Identity, Loss, and Emotional Struggles in Literary Works

Introduction

In the novel 'I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter' Julia wrests with depression, anxiety, and a suicide attempt, those around her understand that her sadness, fear, and self-hatred are not just growing pains: Julia is genuinely at sea, separated from her family, herself, history, and future alike. When Amá and Apá send Julia to Mexico to get some sunshine, some space, and some distance, they're actually hoping she'll be able to reconnect with her roots— Julia always enjoyed summer vacations to Mexico, and despite her ambivalence about her culture and her family in Chicago, they believe a break from every day will help Julia heal and reconnect with who she really is.

Family in 'I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter'

In fact, Julia is able to reconnect not only with her family, but with herself in the warm and small desert town of Los Ojos. She learns things about her parents she 'd never known— terrible secrets, but also beautiful hidden parts of their personalities, such as Apá's past success as a painter— and by understanding more about who her parents are and the things both good and bad that have made them that way, Julia understands more about her own journey. She finally sees that, despite any conflicts or grievances she has with her parents, she has as much responsibility for them as they do for her. She has to honor their sacrifices, consider their roots, and accept the people life has turned them into — relationships are a two-way street, and as Julia returns to Chicago, she works hard to see her parents, her history, and even the more complicated members of her extended family through a more compassionate and empathetic. Julia understands her family in a new way and can see herself through a news lens. She knows that she will never be the “perfect Mexican daughter” her parents want her to be, but at last she has some confidence in her choices and less shame about her weaknesses.

Loss of Innocence in 'The Catcher in the Rye'

The Catcher in the Rye shows themes not only of white privilege and wealth, but of the loss of innocence that occurs when growing up, or when experiencing death, like Holden does. Holden is a privileged white male, unlike both Junior and Julia. This doesn’t necessarily mean his life is any easier than theirs, other than he doesn’t have to worry about money. He struggles with his mental health after the loss of his brother, just like Julia.

Holden has to face that fork on the adolescent road when one realizes that maturity involves a loss of innocence— that greater knowledge of oneself and others and circumstances comes with a price. He can not bear in Holden's case to accept Allie's death, the death of pure innocence that had no good reason to suffer or die. Allie is fact in Holden's eyes, while all the others are 'fiction.' Innocence goes along with idealism and a certain inability or unwillingness to endure and embrace the harsher facts. Holden can not bear to hold on to his innocence because innocence brings its own harms; it continues to be deceived by people. The cost of maturity is therefore much lower; innocence, too, was quite painful. Innocence has been problematic: the prostitute wants more money for nothing, the man who takes him in seems like a pedophile, and when he asks simple questions about the park's animals, the cab drivers berate him as dumb. While Allie's memory can help him preserve his innocence, this is not enough because in the outside world he can't find real love. Therefore, losing Allie caused tremendous pain. Holden also has the common adolescent experience of perceiving that when his whole soul is in flux as it comes to grips with reality, mundane lessons in school learning feel small. Where can he go to grasp some reality, some stable truth, when the whole world around him appears phony? Without an explanation as to why Allie was taken from him, there is little motive behind the events of the world, and in this respect the maturity of Holden includes a profound loss of innocence such that he perceives that the world's truth is its own irrationality.

Emotional Impact of Death and Seeking Love

A key part of the emotional life of Holden involves his reaction to the death of Allie. People have been living for a while, but we all die too soon. Allie did not choose it, but Holden is thinking of James Castle, a skinny boy who jumped out of the school window and fell to his death. Holden himself has the thoughts of a suicide similar to that. The decision to adorn himself with his life feelings is a choice to mentally shut down so much that he is no longer really alive. Nevertheless, it is a choice that Holden is profoundly unable to make. When he thinks of James Castle, he can't bear to imagine James lying in the middle of the blood and stone, with no one picking him up.

Holden may see some suicide romance and some consolation in the thought that it will put an end to internal pain, but death seems worse, the ultimate isolation. He also saw the impact of death on life. And he can't do what Allie has already done to Phoebe. He's plodding on, only sure he has to gradually wean himself away from Phoebe to get used to losing him forever— and so he gets used to being away from her. Although Holden needs closeness and love to renew his life, to avoid the inevitable loss, he keeps driving himself further away from it. The more life he wants, the more antisocial he becomes, and the more death he imagines. This paradox is part of the life of Holden: there is pain in shutting down one's feelings, and there is pain in the risk of reopening. It is impossible for him to try to avoid pains that are inevitable for human mortals during their lifetime.

Conclusion

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and The Catcher in the Rye all have very real themes. There is a lot in common with these characters. Death, loss of dignity, injustice, discrimination, social unfairness, and inequality are the main characters. In everyday life, back then and now, these themes happen.