Character Analysis Of Catcher In The Rye

What does someone do when he is falling apart but has no one he can trust to turn to? This is the scenario that a young, unstable Holden Caulfield must face throughout his journey of adolescence. In the novel The Catcher in The Rye by J. D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a sympathetic character. The novel is a bildungsroman, which shows that at first the protagonist may not assimilate well with the rest of society. Holden is a troubled teenager who cannot form relationships. As the novel begins, Holden fails out of school and travels to New York by himself. In New York, he has no regard for his health and ends up in situations that could harm him. Throughout the novel, Holden’s mental state continually gets worse until he must be institutionalized. Overall, Holden Caulfield deserves readers’ sympathy because he wants to help children, has no good relationships, and is not mentally unstable.

For example, near the end of the novel when Holden is talking with Phoebe, he describes his desire “to come out of somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all” (Salinger 172). This shows Holden’s want to “catch” or protect children. This brings Holden’s good qualities and compassion to the reader’s attention. Another example of Holden caring for children is in the middle of chapter 25 when he sees profanity on the wall, he describes, “I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell it meant” (Salinger 200). This is another example of Holden wanting to help children and keep them protected. This shows that Holden has good intentions and deserves readers’ compassion. In summary, Holden’s wish to keep children safe shows his good character and worthiness of