Circular Novel.
Is this novel a Bildungsroman or a subversion of this form?
A Bildungsroman novel is one in which the protagonist sets out upon a quest for maturity in the course of the narrative, achieving a state of maturity and closure at its conclusion.
Does this ring true for Holden?
He does make the realisation that the process of maturity is inevitable. It is a transition that children need to experience. Inferred through the symbolism of the golden rings. 'If they fall off, they fall off.'
Then again, does Chapter 26 deny him any sense of closure?
He still sounds overwhelmingly cynical, 'don't ever tell anybody anything'. He begrudges the fact that he now 'misses' everyone he has written about. Is it sign that he no longer wants to go 'out West' and be a 'deaf-mute' (an outsider to society), or is it an indication that he's still a victim of trauma over Allie's death, not wanting to miss other figures in his life?
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