Anything but a Failure in Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Throughout Catcher in the Rye, a novel by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from school because he failed almost all of his classes. Some may see Holden as a failure since he got expelled from school but I believe he is not a failure and that getting expelled is due to personal reasons. If you were to look up the definition of a failure you will find that failure is a lack of success. People may take different views of success. For Holden, he may define success as simply passing one or two classes at school. Others view success as getting an A in every class, always doing your homework and showing up to class every day. The view of failure and success varies from person to person. After failing†¦show more content†¦I felt so depressed, you cant imagine. What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed. I keep telling him to go home and get his bike and meet me in front of Bobby Fallons house.†(Salinger) This quote clearly shows Holden isn’t over the death of his brother. He loved Allie and still, when he gets very depressed, talks to him. If Holden had received proper treatment earlier for his depression and was able to talk with someone about the death of his brother, he would most likely not failed out of numerous schools. He wasn’t failing; he was trying to cope. In Catcher in the Rye, Holden was only in high school. He had so much more time left in his life and the best part of his life hadn’t even started. Your teenage years and high school is the time to make mistakes, learn from those mistakes and move on and fix them. The quote, â€Å"Fail early, fail fast, fail often† is significant and meaningful, especially at this age. Failure often leads to success. Yes, Holden had some failures in his young life but, Holden himself, is not considered a failure at all. Look at all the success stories of athletes, musicians, and politicians. What do they often start with? Failure. In order to succeed, you must fail. You are only considered a failure once you give up and Holden never gave up. He attempted the extra credit essay in a class, although he didShow MoreRelatedHolden Caulfield and the Pressures of Society: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger1286 Words   |  6 Pagesnovel to life. In the bildungsroman, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, characterization is often found, especially regarding the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Salinger also includes many themes in his novel relating to growing up in a corrupt society. Hence, this paper will compare, contrast, and evaluate literary criticisms regarding the themes and characterization of J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye. 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