The Game of Life Essay Example for Free

The Game of Life Essay Who can really play the â€Å"game† of life? In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, states, â€Å"Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right? I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it? Nothing. No game† (8). This statement is true because it is the people who have success, fame, and fortune that can play the â€Å"game† of life and win in it. So why can only these people play the â€Å"game† of life? A â€Å"hot-shot† is a person of great success. Those on the â€Å"other side† do not have this success and are therefore at a disadvantage. It is the people who have succeeded in life that continue to succeed and eventually win in life. Although success cannot be exactly measured, a person cannot succeed without having prior success. For example, a person cannot be an aspiring artist, singer, or author without having succeeded in that field before. Because of this lack of success, those on the â€Å"other side† cannot play the â€Å"game† of life. â€Å"Hot-shots† do not only have success however. By putting himself on the â€Å"other side†, Holden alienates himself from the rest of society and may therefore mean that those on the â€Å"other side† are as well alienated from society. Those on the â€Å"other side† cannot play the â€Å"game† of life because it is the people who have fame and recognition who are successful. They have support, experience with people, and connections. Because the people alienated from society lack these advantages, they cannot play the â€Å"game† of life. Furthermore, there is another factor which whether a person can play the â€Å"game† of life. People usually associate success with money, or fortune. When a person has great fortune, they have great success. This fortune however is what makes the â€Å"hot-shots† successful in the first place. Fortune is not only defined as money though. It includes any type of resource or pure serendipity. All fortune however makes people successful, either by allowing them an education or opening up opportunities that would not be available without it. People on the â€Å"other side† do not have fortune and therefore do not have the means to play the â€Å"game† of life. So who can really play the â€Å"game† of life? â€Å"Hot-shots† are the one who can play the â€Å"game†. Their access to success, fame, and fortune allows them to play the â€Å"game† of life and win in it. Those on the â€Å"other side† do not have access to these advantages and can therefore not play the â€Å"game† of life and not win in life. It is not until a person transitions into the â€Å"hot-shot† side can they truly be successful in life.