In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye and Barbara Gowdy's The White Bone, both authors present the issue of corrupted youth in similar ways; through some days of their main characters Holden and Mud. Salinger and Gowdy tell the stories of youth suffering from the loss of their innocence in similar ways but both uniquely saddening. In the novels the main characters are forced to mature far too early in their lives, causing loss of innocence and harm to their older selves. Sadly, Holden and Mud endure the absence of parents, the expectation that they engage in sexual activity and the death of loved ones at such young ages.

Throughout the novels, both Holden and Mud do not have the support of their parents which is a major part of a child’s …show more content…
Holden on his first night of freedom from Pencey Prep hires a prostitute for no other reason than the fact that he was pressured by the elevator man. Holden gets in an elevator with Maurice and he ends up agreeing to having a throw with a girl; “I was already… start rolling,” (Salinger, 91). Holden knows what he is doing is wrong but he lacks the knowledge and motivation that comes from a properly educated childhood, to say no. Contrastingly, Mud has had Tall Time chasing after her since she was a young calf and when she hits puberty she is immediately impregnated as her whole family cheers him on (Gowdy, 147). This early sexual intercourse and the fact that her family pushed for it to happen seriously affects Mud and she later regrets letting Tall Time mount her. The regret and the loss of her innocence is something Mud may never forget as elephants never forget even the most damaging of memories. When a Cow (female elephant) is impregnated they receive a new name; Mud's new name is She-Spurns, a name far worse than anything she had imagined. When the big cows in Mud’s family tell her her new name, Mud is horrified as they shout “ From this day forward and forevermore Mud shall be She-Spurns.” (Gowdy, 3) This loss of her childhood name is made worse because as they will forever call her She-Spurns, she will forever remember as …show more content…
Holden is forever traumatized by Allie's death, his brother’s death leaves Holden very depressed. When Holden gets depressed he starts talking to Allie, “I started talking...very depressed.” (Salinger, 98). He never fully grieves or recovers from Allie’s death because he was so young and both him and Allie are robbed of a proper childhood. Mud has the gift and curse of being a visionary, it is in one of these visions she witnesses the aftermath of the vast majority of the She-D family slaughtered. Mud from a very young age has to bear witness to such carnage as; “The remains of her own kind....feet as well” (Gowdy, 28). Mud’s visions age her faster than others and so she is thought to be very mature and odd at her age. Such morbid sights at such a young age are extremely hurtful and practically eradicate her youth and innocence. Hours later, the three survivors of the slaughter arrive just in time to be apart of the She-S family slaughter. Mud watches as one by one her family is killed and she has to flee for her life, a choice to leave behind any one that could have been saved (Gowdy,85-90). One member of the She-D family and five members of the She-S family survive the slaughter, including the pregnant Mud. So little survivors and with such a small family Mud is forced to take on a bigger role than she is ready for at her age. Ultimately, with such tragedy in their lives; Holden and Mud