The Catcher in the Rye Ending
When I first read the ending, I was honestly kind of disappointed. It felt like a failed coming-of-age story in some ways. There was no typical “happy ending” that we usually expect from a coming-of-age novel, but this made it feel more realistic and authentic to me. However, Holden still changes at the end because of Phoebe. Watching Phoebe on the carousel, causing an emotional breakdown eventually leads to a sense of hopefulness . He realizes that Phoebe is her own person and is growing up. She has to live her life and take chances despite the possibility of failure. This realization is a lot more optimistic than what we would expect from Holden.
Despite the ending not being very typically climactic, I felt like it was very true to his character. He says, “That’s all I’m going to tell you about. I could probably tell you what I did after I went home, and how I got sick and all, and what school I’m supposed to go to next fall, after I get out of here, but I don’t feel like it.” In his way of “not telling” us what happened, he is still telling us in his own way. And saying he doesn’t “feel like it” makes sense for his character.
The outcome of his story is left to our own interpretation, and I chose to interpret it in a more positive way. It feels as though Holden has become slightly less cynical and bitter. His extreme happiness towards Phoebe at the end is proof of that. This left a remnant of hopefulness that he will be successful and happier in his new school and next stage of life because of his attitude change.
However, I do believe that his cynicism is part of who he is and that will not all go awat. He seems to have come out of his depression, but I feel like he will most likely keep his somewhat cynical attitude throughout his life. Even though he was negative throughout the book, and seemed to have no desire to live a happier lifestyle, the end of the book showed a different side of him. Even though he describes everyone as a “phony”, he is truly most content when around the people he loves.
I was also quite disappointed in the story's ending because it seemed like there was no big climax like we find in other coming-of-age novels. However, I like your interpretation of how he changed through his talk/s with Phoebe. Also, while I found his story lacking in depth and backstory, your explanation of how the ending stayed true to how Holden has told the rest of his story made me realize that the story was more about his interpretation the whole time--rather than what was actually going on.
ReplyDeleteI can relate strongly to Holden's "how do I know what I'll do until I do it?" perspective at the end of this novel: often when I sincerely want to change some difficult or unpleasant aspect of myself, I'm checked by the realization that I can't necessarily control how I will react in the future to future situations--I can say *now* that I'll try not to lose my head and freak out over some little thing, but when that little thing freaks you out, you lose your head, and the whole point is that you can't control it in the moment, let alone months earlier when you sincerely wish to change. He's being really *honest* at the end here, even if we might prefer a more "straight answer."
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, Holden's own aesthetic values would prohibit him from trying to sell us a neat happy ending where everything wraps up neatly and the hero has learned his lesson--remember his scorn for that movie he goes to, where everything works out at the end with the blind guy getting his sight back and the dog having puppies. In his own novel, he won't try to sell us some "phony" ending that would "make him puke" if he saw it in a movie.
Holden is kind of a "pick me." Even until the very end, he has to remind the reader that he would never give us a textbook happy ending because he's "not like other teenagers." (even though though coming of age is like this universal thing). Also, I agree that despite the front he puts up, Holden is happy around/influenced by his family a lot. Although many of Holden's struggles have been internal, it takes him seeing Phoebe wanting to leave school and run away with him to realize that his individual actions have consequences and that he's not alone. In this way, I think the way that Holden left things was a satisfying ending and that he came of age in his own right.
ReplyDeleteWhat you said in the second paragraph perfectly sums up Holden's character for me. It fits so well with his attitude throughout the rest of the book and gives a little meaning in the non-typical ending. It's definitely "Holden's ending" and nobody else's.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what you said about his cynicism, and I definitely think he will carry that throughout the rest of his life. Though, maybe now he looks through the world with a slightly more positive lense.