Examples Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

Mack Marcy

Crane

Accelerated English 10

3 April 2023

Innocence Under Siege The United States Military protects America from world dangers occurring every day. However, problems arise that could disrupt the safety of citizens, so it is their responsibility to keep the people secure. J.D. Salinger is on the same type of mission, but he is protecting something else. Salinger’s mission is to preserve innocence in children. In the story Catcher in the Rye, author J.D. Salinger demonstrates that children should remain innocent for as long as possible through symbols, like the record Little Shirley Beans, in characters, for example, Holden Caulfield, and actions, like when Holden erases the explicit messages off of the wall. In the story, The Catcher in the Rye, Little Shirley Beans is used to demonstrate the fragility of innocence. The record is

Salinger shows his desire to keep innocence through Holden, who is the protector of innocence. Throughout the story, Holden is reminiscent of simpler times and finds joy in seeing people, like his sister and those boys in the museum, still having innocence. Holden explains that he wants to persevere innocence when describing his hypothetical dream job. He says, “[He would] just be the catcher in the rye and all” (Salinger 191) when answering Phoebe’s question about what he would like to be later in life. Holden is referencing the poem “If a Body Meet a Body Coming Through the Rye,” which Holden imagines is about tons of children running through a giant field of rye with no parental supervision. Holden’s job as “catcher in the rye” is to catch any kids that come too close to the edge of the cliff they are on. In saying this, Holden is referencing the idea of catching kids from falling off the cliff of losing their innocence. Holden’s biggest aspiration is to protect children from something he was robbed of in his childhood. This dream demonstrates Salinger’s desire to preserve children’s innocence for as long as