Society The Classroom For Behavior Essays - Fiction, Literature

Society: The Classroom For Behavior Society: The Classroom for Behavior If a young boy were to open a gift of clothing from his Aunt John on his birthday more than likely his reaction would not be that deemed acceptable by American society because his response of EWW, Clothes would be considered churlish. The socially acceptable response evoked from mommy would be, Thank you for my present Aunt John. This is only one of the many social mores that our society teaches children when they are at a young age. Other mores most have learned or taught through out years have been which side of the plate the fork goes on, opening doors for women and seniors and saying Please and Thank You. Unfortunately, most of these mores are taught to curb a childs innocence and natural behavior. For instance, if a young boy were playing by himself, society would applaud his creativity. However, if an adult or senior citizen were to do the same society would think that they were eccentric or senile. One reason that The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a classic is that no matter whether its the society of the 1940's or that of present day, we continue to teach children that acts of innocence and natural behavior are regarded as unacceptable as one grows older. Thus, we are left with a society that is a classroom filled with adults who suppress a childs pastimes. If one saw an adult walking down the street singing a show tune or humming the latest top 40s hit, society would usually view that individual as weird or peculiar. The character, Holden, sees a child following his parents on a busy Broadway street. The child kept singing and hummingin a pretty little voice.(115) Holden comments on how the childs parents paid no attention to him. If the childs parents had been keeping close tabs on him then the reader is to think that the child would have been walking in an orderly fashion closely behind his parents. Near the end of the paragraph, Holden tells how seeing the child singing on the street made him feel better and not quite as depressed. The fact that it made Holden feel happy is because this innocence and natural behavior is accepted, often times praised, and many times enjoyed in little children. It shows their creativity in the ability that they can make up games to play by themselves or make up an imaginary friend, and Holden is the o nly character in the novel that intuitively recognizes this. Throughout every childs life most individuals have been on a merry-go-round and most individuals have enjoyed their ride on it. Well near the end of the novel, Holden enjoys Phoebes ride on the merry-go-round as much as she does. I felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. I was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth.(213) The reason for Holdens joyfulness was the ability to watch his wise and beloved sister go from anger towards him to content. He watched her innocence prevail and it caused him to cry. Holden commented, ..she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all. God, I wish you couldve been there.(213) Again Holden is one of the few people in the novel to distinguish this innocence and natural behavior. The fact that people are forced to curb their natural behaviors in todays society is a reason that The Catcher in the Rye is still a classic and always will be. Allie and Phoebe are two perfect examples for Salingers commentary on how natural innocence and behavior are taught to be bad things. Phoebe, the child who is wise beyond her years, is already at the stage where she has learned that social mores are taught to kids to encourage the ideas of proper socialization. Holden, who is older than Phoebe, goes to her and asks her for advice, therefore showing how Phoebe has already been tainted by society in the fact that Holden goes to her for advice on things that he should