have the correct perception. Most of the time, he prematurely labels others as being fake or shallow or phony without really interacting with the person on a more personal level. Holden's unrealistically high standards makes it impossible for other people to measure up, and even Holden does not meet his own standards for people. Holden's conflict with others is a big problem, and because of it he is unable to really have an adult life. He isolates himself and is unable to have friends or enemies or people to confide in, other than his little sister. Holden does not get to live a normal life because of the issues he has with himself and with others.

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