How Exhibitionism and Rebellion Prevent Healthy Relationships in Holden Caulfield
Uploaded by guardianbooya on Dec 29, 2001
Introduction
There are certain behaviours that prevent healthy relationships. Exhibitionism is a behaviour that can prevent healthy relationships between people. Rebellion is another behaviour that keeps one from having a strong relationship. These behaviours, common in teenagers, can be seen in J.D. Salinger’s popular character, Holden Caulfield. Exhibitionism and rebellion prevent Holden from developing good relationships with people. The purpose of this report is to show how exhibitionism and rebellion keep Holden Caulfield from establishing healthy relationships with other people.
Behaviours that Prevent Healthy Relationships
How Exhibitionism Prevents Healthy Relationships
Exhibitionism is a behaviour that can prevent healthy relationships between people. Exhibitionism is a tendency to call attention to oneself or show off (Webster’s New World Dictionary 125). Adolescence is a time when exhibitionism is most common. People who show exhibitionism call attention to themselves in many ways. They act foolishly, disrupt others, wear outrageous clothing, and have a tendency to raise their voices (“Adolescent Behaviour” 1). These acts are a nuisance and can be extremely annoying (Personal Interview). People regard exhibitionists as those who cannot control their own actions or those who attract negative attention toward themselves because they cannot attract positive attention. “I can’t stand people that just act out in class or something. They make you turn and look, but it’s for the wrong reasons” (Personal Interview). Exhibitionism is a behaviour that prevents one from having healthy relationships because it bothers other people.
How Rebellion Prevents Healthy Relationships
In addition to exhibitionism, rebellion is another behaviour that prevents healthy relationships. Rebellion is the defiance of authority or the refusal to accept authority (Webster’s New World Dictionary 318). People who rebel prevent healthy relationships with the people they are rebelling against (“Teenage Rebellion” 2). They tend to cause difficulties against authority because of a difference of opinion (“The World of Adolescence” 3). Rebellion is a common behaviour seen among teenagers. Often, they rebel against parents or teachers because they do not want to conform to rules. Teenagers use abusive language, use illegal substances such as drugs or alcohol (See Appendix A), break curfews, refuse to do homework, or vandalize buildings (“Teenage Rebellion” 2). This upsets the authority figures and causes tension between the adolescents and the authority figures. Common to adolescence, rebellion prevents people from developing healthy relationships with authority figures.
Exhibitionism in Adolescents
Exhibitionism is a common behaviour displayed by adolescents. Exhibitionism is the extravagant and conspicuous behaviour intended to attract attention...