Change in The Catcher In The Rye Essay

The process of change can be overwhelming, challenging and traumatic, but once one's initial fear is conquered, there is a great potential to a better life. Change can be brought on by many things- an event, the coming of age, realisation or by a catalyst. Two texts in particular, 'The Catcher in the Rye' and 'Secrets and Lies' both explore similar aspects of change- the difficulty of growing up, fear/refusal of change and rebellion.

The Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951, by JD Salinger is a novel which consists of the main character (Holden Caulfield) as a first-person narrator, which at times shows a biased viewpoint. Holden is a troubled high-school student, who has difficulty growing up and facing the need to change as he is incapable of maturing emotionally. He goes through many hardships searching for his place in society. An aspect of change which is explored within the text is the painfulness of growing up- the difficulty of entering the world of adulthood and face up to consequences. Holden fears change in his life, and wants everything to stay the same. It can be suggested that the death of Allie (Holden's brother) had contributed to Holden's fear of change. The removal of Allie from his life has traumatised him and left an emotional scar on Holden.

An example in the text that shows reluctancy to change is when Holden remembers coming across a display of Eskimos fishing in the museum. "The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you." This shows that he would like things to stay the way they were, and would like to be like the Eskimos in the display- never changing. "Not that you'd be much older or anything. It wouldn't be that, exactly. You'd just be different, that's all." - shows Holden's thoughts about how you will always be different, every time you visit the museum. He reminisces his past, when he was still a kid, when life was all about the simple things. This can be seen through his dream of becoming the catcher in the rye field- catching children from falling. Holden wants to protect these children, including his younger sister- Phoebe, from the dangerous outside world and prevent them from being trapped in adolescence. When Holden finally arrives at the entrance of the museum, he stops and decides to leave, showing that he does not want to find that he himself has changed. He wants to avoid the realisation that he has grown up and has to act like an adult.

Not only is Holden reluctant to change, but he is also rebellious. He rebels against education, rules and the people whom he meets. His form of rebellion shows that he wants to be unique(suggested from his hunting hat) and live a wild life. During his date with Sally Hayes, he shares his plan of running away together to live differently- I have about a hundred and eighty bucks in the bank. I can take it out when it opens in the morning, and then I could go down and get this guy's car. No kidding. We'll stay in these cabin camps and stuff like that till the dough runs out." Not only is is plan out of the norm, his spontaneous suggestion allows us to see his rebellion against society's values.

By the end of the book, it is suggested that Holden's view of the world is changed- by and for his younger sister. Through this, It is suggested he realises that he can't protect her for her whole life, so he must set a good example instead. Although Holden seems like a rough character throughout the book, it can be seen that his siblings are his weak-point.

In the movie "Secret and lies" (directed by Mike Leigh), the concept of change is prominent, as there are many elements of changing self that are suggested and shown through the acting, dialogue and film techniques used. The movie's main message to viewers is that change is inevitable, unexpected and can affect people negatively or positively. Cynthia(the female protagonist) is withdrawn from society, from her family and from herself. It is suggested in the film that this is due to past negative experiences, including unwanted pregnancy and the birth of a black daughter(Hortense) whom she had given up. When Cynthia is contacted by Roxanne via telephone, her past is unraveled and she is finally forced to face the consequences of her past relationship, which she had been trying to put behind her. At first she fears that this will cause trouble and avoids the situation, but after persistence from Hortense, she finally gathers up enough courage to face her fear of change.

Roxanne, the 20 year old daughter Cynthia, is also in denial of change. She hides her discontent towards her life and this is shown through how distant she is towards her mother, her attitude and her constantly depressed expressions. She, like Holden(The Catcher in the Rye) is also a rebellious character who feels alienated from the rest of the world (suggested by her job as a council worker) and ends up building barriers between herself and her mother. These aspects of her life causes her to stray away from confrontation and realisation of her position in life and where she will go next.

During the scene where a barbecue is arranged in celebration of Roxanne's 21st birthday, the secrets and lies of the family are revealed. The shock of the existence of Hortense causes Roxanne to run away, showing her fear of change and inability to accept new 'problems'. Finally after consolidation from Maurice- "You've got to face up to it" and support from her boyfriend, she heads back, garnering all strength to confront the issue. This event marks the growth of Roxanne, entering adulthood, finally growing up and choosing to solve problems instead of running away.

Change is brought on by a catalyst in both texts, Phoebe for Holden (The Catcher in the Rye) and Hortense for Cynthia(Secrets and Lies). At first, both protagonists are reluctant and unwilling to accept change, but eventually recognise that change is for the better. Both texts conclude with happy endings, convincing us that change always comes bearing gifts- as long as one is willing to go through the journey.