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Examples Of Phoebe's Behavior In Catcher In The Rye

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Holden’s Savior Holden Caulfield, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, is a troubled and confused sixteen-year-old in search of hope and a savior. His ten-year-old sister, Phoebe Caulfield, solves many of Holden’s problems at the end of the novel and helps him find his path in life. These siblings’ relationship helps Holden return to a better state of health. Phoebe plays a pivotal role in Holden’s mental recovery by acting as a parent, showing him he’s loved, and proving there’s still innocence in children. Due to their mother’s hysteria and father’s absence, Phoebe is forced to play a parental role in Holden’s confused life. Phoebe is the first person in the novel to fully listen to Holden’s problems. After Phoebe …show more content…

During her conversation with Holden in her bedroom, Phoebe tells him about a boy in her class and says, “Everytime I’m in the park, he follows me everywhere. He’s always following me. He gets on my nerves” (213), to which Holden replies, “He probably likes you” (213). Phoebe is still a child and can’t tell the difference between a boy liking her or annoying her. Holden hears this and obviously sees that this boy has a crush on her, but is slightly glad she doesn’t, because he wants her to stay innocent. Holden doesn’t want Phoebe to grow up and become confused about sex and relationships like he is. Holden also observes her carefree youth when he says, “I got back to Phoebe's room, old Phoebe’d turned on the radio. This dance music was coming out. She kills me” (227). Holden loves how Phoebe still acts like a child and dances to music. He is amused to see the spectacle of Phoebe in the middle of her bed, dancing along to the radio. He asks her to dance, she accepts, and this excites Holden because she isn’t too old to have a little fun. Joy isn’t the only emotion that Holden observes in Phoebe to reassure him of her innocence. He is comforted by her anger too. When Holden tells Phoebe she can’t run away with him, he notes, “Then she turned her back on me again. It nearly killed me, but I didn’t say anything” (269). Holden knows that when kids, especially Phoebe, have a temper tantrum, they react impulsively. Even though Holden is sad that he made Phoebe cry, he is comforted by her childish

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708 Words | 3 Pages

Holden and Phoebe are at a carrousel after having an argument with one another as Holden would not allow Phoebe to come along with him when Holden said he wanted to leave. Before this quote Holden was feeling miserable and quite irritated with life and wanted to withdraw from the society by going somewhere far away. However, because of Phoebe’s obstinate personality he agrees to stay and watch her go on the carousel. While watching Phoebe on the carousel he becomes happy just simply by watching her.

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652 Words | 3 Pages

Whenever Holden comments on other people, he calls them “phony” in order to distance himself emotionally and isolate his feelings. Even when talking about his sister Phoebe, with whom he holds the strongest emotional bond, he simply says she would “feel pretty bad if [Holden died]. She likes [Holden] a lot.” (173). In the instances Holden finds himself unable to insult a particular relationship to discourage himself from becoming attached,

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481 Words | 2 Pages

Holden view his sister as genuine and honest, not a “phony” like almost everyone else. When he arrives back in New York, one of his first thoughts is that he would like to call and speak with her. In the end of the novel, when Holden is getting ready to start his new life he decides he cannot leave without saying goodbye. Phoebe is the only character in the book who he actually cares about and sees no flaws in. He holds onto Phoebe so much because unlike everyone else surrounded by him, she still has her

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1074 Words | 5 Pages

“If you do something too good, then, after a while, if you don’t watch it, you start showing off. And then your not as good anymore.” (Salinger 140) Holden hates how phony adults are, and how they are all acting a part. He will always take a dislike to his own childhood experiences, but he does everything he can to protect others from experiencing bad moments. Holden never had the childhood he dreamed of, and he holds onto the hope that he can provide innocence for Phoebe.

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656 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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462 Words | 2 Pages

He is unable to embrace the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood because he is fixated on the innocence and purity of childhood. His interactions with Phoebe, his younger sister, demonstrate this. When Phoebe asks Holden "you know what I'd like to be? I mean if I had my goddamn choice?", he starts to talk about being "the catcher in the rye" (173). He sees himself as the protector of childhood innocence, Holden also imagines scenarios showing his resistance to adult responsibilities and challenges.

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324 Words | 2 Pages

In her article “Teaching Against Culturalist Essentialism”, Judith Goode’s main argument for me is that culture and race are not the same and that it should not be interchanged with each other because culture is a process and is influenced by many factors and it changes over time. Goode emphasized that culture differs from one region to another. It differs from the dominant understanding of multiculturalism as being “white or black” or being “Asian or Hispanic” and so on and so forth. Her views differ from the view of “whites” being a superior or dominant culture. She explained that people who have light skinned or “white” can come from different parts of the world and may have different culture from that of the other.

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2021 Words | 9 Pages

He feels very protective of his little sister Phoebe because she reminds Holden of Allie since they are both younger than Holden and have red hair. For example, when visiting Phoebe’s school, Holden becomes infuriated by the profanity written on the wall and is concerned that other kids, including Phoebe, may see the writing (Salinger 221). Not only does Holden want to prevent other kids from growing up, he wants to keep his own innocence so he does not forget about Allie. Holden notes that “the best thing [about museums] was that everything always stayed right where it was… The only thing that would be different

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1365 Words | 6 Pages

Phoebe symbolises everything that Holden wishes to protect from the world, youth and innocence. He speaks fondly of her often, assuring his readers that “[they’d] like her” (67). At the end of the novel, Holden and Phoebe go for a walk and Holden suggests she ride on the carousel (210). Phoebe says she’s too big, but Holden convinces her otherwise and watches her, since he is definitely too big - another sign of how he is reluctantly growing up (211). After the ride is over and Phoebe goes to her brother again, it starts to rain and Phoebe takes Holden’s red hunting cap and places it on his head (212).

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1142 Words | 5 Pages

Phoebe is a child and she is innocent. Holden wants to keep Phoebe innocent because his older brother prostituted himself to Hollywood, the place full of phonies. Holden does not want children to lose their innocence so soon, but he realizes that he cannot save them

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931 Words | 4 Pages

As a small child, the chances are still against her, but since Phoebe desires to play it, Holden figures he should allow her. The force pushing Phoebe to become older and Holden to become an adult, is inevitable. This realization makes Holden cry. But rather being tears

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664 Words | 3 Pages

Part of the reason Holden does not call his sister, Phoebe, is due to his “parents being the ones that answered the phone” (77). Holden finds protection in avoiding talking to anybody, which results in isolation. This event contributes to plot development as after refusing to call anybody, Holden continues to make excuses for things he should be doing, but does not. With each of Holden’s excuses, new adventures arrive, thus thickening and developing the

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1378 Words | 6 Pages

The only motivator that Holden has to continue living is his younger sister, Phoebe, who is extraordinarily intelligent for her age. After he gets kicked out of Pencey, Holden is lost in life. He speaks to many people, seeking advice and comfort, but they are not able to help him find a human connection. Holden’s depression increases throughout the novel, almost to the point of suicide. He criticizes many people and ideas, labeling them as ‘phony’.

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1268 Words | 6 Pages

“ you have to go back to school, you want to be in this play, no I want to stay here, no you don't you're going back to school”(269). This is sort of contradictory to holden earlier in the novel, because he left school and now he is telling phoebe to go back to school. This shows a reformation from earlier in the novel, because he wants what’s best for phoebe not that he wants to see her but wants her to have a better life. In the carousel scene holden wants to help phoebe not fall off but comes to the realization that she is going to grow up hence when he says if they fall let them fall. Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye and now he wants to let them fall....

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871 Words | 4 Pages

While many argue that Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye does not deviate from the traditional anti-hero attributes and, therefore, does not display any prominent change, an argument can be made to the contrary. Holden Caulfield goes through some noticeable character development and is in a better place emotionally at the end of the book because he speaks with Phoebe. His meeting with Phoebe and Phoebe’s message to him shows him a youth’s perspective on his world, rather than the superficial sincerity of his elderly professor and his favorite teacher that makes advances on him. Additionally, him being able to successfully communicate with a member of his own family puts him in a better place. His time with her lets him see his own self-image of a “catcher in the rye.”

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