Examples Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, is a widely known book known that many people would consider to be one of the greatest books of all time. This book is considered to be a ‘great’ book because of the many hidden meanings, or messages written by the author. Many people connect to the main character in this story, Holden. Holden is very depressed with his life which some readers can connect with and how he considers the people around him are phony which more people connect with as well. A major theme, that is connected to the title of the story, is how Holden is dealing with growing up. The Catcher in the Rye shows growing up through Holden wanting to protect children from any suffering, he does not want to let go of his childhood, and

In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s outlook in life is either the innocence of childhood or the cruelty of adulthood. He believes that the innocence of childhood is very valuable and it should be protected from

JD. Salinger’s 1951 book, The Catcher in the Rye, shows us how society treated their confused and changing teenagers during their transition into adulthood. The book’s main character Holden Caulfield is being pressured into growing up even though he doesn’t feel ready, to lead an adult life. He is still struggling socially and mourning for his deceased brother whose death turned Holden upside down and into a negative, hopeless person from a young age, which causes him to be distracted, indifferent and to flunk every school he goes to.

J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye is widely recognized as one of the most self-destructive novels ever written. The novel’s protagonist Holden Caulfield is known for his anti-social behavior and his self-loathing, self-isolating character in the book. Holden’s traits could widely be compared to Napoleon Dynamite the protagonist of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite directed by Jared Hess. Napoleon is characterized by his clichéd “school nerd” behavior and of course his own self-isolating habit just like Holden. Like Holden, Napoleon tries to put down people to isolate him from others. But even though Holden and Napoleon are alike on how they assume the traits of the people they meet,

Growing up is a complicated and emotional phase that everyone has to experience. Our innocence is like a mask that blinds us from perceiving life as it really is. As we grow up, we lose our sense of innocence and begin to see the world differently. In the book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy who fears maturity for himself and the children around him. The theme of innocence is found throughout the novel, as Holden struggles to protect the innocence of children from the superficiality and shallowness of the adult world.

Although many critics argue Holden is an outcast, in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye Holden’s journey of isolation and defiance of adulthood is something many readers can relate to.

Allie’s death caused Holden to fear and hate change, as it made him associate change with sadness and loss. He loves the museum because inside the museum, nothing ever changed and “everything always stayed right where it was” (121). However, the world is not like a museum. He refuses to accept this because to him, change is a monster, and believes “certain things should stay the way they are” (122). When things don’t stay the way they are, Holden completely loses his mind.

In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden is a teenager with unique and resolute opinions. He is very stubborn and gets kicked out of multiple schools, winding up back in New York City chasing his younger sister. The novel captures the essence of his character and perspective, which focuses on alienation and adolescence. Holden expresses fear in losing memories of his older brother, Allie, which explains his anxiety facing adulthood. Holden tends to isolate himself because he believes if he gets close to someone or loves someone like he did Allie, he or she will leave.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a story about mind-shattering change and the heart-stuttering transition from being a carefree teenager to a full-blown adult. The main character, Holden Caulfield, struggles across a mental and emotional chasm left by the conflict between recklessness and accountability. To cope with these warring ideas, Holden deems himself ‘the Catcher in the Rye’, a protector of childhood and everything it represents. He faces conflict with this alter-ego when it comes to making choices between solving a problem with a childish mentality or an adult mentality. Ultimately, the catcher in the rye represents the preservation of innocence, running away from fears of the future, and the rejection of adulthood.

Throughout the course of human history one fact has not changed and that is all people are different and face challenges and troubles. Literature is an easy way to share and better comprehend one’s problems. In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is a 16 year old boy who is struggling with the change from being a child to being an adult and confronting the unavoidable loss of one’s innocence. Holden is a unique character and his problem is a major theme throughout the story represented through multiple characters, his actions, and even a song and an object.

Salinger uses several settings throughout the novel to demonstrate Holden's his fear of adulthood. This is apparent when Salinger introduces The Museum of Natural History, "The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd moved." Salinger displays Holden's admiration for this museum due to it's unchanging artifacts. This affection for the exhibits, helped establish his character by symbolizing his desire to retain his

The Catcher in the Rye, a novel written by J. D. Salinger is a story about a unique yet troubled boy named Holden Caulfield. Salinger masterfully depicts the story’s protagonist as a well rounded character who feels the full range of emotions. Holden is consumed by the desire to live in a world where he can play the hero and surround himself with love and acceptance. Holden’s need for love and belonging, however, creates an irony because it provokes an intense aversion to society that pushes Holden further away from achieving a sense of belonging.

A big theme in Catcher in the Rye is the loss and preservation of innocence, Holden feels he has a duty to protect and save young children from the “horrors” of the world. Holden hates adults, because he sees all adults as phonies. Holden has an attachment to children because he sees them as people who have not become phonies yet but are potential ones. Holden though, has lost his innocence, he has become exactly what he does not want kids to become. Through Catcher in the Rye and through Holden, J.D Salinger is trying to teach his readers that one cannot and should not try to save others from loss of innocence when many of us, like Holden fail to save ourselves.

One of the purist times in a person’s life is childhood, during this time life is easy and often romanticized. As a person grows older the innocence and naivety of childhood begins to fade into a hardness caused by the harsh realties of adulthood. Though the transition from childhood is hard, one most remember not to rush into adulthood savor your innocence . In Catcher In the Rye , by J.D. Salinger the main character Holden Caulfield is in the transitional stage, he finds it hard for him to grow-up and act like an adult. So instead of rushing in to adulthood, he finds slowing down the process and acting less adult like is better for him. Holden finds mature adult like subjects and qualities phony, but finds innocent child like subjects

“Is The Catcher in the Rye, as a work of literature still relevant for today’s youth?”