The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger replaces the norm while remaining painfully on the deep end of the average, as it contains topics that people can relate to (such as cynicism, nostalgia, and bitterness of life). One of the major topics discussed in the novel is the identity of an individual and how Holden Caulfield's identity is shaped through the adversities he faces. Quentin Crisp once said: “Young people always have the same problem: how to rebel and conform at the same time. Now they have solved this problem by defying their parents and copying each other." Holden's desire to be an individual (a rebel without a cause), hatred of falsehood, and guilt over the death of the Ally create substantial conflict. Compliance can be defined in many ways, depending on the person and their situation. In Holden's case, conformity is the choice to grow up and overcome childhood antics. Holden, however, chooses to be stuck between the world of a child's innocence and the complex world of adulthood. He deifies his two younger siblings, Allie and Phoebe, as if they were contenders for sainthood due to ...