A story about growing up

The Catcher in the Rye is a story about growing up. It explores all of the obstacles that we all face while reaching adulthood. The triumphs, the happiness, the heartbreak and the sadness. We follow the main character Holden throughout his journey into adulthood. But this journey is not so much in the sense that Holden literarily grows up but he become more aware of the things that are happening around him. He doesn’t mature much physically, but we witness his mind completely mature to that of an adult by the end of the novel. Although Holden’s rise to adulthood progresses slowly throughout the novel it is almost sprung on him right at the very end where he painfully witnesses something that he thought would never happen to him. Growing up means letting go, and for this is no exception for Holden.
At the beginning of the novel Holden’s mindset is that of a rebellious teenager.
Also we notice early in the novel that Holden is a very conceited and confident young man. We f...