...Catcher in the Rye, is a novel, about a young boy named Holden Caufield. Holden is a very splenetic and choleric character, who lost his brother at a young age. Which led Holden to really focus on gaining back his innocence. Although he was also very interested in protecting the children and saving their innocence. It seems as if Holden doesn't want these young innocent kids to go through what he has in his life at a young age. He doesn't want them to lose their innocence like he did. The main focus of Holden throughout the novel, is innocence and how he can get it back and save other children. Holden lost his innocence at a young age. Holden had a brother named Allie and he really looked up to Allie. Holden had a hard time when Allie...
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...the more they can lose sight of themselves. In The Cather in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield struggles with accepting his loss of innocence which leads towards his downfall. Holden is a struggling 16 year-old boy, trying to find his place in this world, clinging onto his innocence in urgent desperation. Over the span of three days, the novel follows Holden where he eventually accepts his loss of innocence, but not without going through many struggles along the way first. Through Salinger’s use of symbols, the reader is able to clearly identify Holden’s reluctance toward becoming an adult and surrendering his innocence. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, the author uses the Museum of Natural History, the erasing of profanity and the carousel to reveal that a person cannot avoid his or her loss of innocence. Holden visits his childhood spot, Museum of Natural History, symbolizing a world in which nothing has to change. While reflecting on his memories from the museum he realizes that the reason he loved it so much was because he could count on everything staying the same, “the best thing though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move…the only thing that would be different is you” (Salinger 121). Just like the thought of preserving innocence, Holden revels in the thought of everything staying exactly the same, forever. However, Holden knows he has become different, as he acknowledges in this quote. He realizes that he possesses...
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...by J.D Salinger which focuses on the reality of life through the eyes of a teenager who sees the world as a painful existence. The novel is written from the perspective of Holden who has been expelled from his fourth school. After a fight with his roommate, Holden leaves early to explore New York City alone. Holden battles with the reality of adulthood that has turn a different turn on his life. We get to this stage where we fear to grow up and see what will be coming for us next in the future. Salinger’s novel clearly displays the experience of being isolated from multiple activities which can lead to the theme of alienation, the creation of the character (Holden) and also the symbolism which can be unnoticed. Salinger tries to convey a message with his writing to also displaying human connection is a must. The theme of “The Catcher in the Rye” is alienation which connects to Holden (the protagonist)...
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...impact on Holden. She keeps him grounded in multiple ways. Jane prevents him from falling down a dark path. She makes Holden realize that people change and that it is impossible to keep them the same. Jane is a reminder of happiness and reality to Holden as he transforms himself throughout the novel, allowing him to maintain hope during this delicate time. Jane is a source of reality for Holden because as he hears more about her from others, he can see how she has changed. She establishes the idea that it is impossible for everyone to stay the same. Holden wants to keep Jane in a glass box; he does not like the idea of Jane growing up and losing her innocence. Shortly after Holden...
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...be over time or lost by an abrupt choice. In the two books Fahrenheit 451 and Catcher in the Rye both characters lose their innocence over time by the choices they make. Guy Montag the main character in F451 loses his innocence over time by collecting books without even knowing which is against the system he lives in. Holden Caulfield also loses his innocence over time by growing up into an adult and tries to save children’s innocence throughout the book. Even though ones loss of innocence can be made by an abrupt choice, ones loss of innocence in these two books is a gradual experience. The concept of innocence is one that is applied to childhood. Children, for example, are innocent because they have not been tainted by the idea that the world is not as it seems to be. But, as children grow up and mature fully into adults, the loss of this pure quality of innocence begins to be noticed in a person’s life. As this awareness comes forth, it shows that life is not always easy, it is complicated and there will be tough moral decisions that have to be made. Holden Caulfield the main character of Catcher in the Rye wants to preserve innocence so he dedicates his life to protecting childhood innocence. In Chapter two Mr. Spencer tells Holden, “Life is game that one plays according to the rules”. Holden does not believe that life is a game he believes that life is dictated by adults. These adults are phony and cruel and he does not want to follow their rules. Holden feels that by staying...
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...Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield expresses his love of innocence as he sees it in others, in numerous ways. He demonstrates this through the way he talks about others and the way he acts around them. We learn that Holden lost his own innocence at an early age after his “perverty” (193) encounter with Mr. Antolini. Because of this, he cherishes, and wants to protect innocence in others. This is really a reflection of his desire to be innocent himself. Allie is a paragon of innocence to Holden. I know he’s dead! Don’t you think I know that? I can still like him, though, can’t I? Just because somebody’s dead, you don’t just stop liking them, for God’s sake–especially if they were a thousand times nicer than the people you know that’re alive and all (171). Innocence is lost in adulthood. Since Allie never becomes an adult, he is for Holden the epitome of innocence, consequently, Holden’s love for him is very deep. Holden’s memories of Allie will always be of an innocent Allie. Holden says that he will not stop liking Allie just because he is dead. The other people he talks about are the adults that Holden sees around him. He does not like any of them because they are phony, and have lost their innocence. Mr. Spencer is one person in the book who definitely has lost his innocence, but Holden does not dislike him. Although Holden says he likes Mr. Spencer, he does imply that Mr. Spencer is a phony. There are other things about Mr. Spencer that Holden criticizes. “Grand...
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...Holden Caulfield, the protagonist from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, consistently struggles throughout the novel. He lost his younger brother, Allie, and his parents sent him away to boarding school. Now, Holden is sick and writes the novel from a type of hospital though it is unclear his full diagnosis. J.D. Salinger’s personality is seen periodically in Holden and the people he meets. Salinger and Caulfield have many similarities seen during Salinger’s life and the novel. J.D. Salinger’s experience coping with World War II is reflected through the PTSD Holden developed due to the lack of attention he received from his parents after the death of his brother Allie. Holden Caulfield shows signs of PTSD throughout the entirety of the...
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...By talking to holden, our team found some external and internal conflicts that impacted his life. Holden’s major internal conflict is that he is unable to deal with the death of his younger brother Allie. He told us that Holden slept in the garage on the night Allie died and broke all the windows in the garage. It showed that this event has haunted him severely and gave us idea that he might keep this anger and sadness inside himself for many years. Holden remembered every details about Allie such as left handed fielder’s mitt, poems and green ink, revealing he has some unresolved guilt about younger brother’s death. Holden mentioned “He was two years younger than I was, but he was 50 times as intelligent.” He expressed his love and respect toward Allie by explaining and complimenting Allie. Holden knows Allie’s good personality and ability. It made holden feel sorry that his parents lost their better son....
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...Holden Caulfield: Protector of Innocence The novel The Catcher in the Rye is a coming of age tale of a teenager’s journey into a mental breakdown. The main character, Holden Caulfield, sees the world as an extremely phony, cynical place that he wishes to escape from. As a result of this, he forms the idea that the only way to be free of the hypocrisy and cynicism of society is to maintain one’s childlike immaturity and innocence. Because of this idea, throughout the novel, Holden is trying desperately to hold on the shreds of innocence that he has left, all while trying to protect the innocence of those around him as well. Two minor characters mentioned in the novel that Holden tries to protect, Sunny and Phoebe, both display to the reader signs of developing maturity. Holden’s interactions with both Sunny and Phoebe provide prime examples of how even though Holden tries desperately to protect their innocence, growing up cannot be prevented. One of Holden’s most prominent traits throughout the novel is that he is has this urgent need to protect the people around him from losing their innocence like he did when his brother passed. Even though he constantly drinks, smokes, and curses, Holden’s main goal throughout the text is to make sure that innocence is maintained as long as possible before a person grows up and matures. “He struggles to preserve his own tenuous hold on youthful innocence-or as he sometimes puts it, ‘niceness’-and despairs when he finds that innocence lost...
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...Holden Caulfield can be analyzed through his thoughts, actions and circumstances which surround his everyday life. Holden acts like a careless teenager. Holden has been to several prep-schools, all of which he got kicked out of for failing classes. After being kicked out of the latest, Pency Prep, he went off to New York on his own. Holden seems to have a motivation problem which apparently affects his reasoning. The basis of his reasoning comes from his thoughts. Holden thinks the world is full of a bunch of phonies. All his toughs about people he meets are negative. The only good thoughts he has are about his sister Phoebe and his dead brother Alley. Holden, perhaps, wishes that everyone, including himself, should be like his brother and sister. That is to be intelligent, real and loving. Holden’s problem is with his heart. It was broken when his brother died. Now Holden goes around the world as his fake self, wearing his mask. Holden is looking for love, peace and understanding. He is scared to love because he is afraid he might lose it like he did with his brother. That is the reason for Holden's love of the museum, he feels safe because it never changes it always stays the same. Holden is troubled with the pain of death, it effects every aspect of his life causing him to not care about the future, himself or anyone, except Phoebe and Alley. The theme of alienation is demonstrated by Holden. He alienates himself from the world because he fears change and false people...
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...Early carousels of 19th century America were advertised as highly recommended by physicians as an aid in circulating the blood. This made the ride fun and beneficial for all ages. Carousels became extremely popular around this time, and although there were many around America, one of the most well known machines was in Holden Caulfield's, the protagonist in Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, hometown, New York. During the carousel scene, Holden ventures away from childhood to adulthood, and comes to many realizations about himself and others, especially acknowledging that becoming an adult is not a bad thing, but a new experience. Prior to the carousel scene Holden is lost, confused, and feels alone. Holden is walking down...
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...Catcher in The Rye Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in The Catcher in The Rye is a sixteen year old boy who is distressed between the corruptness of growing up, and the beauty of staying innocent. Holden can not withstand the thought of adulthood, he constantly emphasizes and intends to protect innocence in children. He fears that once a child loses their innocence they will become a “phony” like everyone else (Salinger 84). Holden tries to protect Jane Gallagher an old crush, Phoebe Caulfield his virtuous little sister, and all children who still have their innocence. Jane Gallagher is a not so beautiful girl that also happens to be Holden Caulfield's former crush. Jane Gallagher is...
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...A contributing factor for Holden to have these violent outbursts is that he is emotionally unstable. The possible disorder that can explain his emotions instability is Borderline Personality Disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD, is a serious mental disorder marked by a pattern of ongoing instability in moods, behavior, self-image, and functioning. According to the article, “What Is The Cause For The Emotionally Unstable Borderline Personality Disorder?" from TheBorderlineTreatment.com by Michael Weisz, a clinical psychologist and former BPD patient, address that BPD has three causes, but ultimately it’s “ the main aspect of these cognitions is that they stem from painful and invalidating experiences in the child-parent relationship...
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...imperialistic dogmatism. The majority of the story occurs within Holden and Ameera’s home in which Kipling employs poetic and romantic diction which lends itself to “sense of artificiality [that] often surfaces whenever they speak of the eternality of their love and the permanence of their happiness” (Dillingham 68). However, this artificiality is not a genuine flaw in the work, but indicative of the artificiality, or rather, unsustainability of Holden and Ameera’s relationship. Holden deviates from any imperialistic language within the house and speaks poetically: “‘I have seen fire-balloons by the hundred....
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...conversation with Horwitz, Holden thinks scientifically about the ducks in the Central Park lagoon. One can infer that Holden is smart after all even though he fails at four subjects at Pencey Prep. When Holden talks about the ducks in Central Park, he is actually saying a metaphor and comparing himself to the ducks. So, when he asks where the ducks would go when the lagoon freezes, since they can not swim, he is actually asking, where he would go if he lived in a place full of phonies and mean people. The answer for Holden is that he would not stay in a school of phonies, which could possibly explain why Holden deliberately failed four of his classes at Pencey Prep even though he is smart and can think scientifically. When Phoebe made Holden reveal what he liked in his life, the first things that came up to his mind were the nuns and James Castle, who was a student at Elkton Hills. This quotation shows something very unique about Holden because it is unusual that he only thinks of people. In addition, it shows that he only values exceptional individuals. But why does Holden only value a few remarkable individuals? Well, Holden only values those who are not phony, wealthy, or famous. This means that Holden knows only three valuable individuals at the top of his head, which are the two nuns and James Castle. Conclusively, the significance of the quotation is that it proves Holden does indeed care about some individuals....
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