ipl-logo

Theme Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

1290 Words6 Pages

The Importance of Innocence The book “Catcher in the Rye” contains the intentions and deeds performed by Holden Caulfield to conserve the irreproachability of others in order to protect them from the turmoil/mayhem they witness daily. Likewise, just like the title shows, the prime theme of “Catcher in the Rye” is the conservation of innocence and purity of youngsters. The story about man who is trying to preserve all the innocence, but literally he is trying to save all the kids from falling off the cliff. One of the major theme of “Catcher in the Rye” is innocence, and this is expressed in the following motifs: snow, games/sports, and childhood. Snow is a symbol in which is used throughout the book in order to illustrate the theme of innocence. When holden was keeping the snow with him, it's like he’s trying to preserve his childhood/innocence. This …show more content…

After growing up we go through a lot of ups and downs, and sometimes we lose everything we have, then we think we can just get everything back however sometimes that is not the case. Sometimes we lose the people in our lives which is the hardest thing to get back, if we lose money we can always earn more however when it comes to people it is harder because putting someone's heart together after breaking it is harder than putting our life back together. Another case when we feel lonely is when someone very close to us dies, just like when Holden lost allie at a very young age. After losing our people that is when we start to feel lonely because after they felt now we are all alone and that is when our vulnerable side comes out. At that point we realise what we have lost and we know that we are all alone and that vulnerability possess innocence because that's when we lose all our ego and that's when the kid inside you comes out, the kid that just wants your

Show More
Related

Holden's Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

707 Words | 3 Pages

In Holden’s fictional rye field, a child falling off the dangerous cliff represents a child losing their innocence. Since he knows firsthand how terrible it is to be corrupted by the world, his life is consumed with sheltering others from that same fate. This fixation has become so all-encompassing that when Phoebe asks what he will spend his life doing, the only thing that comes to Holden’s mind is a symbolic representation of guarding children’s purity. When he later visits Phoebe’s elementary school, he tells the reader, “I saw... ‘Fuck you’ on the wall. I tried to rub it off...

Read More

How Does Holden Lose Innocence

1145 Words | 5 Pages

In The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger through the character Holden show the readers that at one point, everyone has to go through the journey of innocence. Holden is a seventeen year old teenager who loses his innocence along with the death of his endearing brother and draws a conclusion that losing innocence is harmful. His own journey of innocence consists of him losing innocence, then trying to protect others from losing innocence, and finally realizing that losing innocence is not damaging as he imagined it to be. Therefore, through his journey, J. D. Salinger proves that although losing innocence is damaging and can break a person, it is not as damaging as trying to protect one’s innocence because it is unrealistic.

Read More

Catcher In The Rye Innocence Quotes

1236 Words | 5 Pages

Innocence is defined as a "lack of corruption". This definition is what the character Holden in The Catcher in the Rye believes is the way all children should be and live. In the novel, the loss of innocence is a major concern. Holden, who wants to be "the catcher in the rye", serves as a metaphor for entering adult life. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger conveys that innocence must be protected at all costs through relationships, unrealistic expectations, and the fear of change.

Read More

Catcher In The Rye: Holden And The Innocence Of Children

201 Words | 1 Pages

He wants to be able to preserve some things in the glass. Holden wants the innocence of children to be frozen behind that glass. When he visits Phoebe's school to give her a note Holden notices two instances

Read More

The Theme Of Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

356 Words | 2 Pages

Kade Hudson Pereira P. 4 04/18/17 CITR essay Innocence is the state, quality, or fact of being innocent of a crime or offense. In the catcher in the rye, by J.D. Salinger, the novel depicts a young adolescent boy who struggles with innocence and the purity of that innocence. The story is narrated by the very same teen, Holden Caulfield. Throughout the story, Holden is perceived by the reader that he has a certain edgy attitude towards life and adulthood and the loss of innocence that follows. He makes sure to make one point clear through his entire journey and that is that Holden is and assumes his position in the world is to be ¨The Catcher in the Rye¨, a protector of innocence.

Read More

Catcher In The Rye Loss Of Innocence Essay

550 Words | 3 Pages

Anatole France once said, “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t living.” In The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is about the main protagonist, Holden, who experiences a mental crisis while voyaging in New York. Holden tries to search for something real while avoiding all the phoniness he is surrounded by. He fears growing up and changing, but later learns you must accept it.

Read More

Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

360 Words | 2 Pages

The end of my innocence. Many could say that “Catcher in the Rye” by Holden Caulfield's can be depressing, but I choose to see the world in Holden Caulfield's eyes. The loss of innocence is something that happens in every single human beings lives. It can happen when you experience your first death of a loved one, it can happen when you first lie to your parents, even when you take your first hit of a joint. I first lost my innocence when I was 14, in Grade 8.

Read More

Holden's Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

1668 Words | 7 Pages

The phrase “it’s not a phase” just might have met its maker after this novel. Holden Caulfield, a “suave” sixteen year old rebel, is in the awkward, isolating limbo between childhood and full-fledged adulthood, and this divergence opens his eyes to the flaws of society with the perspective of an adult and the honest distress of a child. He was once an innocent child- most likely a boy similar to his beloved “catcher in the rye” tyke running alongside the streets with reckless abandon and “just singing for the hell of it” (p. 115). This fleeting chapter of life called “childhood” contains no boundaries, no mental illness, and all of the courage to dream of making one's’ mark on the world. However, the term “growing up” is often synonymous with

Read More

Theme Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

1851 Words | 8 Pages

As the title emphasizes, the theme that dominates throughout the novel is the protection of innocence. Holden is obsessed with the innocence of children in particular and this highlights his struggle against growing into adulthood. Innocence, in Holden’s eyes, is the experience of childhood without the intrusion of the adult world. He feels that a child’s innocence is the good qualities that he/she possesses as a child.

Read More

How Does Holden Present The Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

1076 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger uses the main character Holden Caulfield to portray the loss of innocence. Holden is a teenage boy who struggles with adulthood and the innocence of being a child. Through Holden's experiences, Salinger shows that the loss of innocence can be painful and difficult, but it is also necessary for personal growth and maturity. Holden's journey towards loss of innocence is shown by several events, such as his expulsion from Pencey Prep School and his roams in New York City. Holden's expulsion from Pencey is a turning point in the novel, as it marks the beginning of his realization that he can no longer hold on to the innocence of childhood.

Read More

Coming Of Age Theme In Catcher In The Rye

1571 Words | 7 Pages

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

Read More

Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

715 Words | 3 Pages

Holden tries to prevent the inevitable, but one must move on with their life, and that is, contributed to the loss of innocence. His hat keeps him safe from the societal horrors that steal one's innocence. So when he has finally comes to grips with the fact that he must become older, and make grown up decisions, he gives his hat to Phoebe when, she takes it out of his pocket and offers it to him, since it was raining, but he says “You can wear it awhile” (Salinger 233), he does this because he wants to protect her now and stop running away from his

Read More

Theme Of Maturity In Catcher In The Rye

837 Words | 4 Pages

In The Catcher in the Rye, the author J.D. Salinger, introduces the protagonist; Holden Caulfield. Holden feels the sense that he cannot choose between the two worlds. For example, he makes it seem as both of them are complete opposites from each other. In the book, Holden wants to keep his innocence, but he also wants to grow up and toss that innocence away. He still keeps his childhood personality by constantly obsessing over things that shouldn’t matter.

Read More

Holden's Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

1230 Words | 5 Pages

A. Allie’s death causes Holden to become obsessed with death and this obsession makes him believe that growing up and becoming a “phonie” is like dying; this belief that is planted inside Holden’s head when Allie died is what sends him on a quest to preserve children’s innocence and save them from the “death” of growing up. B. Salinger includes the traumatic story of Allies death that happened years in advance to provide an explanation for Holden’s obsession with death and how he sees loss of innocence as equivalent to dying. Allie died with his innocence still intact, so Holden does not want other children to grow up and have their innocence “die”. C. Holden even admits to being mentally unstable after his brother’s traumatic death when he says, “I was only 13, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all

Read More

Catcher In The Rye Loneliness Analysis

1305 Words | 6 Pages

Loneliness is a state many have experienced, but it is scarcely felt to the point of insanity and utter hopelessness. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield’s loneliness is a self-defense mechanism from socializing with others, making it the greatest source of his pain. Though his loneliness is caused by uncontrollable external forces, it is only overcome by his own choice of introspection. Initially, Holden did not chose to be lonely.

Read More

More about Theme Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

Related Topics

Open Document