Catcher in the Rye- Causes Gains and Losses

In the book Catcher in the Rye, the author includes many things that add and take away from the conflict of this book. I think that in this particular book the author did a really nice job creating the conflict. The conflict in Catcher in the Rye was an internal conflict. An internal conflict is a conflict that is between one person. Holden is conflicted in this book on whether he should return to school or travel the world. Early in the novel, we learn that Holden was kicked out of school because of his failing grades. Some people may see this as the conflict, but I think the conflict is his decision to travel or return to school. The cause of a conflict is what leads up to the problem in a book. The conflict in this book is caused by Holden being kicked out of school. This was not the first time Holden had been kicked out of school, and it was his fault he was kicked out. Holden did not care to be at school anymore because he did not like the people there and he stopped caring about his grades. As a result to his lack of commitment, Holden was kicked out of his school. The gains of a conflict are the positive things that the characters receives as a result of the conflict. The gains in the Catcher in the Rye are that he gets to return home and be with his family. Because he was kicked out, Holden got to go home and visit his family. I think that this is a very positive thing for Holden because he really loves his sister Phoebe and he really missed her. Holden and Phoebe are very close even though there is a six year age difference between them. I understand the relationship between Holden and Phoebe because I am six years older than my little baby brother. The losses of this conflict are that Holden did not complete school.

Bibliography

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.