The attraction to these women is troubling to Holden because he is convinced that non-serious sex is wrong and he is disturbed with himself for being attracted to the women in the Lavender room and when he arranges a date with Sally. Through the book he is troubled because he repeatedly comments on the “stupidity” of Sally and the lack of attractiveness of other women. He also believes that he has to help children hold on to their innocence. He describes himself as the catcher in the rye who has to catch children from falling off of a hypothetical cliff that symbolizes the loss of innocence. He attempts to save the children and keep them in their innocence but he is never able to save all of them or even
Catcher in the Rye is the recounting of the weekend after the main character gets expelled for the umpteenth time from another uppity private school. The name of the main character, "Holden Caulfield," can be broken down in such a way that it reveals the character in question's tendency to hold onto and protect happier memories and childhood innocence from this big, unfair, scary game we call life, without realizing that he would be stunting the growth of those whom he is protecting. The character's first name, "Holden", can be interpreted as a pun for how he wants to "hold on" to better times. Throughout the story, Holden speaks fondly about his childhood summer memories, talking about when he used to play checkers with Jane Gallagher (p.17), or when he, his younger siblings, Phoebe and Allie, went to the park every Sunday (p. 37) to play, and often brushes the more serious moments he has experienced off, instead of going on a tangent like he usually does (p.21).
The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” was about the journey of a adolescent boy finding his way to adulthood. In the book Holden Caulfield was unsuccessful in finding his way to adulthood. Holden’s attitude in the novel throughout his journey was very immature. He also can't accept the fact that innocence can’t be forever protected. Lastly, Holden calls everyone a phony when in reality he is the real phony.
In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Holden Caulfield’s story is seemingly aimless and without any sense of direction. However, Salinger brings the novel into focus in the final chapters by introducing the idea of being the “Catcher in the Rye” from the poem by Robert Burns. Holden confesses to Phoebe his desire to be a “Catcher,” but the definition of this role is only given in a short exposition. A “Catcher in the Rye” can be defined unofficially as a person that is a savior of others and exhibits the qualities of control and bravery. The Catcher is meant to save people from going over the fictitious cliff that Holden imagines.
This connects to the theme of the story, which is that people should not force themselves to grow up when they are not ready yet. Throughout the novel, this theme is emphasized by Holden's love for the innocence of children. Overall, The Catcher in the Rye is an amazing novel to read, and very much deserves its position as a classic of American
This is most likely because Holden wants to continue living in the past when his brother was alive. Several occasions in the novel Holden expresses the feeling that he is responsible for protecting the innocence of children since he was unable to save Allie. The title of The Catcher in the Rye reflects this responsibility since when Holden is talking to his sister, he says, “I keep picturing all these little kids playing… And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff… I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff,” (Salinger 191). To Holden, falling of the cliff represents the shattering of a child’s innocence, and Holden feels like he has to stop children from growing up.
Salinger draws Holden into the idea of becoming a catcher in the rye, "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..." Salinger utilizes the poem and Holden's idea of a "catcher in the rye" to symbolize Holden's desire to protect kids from entering adulthood. This aspiration mimics that of Salinger's, who wished to preserve his generation's innocence after witnessing their
The passage of adolescence has long served as the central theme for many novels, but The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, has captured the energy of this period of life by dramatizing Holden Caulfield's somewhat obscene language and emotional reactions. The Catcher in the Rye deals with an intelligent yet confused teenage boy struggling to see the genuineness in society. During his experiences, Holden tends to use easy, natural, but controversial language to help get his point across in an effective manner. As a result, the themes and messages Salinger attempts to get across appear more natural and believable, as if one was talking to Holden himself.
“The Catcher in the Rye,” starts off with a sixteen year old boy, Holden, who has been expelled from prep school. Holden has three days to leave his school, but when he gets fed up with his friends he decides to leave the school early. After he leaves Pencey Prep School in Pennsylvania he decides to go back to New York. But, before he goes back home, he roams around New York City, for a few days, because he doesn't want to face his parents yet. When he gets to New York, he checks into a fancy hotel room, tries to get alcohol, and have an unsuccessful attempt to have sex.
The Catcher in the Rye is a story about loner Holden Caulfield who recounts his past few days where he was kicked out of school, left to visit New York, and shares his thoughts on almost everything in his everyday life, such as women and his dreams to be a catcher in the rye. First, to establish the shabby setting, Salinger uses similes. When Holden travels to his former teacher's home, he sidetracks from his original thought to complain about the bed he is sitting on. Salinger writes Holden thinking, "'It is. I was.
The Catcher in the Rye is often categorized as a coming of age novel and its title is directly related to Holden Caulfield 's longing to preserve the childlike innocence of those about whom he cares. Holden explains that he would be the “catcher in the rye,” saving children from falling off of a cliff—a
Salinger used many literary techniques in order to tell his story. The most prominent literary device is the allusion in the title. The title “The Catcher in the Rye” is an allusion to the poem, of the same name by Robert Burns and the first verse which Holden, upon hearing a little boy sing it, thinks is “if a body catch a body coming through the rye” (Salinger 117). This later on points to the theme of the novel and how Holden wants to be the Catcher in the Rye, preventing other children from falling down the cliff and facing adulthood. The second literary technique is the flashback.
Usually considered a controversial novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger can often express the feelings of being an outcast and the desire to find a meaning in the world. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the novel, though often complains of the phoniness of the world around him, has a way of creating a deeper meaning within the readers. While the truth may be that Salinger purposely set the story in such a way that the readers will be able to connect with Holden, not often do readers find it easy to do so. While Holden believes that everything around him are wicked and phony, there is part of him trying to protect the innocence of those not corrupted by such phoniness. Although Holden wants to protect and save the innocence of children, can he really do so if cannot protect himself and trust those around him.
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.
The struggle of adolescence combined with the themes of loss and isolation through one Holden Caulfield. This coming of age story of Holden in J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye is a famous all american masterpiece. Within the book, Salinger’s is known for his frequent and detailed use of symbolism from Holden’s hat representing his shield and childlike vulnerability to the ducks in Central Park as a reflection of his subconscious mind trying to get help. One famous symbolism is the small detail of Holden’s right hand, specifically his inability to make a fist gives a window into his character and reflects his current state of mind and his path to adulthood.
