The Catcher in the Rye--blog2

Throughout this week’s reading of The Catcher in the Rye, I got the impression that not only is Holden lost in this world, but that he is experiencing many self confidence issues. Within the reading, Holden states that he wants to call home to talk to his sister, but “fears [his] parents will answer the phone.” Although Holden has not stated that there are family issues, I think that his wandering aimlessly stems from a lack of support from his parents. Holden also mentions his brother, Allie, many times throughout the book thus far, which makes me believe that there may have been a strain put on the family after the death of Allie. Although Holden is wandering throughout all of New York until Wednesday, will he actually return back home, or just keep wandering?
More aspects of the novel that point in the direction of low self confidence for Holden include his interaction with the girls and his comparisons with his siblings. While getting ready to go to the night club, Holden tells himself that he is the ugliest and dumbest person in the family. The low self esteem has to stem from a source, and I am beginning to believe it is his parents. While at the night club, Holden practically throws himself at three women, despite them being “unattractive.” To me, it is clear that Holden thinks so lowly of himself that he must settle for women he doesn’t even find attractive or intelligent. I am left questioning, will Holden find any self confidence on his journey home, or will he just wander for the remainder of his life?