Eric Zilber

AP English
Mrs. Gormley
November 7, 2010

Henry David Thoreau once said, “I went to the woods because I wished to live

deliberately and to discover that I had not lived.” This expresses the challenges that one must

endure to discover their inner self. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Salinger’s The Catcher in

the Rye, illustrates Jay Gatsby and Holden Caulfield as soul-seekers looking to find their place in

society by various means.

  Both Gatsby and Caulfield are living in the past and cannot face reality. Due to Allie’s

death, Holden is depressed and feels that he has “to catch everybody if they start to go over the

cliff” (Salinger 173). Holden attempts to save other children from the evils of adulthood and

searches for the simplicity of childhood, a time when he loves Jane. Similarly, Jay fantasizes

about loving the Daisy that he knows before he has to fight in the war. He cannot understand that

much has changed since they were together, and that sometimes letting go is the best option.

Ultimately, neither character can find what it is that they are looking for, causing them to be in a

never-ending search for timelessness.

Jay and Holden create a greater gap between themselves and society while trying to

express their individuality. Jay hosts numerous parties for hundreds of people to draw Daisy’s

attention and gain popularity. Nevertheless, Gatsby dies a lonely man, as only his father and

Nick attend the funeral. Holden’s red hunting cap, a symbol of individuality, allows Holden to

rebel against society’s norm. Yet Holden insists on not wearing the hat in front of people that he

knows when he says, “I took my old hunting hat out…and put it on. I knew I wouldn't meet

anybody that knew me” (122). This demonstrates that he is not ready to reveal his true self. Thus,
the “hunt” for his identity is not completed, and he ends up in a sanitarium. Jay and Holden’s

attempt to express their identity is unsuccessful because the more they change, the further they

drift from society.

Wealth plays a different role in each character’s life, as each one views it in a different

way. Jay comes from a poor family, causing him to value money and believes that with it comes

prestige. He is willing to acquire money by any means, even through crime, in order to impress

Daisy. On the other hand, Holden is born into a wealthy family where money is not a concern.

Holden does not see money’s significance as he refers to it as “Goddam money. It always ends

up making you blue as hell” (113). Holden enjoys spending money as it provides relief during

his times of strife.

Jay and Holden cannot discover their true identities, and because of this society cannot

accept them either. Both characters are looking for ways to change themselves instead of valuing

their uniqueness. Self-acceptance is the key to happiness, for without it an individual will never

find their place in society.

 Works Cited

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1945.