How Exhibitionism And Rebellion Prevent Healthy Relationships In Holden Caulfield Essay, Research Paper

IntroductionThere are certain behaviours that prevent healthy relationships. Exhibitionism is a behaviour that can prevent healthy relationships between people. Rebellion is another behaviour that keeps one from having a strong relationship. These behaviours, common in teenagers, can be seen in J.D. Salinger?s popular character, Holden Caulfield. Exhibitionism and rebellion prevent Holden from developing good relationships with people. The purpose of this report is to show how exhibitionism and rebellion keep Holden Caulfield from establishing healthy relationships with other people.

Behaviours that Prevent Healthy Relationships

How Exhibitionism Prevents Healthy Relationships

Exhibitionism is a behaviour that can prevent healthy relationships between people. Exhibitionism is a tendency to call attention to oneself or show off (Webster?s New World Dictionary 125). Adolescence is a time when exhibitionism is most common. People who show exhibitionism call attention to themselves in many ways. They act foolishly, disrupt others, wear outrageous clothing, and have a tendency to raise their voices (?Adolescent Behaviour? 1). These acts are a nuisance and can be extremely annoying (Personal Interview). People regard exhibitionists as those who cannot control their own actions or those who attract negative attention toward themselves because they cannot attract positive attention. ?I can?t stand people that just act out in class or something. They make you turn and look, but it?s for the wrong reasons? (Personal Interview). Exhibitionism is a behaviour that prevents one from having healthy relationships because it bothers other people.

How Rebellion Prevents Healthy RelationshipsIn addition to exhibitionism, rebellion is another behaviour that prevents healthy relationships. Rebellion is the defiance of authority or the refusal to accept authority (Webster?s New World Dictionary 318). People who rebel prevent healthy relationships with the people they are rebelling against (?Teenage Rebellion? 2). They tend to cause difficulties against authority because of a difference of opinion (?The World of Adolescence? 3). Rebellion is a common behaviour seen among teenagers. Often, they rebel against parents or teachers because they do not want to conform to rules. Teenagers use abusive language, use illegal substances such as drugs or alcohol (See Appendix A), break curfews, refuse to do homework, or vandalize buildings (?Teenage Rebellion? 2). This upsets the authority figures and causes tension between the adolescents and the authority figures. Common to adolescence, rebellion prevents people from developing healthy relationships with authority figures.

Exhibitionism in AdolescentsExhibitionism is a common behaviour displayed by adolescents. Exhibitionism is the extravagant and conspicuous behaviour intended to attract attention to oneself (?Adolescent Behaviour? 1). Teenagers feel they must be the centre of attention to feel popular or accepted (Personal Interview). Many teenagers boast their skills in any way that they feel would attract their peers. ?Teens are always trying to show off whatever they have. It gets annoying and makes them look conceited? (Personal Interview). Adolescents may try to attract attention through acting foolishly as the ?class clown?, disrupting others while they are speaking, wearing outrageous clothing that is too revealing or unique in style, and by raising their voices when it is not necessary to do so (?Adolescent Behaviour? 1). Teenagers illustrate exhibitionism as a common behaviour during their adolescence.

Rebellion in AdolescentsIn addition to exhibitionism, rebellion is another behaviour that is common in teenagers. Rebellion is the defiance of authority or the refusal to accept authority (Webster?s New World Dictionary 318). Teenagers feel they must revolt against authority figures because they want to make their own rules and live in their own way (?Teenage Rebellion? 2). Parents and teachers are the most frequent authority figures subjected to rebellion. The most common form of rebellion against parents and the law is drinking alcohol (Personal Interview). ?I drink because it?s easy to get booze and I don?t get caught. It?s a way to get rid of some stress and just have some fun. Parents tell us not to drink but I know they did too. Rules are meant to be broken because it?s just fun to break them? (Personal Interview). Using other illegal substances such as cigarettes and drugs is also common during adolescence (See Appendix B). Teenagers also tend to refuse to apply themselves in school (?The World of Adolescence? 3). During childhood, children are confined by rules made by parents. During adolescence, teenagers are given more freedom and take advantage of that freedom to break rules that normally confine them (?Teenage Rebellion? 2). A common behaviour in adolescence is to rebel against authority.

Exhibitionism in Holden CaulfieldIn the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, a character named Holden Caulfield demonstrates exhibitionism. Holden, a seventeen-year-old adolescent, embarks on a journey by himself where he displays behaviours such as exhibitionism. Common examples of exhibitionism are:

acting foolishly and trying to be funny

wearing unique clothing that is not in style

raising their voices when it is not necessary

using coarse language

using abusive substances like alcohol as an excuse to act idiotically when others are around(?Adolescent Behaviour? 1).

Coincidently, these behaviours are clearly evident in Holden Caulfield:

Holden acts foolishly when he calls Sally Hayes (Salinger 151).

Holden wears a red hunting hat that is different in style and makes him stand apart from other people (21-22).

Holden yells at Sally Hayes after she refuses to run away with him (132-133).

Holden uses coarse language when he is dancing with Bernice (72).

Holden gets drunk at the Wicker Bar and tries to obtain a date with Valencia, the piano singer and the coat-check girl (150-153).Holden Caulfield tries to attract attention to himself in any way he can. He is a lonely person that thinks he must make himself the centre of attention to get people to talk to him. Being an exhibitionist does not make him more amiable to people, but instead repels people away from him. Exhibitionism prevents healthy relationships between Holden and other people such as Sally Hayes, Bernice, Valencia, and the coat-check girl. Holden uses coarse language around

Bernice, a lady that he has just met and is dancing with him. ? ?I?m twelve for Chrissake. I?m big for my age.? ?Listen. I toleja about that. I don?t like that type language,? she said? (72). Holden?s language bothers her and turns her away from him. Some of these are people he has just met but will never get to know any further because of his exhibitionism. Holden Caulfield demonstrates exhibitionism that prevents him from developing healthy relationships with other people.

Rebellion in Holden CaulfieldBesides exhibitionism, Holden Caulfield shows examples of rebellion that prevents strong relationships with others. Holden is a teenager that demonstrates this common adolescent behaviour. General examples of teenage rebellion are:

using illegal substances such as alcohol

using drugs such as cigarettes

refusing to do homework or applying themselves in school

running away from authority figures(?Teenage Rebellion? 2).

These behaviours of rebellion can be seen in Holden Caulfield:

Holden drinks often even though he is not of age to drink alcohol (Salinger 90).

Holden often smokes cigarettes even though he is not old enough to smoke (86).

Holden fails four out of his five subjects at school (10).

After leaving Pencey, Holden does not return home to his parents (51).Holden rebels because he does not want to conform to rules. He is a teenager that thinks that he knows better (?Teenage Rebellion? 2). Holden often drinks alcohol and smokes cigarettes as a way of rebelling. ?There wasn?t anything to do except smoke and drink? (Salinger 86). By drinking, smoking, and not returning home, Holden is causing tension between him and his parents. By not applying himself in school, he is rebelling against teachers and rules. Holden?s rebellion prevents him from developing healthy relationships with authority figures.

ConclusionThe purpose of this report is intended to show how exhibitionism and rebellion prevent Holden Caulfield from establishing healthy relationships with other people. Exhibitionism and rebellion are common behaviours in teenagers that prevent people from developing healthy relationships. Exhibitionism in adolescents prevents healthy relationships in that teenagers try to attract attention but instead repel people from communicating with them. Rebellion in teenagers prevents healthy relationships between the adolescents and their parents, teachers, or rules. Holden Caulfield demonstrates exhibitionism which keeps him from developing healthy relationships with other people like Bernice or Sally Hayes. Holden also shows examples of rebellion which inhibits him from forming healthy relationships with his parents and teachers. There are certain behaviours that prevent wholesome relationships with other people.