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Catcher In The Rye Innocence Essay

643 Words3 Pages

In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the ongoing tension between maturity and innocence helps show the simultaneous presence of youth’s purity and adulthood’s corruption in Holden’s mind. In his bildungsroman, Salinger illustrates the all necessary struggle of adolescence that strives to balance purity and corruption as Holden comes to terms with the indefinite nature growing up. In Holden 's eyes, very few people in his life are “worthy” of his respect. One example of the innocent and pure and those who receive respect from Holden are nuns. When Holden encounters most people he makes up lies and doesn 't enjoy talking to them, but with nuns it’s different, “I said I’d enjoyed talking to them a lot, too, I meant it too” (146). Holden gives the nuns money and highly respects them. You can …show more content…

To Holden, children are the greatest symbol of purity, a purity that he wants to preserve before they “fall off the cliff” of adulthood. Holden is fixated on the idea of being a savior. This tendency has most likely developed after the death of his younger brother Allie who will be forever fixed in a state of childhood. It is no wonder Holden sees himself as a savior of children, or simply the catcher in the rye, “I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody...that 's the only thing I’d really like to be” (224). Holden believes his purpose is to save those who are pure and innocent before they can mature. These lines reveal the unattainable goal Holden has set for himself. Unlike his peers who may strive to become teachers or doctors, Holden describes a path in which in reality he can never pursue. In fact, his whole scheme for his future is based on a misinterpretation of a popular song. He does not understand the process of growth and

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This mentality is constantly expressed in all aspects of his life. When Holden’s sister Phoebe asks what he wants to be, he answers, “You know that song ‘If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye?’... I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. What I have to do, I have to catch anybody if they start to go over the cliff... I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be” (Salinger 174).

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In both Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Catcher in the Rye, loss of innocence and youth is a main theme. But which portrayed it better? Was it The Catcher in the Rye with the teenage protagonist Holden Caulfield, who spends three days drinking, partying, and being reckless, or was it Something Wicked This Way Comes, where the two thirteen-year old protagonists Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway fight an evil, magic carnival that comes to their town and go through traumatic events that lead them to the brink of death? The Catcher in the Rye shows the loss of innocence and youth far better than Something Wicked This Way Comes because even though Something Wicked This Way Comes explores the themes of death and evil in depth, it also explores magic which is so unrealistic that it detaches the

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In J.D. Salinger's bestselling novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield shows a sense of maturity that exceeds far beyond his peers when it comes to sexual relationships with girls. First, Holden becomes furious when he learns that Stradlater exclusively wants his childhood crush Jane for sexual endeavors. Second, Holden forfeits his big chance with Sunny and attempts to unsuccessfully build a healthy relationship with her instead. Third, Holden reflects on his treatment of girls, showing a more refined mindset when compared to other teenagers. Although Holden dislikes the transition from childhood to adulthood, he exhibits qualities of a mature grownup without even knowing it.

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“I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in thins big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids and nobodys around- nobodys big, I mean –except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff … I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them…I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all.” Through this vision that he has Holden exhibits that he wants to be a guardian for kids and watch over them so that they don’t fall in other words so they don’t loose their innocence.

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Holden wants to protect people’s innocence which cause to reflect about his innocence time and how they have changed. When Holden was younger he would visit the Museum of Natural History almost every Saturday. The charter Holden believed “the best thing, though in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was,” (Salinger 135). Holden thinks about this because he realizes that people and himself are always changing, but things around him necessarily aren’t changing. When people start to change, their innocence will slowly go away because they are growing up.

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As much as adults try to ensure a child maintains their innocence, it is nearly impossible. Though bitter, this harsh truth is demonstrated in J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Despite the fact Holden, the main character, has made numerous attempts to protect his little sister Phoebe's innocence, he has been unsuccessful. Phoebe is a mature young girl that is able to understand the struggles of the world. Moreover, Phoebe can see right through Holden.

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And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff--I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them,” (Salinger 224-225). Holden finds comfort in this fantasy because he is saving children from having to encounter adult life. Holden cannot figure out adult relationships and wants to protect childhood relationships because these are the

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In the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger depicts the immature mentality of typical teenagers through Holden’s childish curiosity. Teens experience

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Growing and developing into an adult is a difficult process that everyone has to go through in life but each individual takes it differently. Many authors tackle this idea in writings but few convey it properly. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, the author, J.D. Salinger, talks about the concept of maturing into an adult and leaving your childhood causing loss of innocence along the journey. To begin talking about the theme of growing up in the novel, we shall first look at an important setting of the story and what it tells us about Holden coming of age. Starting, we look at the location our main character’s takes his little sister to.

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What Are Holden's Struggles In Catcher In The Rye

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This means that he wants to protect children from the nasty adult world, and to protect their innocence. " What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they 're running and they don 't look where they 're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That 's all I 'd do all day. I 'd just be the catcher in the rye and all " (p.156).From this quote you can see, this is what his purpose is. Due to alienating himself, he finds out that he want to help kids and protect them because they are the only real people in the world according to Holden.

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Holden struggles with growing up and facing reality. There are many examples of Holden’s immaturity that are displayed in many forms such as facing responsibilities, his speech, his actions, and etc. Holden’s outlook on adult life is that it is superficial and brimming with phonies, but childhood was all about looking pleasing and innocent. He wants everything to stay the same and for time to stop. As Holden progresses in age, he will discover more about becoming mature in the

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1230 Words | 5 Pages

Holden’s unusual fantasy metaphorically displays this desire to save children’s innocence on his quest, and literally displays his obsession with death and preventing it, as being the catcher in the rye would accomplish both goals. F. Literary Critics also note that Holden’s catcher in the rye job is a dream of his that he pretends to be a reality to hide the fact that he secretly knows that he is unable to save the innocence of all children. G. Authors James E. Miller jr, and Arthur Heiserman explicitly state that, “Holden delights in circles – a comforting bounded figure which yet connotes hopelessness” (Miller, Heiserman 496). H. The “comforting bounded figure” is Holden’s catcher fantasy that he literally uses to comfort himself against the reality he refuses to believe because it “connotes hopelessness” and he is still too innocent and naïve to accept that. I. Holden possesses this dream as a weak attempt to save the innocence of children and to avoid a hopeless reality of defeat he has yet to accept.

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662 Words | 3 Pages

As people grow up, sometimes they lose their innocence and become affected by the change that adulthood brings. There is a point in time between the stages of childhood and adulthood where a child loses his or hers innocence. In JD Salinger's’ Catcher in the Rye, a troubled teenager named Holden Caulfield struggles with the fact that everyone has to grow up. The book gets its title from Holden’s constant concern with the loss of innocence. He does not want children to grow up because he believes adults are corrupt.

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2081 Words | 9 Pages

In this novel, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is the narrator that goes through a variety of problems. He has dilemmas, but meets/reconnects with people on his quest of life. This novel is more than just a simple story about a protagonist and his life events. This novel follows the structure of bildungsroman. There are four parts to it- character’s growth in social structure, a form of loss, process of maturity, and if the character ends in a new place of society.

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