tCitR : Excerpt

"The bus driver opened the doors and made me throw [the snowball] out. I told him I wasn't going to chuck it at anybody, but he wouldn't believe me. People never believe you." p. 37, the Catcher in the Rye

I chose this because it reminded me of common stereotypes for both adults and adolescents. First, the bus driver assumed the worst. It's basic math for most. Kid + snowball = obviously gonna throw it. Why not stop the problem before it's even a problem? But that's a stereotype. Holden didn't want to chuck that snowball, but the driver wouldn't hear it.

Next, the teenager, Holden. "People never believe you." That's a great line, because every kid has faced that feeling at least once. But it's also a stereotype. Maybe some bus driver won't listen, but not every one's like that.

Perhaps Salinger was hinting at how the two sides of one pole are always trying to knock the other down. Yes, teens and adults can view the world differently, and there's nothing wrong with that, but there should be a communal understanding rather than communal distrust. When trying to knock the other down, each side is hurt.