"By their deeds shall ye know them." We often judge people by what they do; therefore, we consider people who commit cruel or reprehensible acts corrupt, base or amoral. In literature, however, authors often introduce us to characters whom we learn to like or even respect, despite their deeds.
Write an essay about one such character for whom you developed admiration or compassion. Briefly explain why you felt his or her behavior to be condemnable or contemptible, and how the author's techniques influenced you to admire that person. Do not summarize the plot.
Holden Caulfield is one of the most judgmental characters one might come across. In The Catcher in the Rye, his narration is both cynical and apathetic. Some may believe that there is nothing admirable in Holden, but I beg to differ. Through analyzing the wall that he has put up, one can come to understand that he is a troubled soul, calling out for help.
In high school alone, Holden is expelled from four schools. This is due to his lack of caring as well as his inability to get along well with others. The latter issue is due to the wall that Holden has put up to keep others away. His red hunting cap is a symbol of isolationism. He does not let anyone in to see what he is thinking, but he is unaware what it would be like if he did because he has never before tried. A lack of caring leads him to flunk out of school upon school, repeatedly disappointing his parents and leading to his further isolation from the people who care about him.
Criticizing and philosophizing about society and those around him causes others to not want to deal with him. Holden repeatedly refers to people as "phony." I believe that the qualities of others Holden chooses to critique are the qualities he does not like in himself. He is often the "phony" when dealing with others, using people for their material possessions. His views of others are extremely superficial, and this is what causes him conflicts in dealing with others.
As analyzed above, Holden does not hold many admirable qualities. Although his deeds are despise-able, I have grown to feel compassion toward this character. He is merely a teenage boy unsure of how to go through life, so he isolates himself in an effort to not succumb to pain. His parents are unsure of how to deal with him, as this is their oldest child. I believe that if Holden had received psychological help when he first began blocking others out, he would not have ended up in a mental institution at the end of the novel.
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