Catcher In The Rye Honesty

Catcher in the Rye is a well-known book written by J.D Salinger, set in the fifties. It is narrated by the main character Holden Caulfield. Holden is portrayed as a subjective, narcissistic, and emotionally unstable seventeen-year-old boy. The world is seen through his eyes; readers witness Holden’s down fall foreshadowed throughout the book. His brutally honest opinions of those around him are oddly interesting. He shows the kind of honesty that most people are too afraid to say aloud. His brutal honesty leaves readers to wonder what more wrong could he possibly say or do. Holden is a young boy who has trouble transitioning from childhood to adulthood because he has guilt for the unexpected death of is little brother Allie. After all these

Although he loves her and deep down wants Phoebe to come he respects her to ruin her future. He tells Phoebe that he will walk her back to school, of course she says no and they continue to argue back and forth. Until he makes her cry, he wants her to stay in school and be in the play as Benedict Arnold. It is interesting how Holden wants her to remain in school, but he can barely help himself in school, only passing one class. It appears he is punishing himself. While Holden shows respect women his love for children’s innocence is one of the biggest messages of all. Holden’s dream job is to be The Catcher in the Rye. He wants to catch the children who are beginning to fall (lose their innocence) with a baseball glove. This is symbolic for his little brother Allies baseball glove. It is his connection to his feelings that are reserved for only a few that he believes that he can trust. Holden holds the glove dear to his heart because it is the only thing left that he has with his brother. The way Holden wants to catch the other children from falling off the cliff is the same way he wishes that he could 've saved his brother. In a conversation with Phoebe Holden says," I know he 's dead… Just because somebody 's dead you don 't just stop liking them forgot sakes especially if they were about 1000 times nicer than the people you know that are alive and all." (Salinger 189). Holden’s dedications to saving others is all because of Allie. No matter how readers feel about Holden one cannot deny his love for children and his siblings. As a reader, it is hard to place yourself in the seat of a character that you find distasteful. In complete honesty readers, may find it hard to connect to Holden because one is very like him in different situations. This book shows that growing up can be difficult, but reachable, don’t be a phony, and that no one is ever completely