"Life is a game boy"

Holden Caulfield is a 16 year-old teenager, the main character of the novel "Catcher in the Rye", a novel written by J.D Salinger and the narrator who uses a special language (colloquial) to express himself, which makes you feel more connected to the character and his troubles. While you are reading the book, you can immediately realize he is struggling in life, keeping away from the adulthood, avoiding his responsibilities, his instability and confusion.

"Life is a game boy, life is a game that one plays according to the rules.." that was Mr Spencer said to Holden Caulfield after advising him about the way how he was taking life because he could not apply himself at school.

Maybe, Mr Spencer is not that crucial in the story of Catcher in the Rye, nevertheless, he said that phrase that made my head spin since I read it, and I think he is right. We always have a Mr Spencer in our life, it is the one who advises you about your actions and it is the one who reminds you that you do not have so much power to decide whatever you want; since “life is a game that one plays according to the rules”.

You might be wondering… which rules? Everybody is in this game since we were born, the rule of walking and babbling by the time of 2 years old, years after go to school, by the time you turn 15 or 16 you have to mature and when you are 18 graduate from the school and decide what you want to study to be your entire life, then you need to find a job, have family, buy a house, so on… 

But, what happen if you break the rules? The society does not 

approve you because you are the weird one out there. Why do we have to make decisions when we do not want to or when we are not ready?

What we can see about Holden is his way of being critical about everything and he mainly judges the world of adults as full of hypocrisy by using the word “phony” to refer this superficial people who acts like someone they are not. However, when he meet the Navy guy he says:

“I'm always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.”

That means that he has to act like a “phony” which he always criticize because he has to pretend he likes the guy, and then he explained that people have to do it considering you need to make people like you that is the only way to get what you want. That is another thing that you must learn when you are growing up. Many people are so “phony” in life, why adults cannot be just honest about the way we feel? We see “phonies” everyday, for example, at the university when some students pretends to like other classmates and especially teachers to get good grades… That kills me, as Caulfield expresses too. Also, workers pretends to love their bosses to get the approval or get something. That is the life that Holden was running away from, because he was not ready for doing something that he does not like. Here is when you doubt if being an adult makes you more free or less.

Holden learn from his mistakes after judging Mr Antolini, who was very supportive and he was always trying to tell Caulfield that he needs to believe in himself, but after the man touched his forehead while he was sleeping, Holden just judged him since he felt nervous about that. However, that action made him to think about to stop judging everything and everybody, it is time to give a chance! 

What mr Antollini said to Holden

In my opinion, everybody has a Holden Caulfield inside us, but we know if we want it outside or not. Personally, I have always been judgmental about this game is made and how it controls us following the rules, however, I would have never been like Holden, because it is impossible to be away from the game, but if you want to win it, I do not think that the fact to pretend that nothing is happening and being selfish is the way to succeed, whatever success means to you.

As Holden says: “Everybody goes through phases and all, don't they?” where he explains that finally that is just one of the phases in life, it does not mean like you are going to be like that your entire life and you are going to apply yourself. Therefore, if you have a Holden Caulfield inside you, do not worry, someday you are going to find yourself.

This was written by Judd Nelson, and it is basically what the book made me feel.

Holden is afraid of growing up and being an adult, but everybody is, isn't? 


References: 

Salinger, J.D. (1951). The Catcher in the Rye.