Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Essay

In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the author takes us on a pilgrimage with Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old boy, difference in and out of many boarding schools. When he gets kicked out of Pencey the story begins. In fear of coming home to his parents, Holden takes a trip to New York which leaves him at the point of mental, physical, and emotional insanity. As the wise goes on his obsession with keeping children from losing their purity grows. The adult world seems fake, and Holden does non respect people who made the transition. In Gerald Rosens A retrospective enumerate At The Catcher In The Rye he explores Holdens connection to other characters in the book. He also analyzes the difficulties in ford over to the adult world. Holden qualms the cross over due to the fact that losing sensations innocence depart force champion to face truthfulness, and will at measure cause adults to f completely into a deeper hole.Holdens madness of keeping children from trans itioning to adult hood shows all throughout The Catcher in the Rye. Rosen explains that during the period of time Holden was in the museum he made it known that invariablyything perpetually stayed the same. The purpose of the glass cases acts as a defense against piteous, or tainting. similar the children in the museum, to shelter the innocent, the catcher must strictly refrain from touching he must just leave them alone (Rosen). This moment in the book compares the protected artifacts to the innocence of a child. He feels that if the children had someone to protect them from getting affected (touched) by the hard and cruel times in life they could hold onto their purity for as long as possible. Holden expresses the fact that he wishs ensure security and stability during these times in life.This point seems to be the first point in the novel where Holden shows a desire to keep children from corruption. Anyway, I keep picturing all these kids playacting some game in the big fi eld of rye and allWhat I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start going over the cliff (Salinger 173). Holden wants to catch the kids from their transition into an adult. He does not want them having to deal with losses they will have to overcome in life. He believes that going into adulthood marks the point where society shows its true face.Since Allie, Holden sidekicks, death he sees how reality twists and warps in sick ways. While move around the museum he sees profanity. I went down by a varied staircase, and I saw another discern You on the wall. I tried to rub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched on, with a prod or something. It wouldnt come off. Its hopeless, anyway. If you had a million days to do it in, you couldnt rub out even half of the Fuck You signs in the world. Its impossible (Salinger 173).When Holden see those words written on the wall he realizes that the youth has already gone through painting to corruption and cannot go backwa rds. Holden now understands his inability to save the children from falling, growing up.Since Holden has spent most of his time refraining other from going into adulthood, he did not see how much he himself has fallen. Holden has many similar qualities to a causation classmate, pile Castle. Holden is identified with Castle by Castles having killed himself part wearing Holdens sweater and by Castles look just before Holden on the roll call and school. This carries the implication that Holden maybe next in line for Castles death (Rosen). James Castles way of and to death influenced Holdens view of life. He suddenly became ostracized in society surrounded by a gang of phonies. Death was the start and end of Holdens loss of innocence.Holden never sincerely yours had an adult figure in life. His parents detached themselves from him, in times of his need. liveliness like he needed to communicate with someone he called his originator teacher, Mr. Antolini. Holden wants to catch children from falling, where as Mr. Antolini wants to save Holden from a rough way down. I have a feeling that youre falling, a terrible,terrible fall (Salinger 186).Mr. Antolini says this because ever since Allies death Holden has had a series of falls. Even though Allie was junior than Holden, he idolized him and thinks very highly of him. Mr. Antolini symbolizes Holdens loss of Allie, loneliness, and inability to posess self-esteem.Holden wants to provide insurance for children so they do not escort the reality of society and from falling into a deeper hole. Making sure he succeeds, he does everything to keep them from going over the edge. Holden grows up through the novel, and realized that losing ones innocence in is an unavoidable part of life. In this set of life one makes the most mistakes and learns from them. If one never went through experience necessary to grow into an adult, they would seem very nave and easily interpreted advantage of. People that have gone through the difficult crossing over want to protect children from the hard-ships.Works CitedRosen, Gerald. A Retrospective Look At The Catcher In The Rye. American Quarterly 457-462Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston Little, Brown, 1951.