Growing Up is a Part of Life

Growing up is a part of life that everyone must go through, and some people struggle through the change more than others. Holden Caulfield is a prime example of this because he refuses to grow up and take responsibility for his actions. In some ways he thinks he's an adult by going to bars and inviting the prostitute up to his room, but he is still immature because he doesn't take responsibility for his schooling and flunks out of every school he is sent to. He is also immature because he is a hypocrite. He calls everyone a phony, but really he is a phony because Holden cannot be honest with himself about his feelings towards the matter of growing up due mostly to the death of his brother and the impact on him.
An experience that caused me to grow up quicker in my life was getting a job. I had a poor experience at my first job, but in the long run it was helpful because it forced me to deal with unpleasant coworkers. This helped me grow up because I know that I will have to work and deal with unpleasant people my whole life, and now I know how to deal with them.

Week 2 Post (2nd set of questions)

It is difficult for one to tell the opinion the author has about mentally handicapped people, because the way she wrote about Charlie does not necessarily reflect her own personal views on the mentally impaired. The way she wrote about Charlie seemed like it was based on the views of what the outside world would have wanted for him, along with others with special needs.

The novel has changed the way I think about mentally deficient people because the book gave me an insight as to what life can be like for these people. Many outsiders believe that they should be kept in homes, like the Warren State Home where Charlie was arranged to live after the downfall of his intelligence. I do not believe it is right for anyone else to decide where mentally challenged people should live, and it should be a decision of their own.

The view of people with mental disabilities has changed greatly since the time the book takes place. People with handicaps were treated as inferiors and put in homes where they were just cared for like prisoners almost. There were no cures or help for these people, just places for them to go to leave their lives. Today, people with mental handicaps are generally in their original homes with their families. They live their lives to their full potential, many going on to complete school and have jobs.