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Little Shirley Beans

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The Narrative in this paragraph (Holden Caulfield) is trying to get a record called “Little Shirley Beans” for his younger sister Phoebe. The record is written by a colored girl, named Estelle Fletcher, who sings Dixieland. Holden admires the fact that Estelle Fletcher is colored and that if a white girl was to sing it, she would make it sound cute and mushy. That is why Holden is giving it to Phoebe as a gift. The record “Little Shirley Beans” is important to the narrator because it is Holden’s existence of innocence. In the passage from the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the narrator is walking through the park and listening to a family after church and to also prove his innocence to the world when he buys Phoebe a record …show more content…

He thinks it will knock old Phoebe out because she is the type of person that enjoys funny music and also appreciates good music like Holden. Holden came into New York after several years and felt depressed because he had just been kicked out of Pencey Prep School. Holden had found out about the record at Pencey Prep. He met someone who lived on the next floor who had the record. As soon as he heard it he knew old Phoebe would love it. He thought it was one of the best records he had ever heard and believed no else in the world could sing it as well as Estelle. This record symbolizes Holden’s belief of innocence. He loves the facts that it is sung buy a colored girl and she doesn’t sing it with a cute girly voice. Holden believes the voice is not a phony, he thinks phonies are a representation of …show more content…

He had to find a record store in New York. So that Sunday he walked toward Broadway hoping to find the record. “they charged me…[him] five bucks for it” (116). Holden didn’t care, because he comes from a wealthy family that gives him a lot of spending money. But for Holden it wasn’t about the money, he wanted to buy the record because he knew Phoebe would love it and it would numb the pain of having to tell his parents that he got kicked out of Pencey. After he bought the record all of the sudden he felt very happy. He felt happy because he wanted to show his innocence to

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One line from this song is “we get what we deserve”. This applies to Holden because everytime he gets kicked out of a school he plays the victim, but it is his own fault for not applying himself and doing the work to pass the

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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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In Chapter 9-14 Holden Caulfield leaves Penecy Prep and heads to New York City. Where he will stay for a couple days before winter vacation starts and he will head home. Delaying breaking the news to his family he got kicked out of school for as long as possible. These chapters are where Holden’s loneliness becomes abundantly clear. The reader is subjected to many long rants by Holden about the company he wants, though he attempts to settle several times.

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Holden believes at this point that he can save everybody and control everybody to keep their innocence, but he does not realize that is not how the world works. He does eventually realize this when Phoebe rides the carousel and reaches for the gold ring. Holden was afraid that, “she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off they fall off”(232).

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Holden is sixteen years old and picking up a destructive habit could eventually cause a disorder in his life. Perhaps, this is a reason that Holden was in a rest home before. According to beyondblue.org, the

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”(pg.212) The last sentence when Phoebe tells Holden that he can keep his hat for a while is saying that she is allowing him to not grow up for now. And that is what kills him because she just granted him or welcomed him back in safe haven. And Holden does have the option to leave and grow up he just doesn’t want just like the boy from the museum. “Can’t he talk?”

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Although others may say that Holden was successful on his journey, saying that he grew up he. Holden showed lots of immaturity throughout the novel and was the biggest phony of all.. Holden’s attitude throughout the novel was very immature and made constant poor decisions. While he was still at Pencey he put in no effort and had the attitude that nothing mattered. As he moves on from Pencey and goes to New York, he shows no care for anything as he blows lots of his money and doesn’t even take care of himself. He doesn’t clean himself up or get any sleep because of his attitude towards life.

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In an attempt to pass time after his breakfast, Holden has the idea to stroll around the city. He visits broadway to purchase a record for Phoebe, he eventually chooses a vivacious record with a unique and brash sound. Holden believes that Phoebe is special and wants to showcase his beliefs to her by giving her a record with music that corresponds with her individualism. Consequently, Holden’s mind begins to meander for a while when he starts to admire Phoebe’s maturity and intelligence. It is only until he overhears a young boy in the middle of the street singing “If a body catch a body coming through the rye” (Salinger 115), that Holden is brought back to reality.

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In The Catcher in the Rye, that decision is when Holden decides to have Phoebe meet him at lunch during her school day. This decision sets up the story for the climax, which happens directly after that. If he did not choose to meet with Phoebe, he would have probably gone through with his crazy plan to hitchhike out west to California. As a result of this choice, Phoebe causes Holden to have an epiphany about the fact that he should not be worrying about trying to grow up super fast and do things he is not ready for. This signifies the end of his emotional hardships, which can be observed through the quote “I was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth” (Salinger

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Everyone is born innocent, but for one reason or another, people lose it. It’s an inevitable fact that everyone has to grow up, which Holden Caulfield learns throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. One can’t stop or prevent someone from growing up because through life experience innocence gets lost. In this novel there is, the loss of innocence, Holden trying to prevent the loss of innocence, as well as the acceptance that it is all a part of life.

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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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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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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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By, Holden has been able to change and will be able to change even more in the future. Phoebe was Holden’s push in the right direction. By directly asking, “name one thing [that you like]” (220), she is forcing him to think about changing his ways. While just thinking about change may not seem like a lot, it’s a lot more than he’s done already. While Spencer, Antolini, and Phoebe all give him virtually the same advice, he only listens to Phoebe.

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