In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield demonstrates the characteristics of an anti-hero. The death of Holden’s younger brother, Allie, greatly affects his perspective on life. Holden is failing almost every subject at Pencey Prep, so he leaves school. Considering he does not want to face his parents with the news of him getting kicked out of school again, Holden wanders the streets of New York alone until he is expected to be home. Holden is an anti-hero because of his nostalgic and introverted attitude towards life. Holden has a deep attachment to his dead, brother Allie who “was two years younger than I was, but he was about fifty times as intelligent” (38). The tight age gap between Holden and Allie indicate…show more content… Spencer, a history teacher at Pencey Prep, worries about Holden’s future. He lectures to Holden, “‘Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules’”(8). Unlike Holden’s other teachers at school, Mr. Spencer feels sympathetic for failing him, and insists that Holden begins to follow the rules in life. Mr. Spencer explains to Holden that school is preparation for his future, and later on, he will wish he applied himself. However despite his strong efforts, Mr. Spencer is not able to put sense into Holden’s head. A couple days later, Phoebe, Holden’s ten year old sister, realizes he has failed school again, and she is also concerned about his destiny. When she asks Holden what he would like to be, he responds by saying, “‘I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be’” (173). Holden acts contrary to society’s standards of getting educated for a future job to make money in order to sustain oneself. The “catcher in the rye” refers to a protector of innocence who saves children from becoming adults. This unrealistic idea highlights Holden’s apathetic personality and lack of true understanding about his future. Both Mr. Spencer and Phoebe learn Holden chooses to be different when they struggle to make Holden welcome society’s standards and have a clear vision to his
