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Holden `s innocence in adolecsence
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Holden view his sister as genuine and honest, not a “phony” like almost everyone else. When he arrives back in New York, one of his first thoughts is that he would like to call and speak with her. In the end of the novel, when Holden is getting ready to start his new life he decides he cannot leave without saying goodbye. Phoebe is the only character in the book who he actually cares about and sees no flaws in. He holds onto Phoebe so much because unlike everyone else surrounded by him, she still has her
When staring at a frequently visited museum by Holden as a child, he remembers his past experiences connecting back to his childhood trauma. Earlier in this scene, Holden goes to look for Sally when he encounters young boys who direct him towards the museum. Holden then starts to inform us that he used to visit here, and how he remembered certain factors. Holden remembers certain aspects of these museums like the flooring and a huge important idea, that nothing moves. Holden says, "The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was.
“If you do something too good, then, after a while, if you don’t watch it, you start showing off. And then your not as good anymore.” (Salinger 140) Holden hates how phony adults are, and how they are all acting a part. He will always take a dislike to his own childhood experiences, but he does everything he can to protect others from experiencing bad moments. Holden never had the childhood he dreamed of, and he holds onto the hope that he can provide innocence for Phoebe.
Holden believes at this point that he can save everybody and control everybody to keep their innocence, but he does not realize that is not how the world works. He does eventually realize this when Phoebe rides the carousel and reaches for the gold ring. Holden was afraid that, “she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off they fall off”(232).
If anyone had ever asked Holden the classic, "a penny for your thoughts?", you're liable to get an answer that was all over the place, that you couldn't understand and if you asked him to explain, he wouldn't have a clue either. Classic Holden. However, Holden’s thinking is organized in a very distinct way. Holden not only acts like a child but thinks like one too, and it makes his psyche easier to decipher. Much like a child, Holden finds solace in adventuring through things out of the ordinary and then noticing every little thing along the way.
Holden says that all he want to do is be the catcher in the rye protecting children from falling. The whole novel Holden makes observation around him that are taking away from children's innocence. This is what upsets him the most the fact that everyone will eventually have to grow up. While he is trying to go get Phoebe he is reminded this in the following quote. “I went down by a different staircase, and I saw another "Fuck you" on the wall.
He wants his life to be like the artifacts, never changing and conserved, but instead, every time he visits the museum, he would be “different” (135). Not only does Holden want his life to be the same, but he wants Phoebe’s life also to be consistent. As Holden was walking, he thought about “how she’d see the same stuff [he] used to see, and how she’d be different every time she saw it” (136). Holden believes that growing up would just change his and Phoebe’s life for the worst. He wants everything to be the way it is
He feels very protective of his little sister Phoebe because she reminds Holden of Allie since they are both younger than Holden and have red hair. For example, when visiting Phoebe’s school, Holden becomes infuriated by the profanity written on the wall and is concerned that other kids, including Phoebe, may see the writing (Salinger 221). Not only does Holden want to prevent other kids from growing up, he wants to keep his own innocence so he does not forget about Allie. Holden notes that “the best thing [about museums] was that everything always stayed right where it was… The only thing that would be different
Phoebe symbolises everything that Holden wishes to protect from the world, youth and innocence. He speaks fondly of her often, assuring his readers that “[they’d] like her” (67). At the end of the novel, Holden and Phoebe go for a walk and Holden suggests she ride on the carousel (210). Phoebe says she’s too big, but Holden convinces her otherwise and watches her, since he is definitely too big - another sign of how he is reluctantly growing up (211). After the ride is over and Phoebe goes to her brother again, it starts to rain and Phoebe takes Holden’s red hunting cap and places it on his head (212).
In the book The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr the author, H.W. Brands, takes and obvious stance in favor of Burr. In comparison to the first chapter of The Duel by Joseph Ellis, many differences in the authors’ opinions are apparent. Brands heavily favors Burr. It is completely clear in many instances of his writing in the book. The most evident tool used in Brands’ near-propaganda is his word choice.
Holden wishes that people could keep their good qualities by “sticking them into glass cases and leaving them alone.” (Chapter16). While he realises that this is just a fantasy, it does not stop him from wanting to protect the children from falling into the emotional and mental distress of personality changes that occur in the journey from childhood to adulthood. This ties into the
The beginning of Holden’s journey starts with the innocence and naivety of childhood. Childhood is the stage that ignorance is bliss with no care in the world. Holden goes to a prestigious boarding school for boys and he believes that everyone in that school is a phony in some way. Holden is an observant character as he stays in the background, but he can also cause the most trouble. Like a child, he asks many questions and he is very curious to the point that he can be annoying.
Holden tries to prevent the inevitable, but one must move on with their life, and that is, contributed to the loss of innocence. His hat keeps him safe from the societal horrors that steal one's innocence. So when he has finally comes to grips with the fact that he must become older, and make grown up decisions, he gives his hat to Phoebe when, she takes it out of his pocket and offers it to him, since it was raining, but he says “You can wear it awhile” (Salinger 233), he does this because he wants to protect her now and stop running away from his
A. Allie’s death causes Holden to become obsessed with death and this obsession makes him believe that growing up and becoming a “phonie” is like dying; this belief that is planted inside Holden’s head when Allie died is what sends him on a quest to preserve children’s innocence and save them from the “death” of growing up. B. Salinger includes the traumatic story of Allies death that happened years in advance to provide an explanation for Holden’s obsession with death and how he sees loss of innocence as equivalent to dying. Allie died with his innocence still intact, so Holden does not want other children to grow up and have their innocence “die”. C. Holden even admits to being mentally unstable after his brother’s traumatic death when he says, “I was only 13, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all
Holden’s Struggle To Find Himself: Throughout the novel, The Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden struggles to find himself and who he truly is in order to be happy. His struggles relate to many things that he does or say in particular. Holden lacks with a social status with women and his family, whether it’s a relationship or being antisocial. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield experiences the complexities and struggles involved with both physical and emotional relationships.
