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If there were one word to tell what the theme of the book was it would be innocence. How we are all innocent at some point, how to try to keep our innocence, and how no one can keep their innocence forever. We all fall from our innocence. Adam and Eve fell from grace and innocence and set the tone for all of our lives. Throughout the whole book Holden is trying to make people keep their innocence and he wants to hold onto it himself. What he needs to learn and does learn through the course of the book is that no one can keep his or her innocence. We all fall at some point, but what we have control over is how hard we fall.
In the book there is a plethora of falling images. The very title is about Holden wanting to "catch" little kids from falling off a cliff. "What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff" I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.” (Pg. 173) Holden wants to save everyone and be a hero, when he needs to focus a lot more attention on his self. To him falling is when you loose your innocence, and when you loose your innocence you are a phony. He sees people that conform as phony, but to stay sane and prosper a person usually has to conform and be “phony.”
Mr. Antolini brings to our attentions another image of falling when he talks with Holden about his behavior. He tells Holden that Holden is due to fall. “This fall I think you’re riding for—it’s a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom.” (Pg. 187) Mr. Antolini brings to our attention the fact that Holden is going to “fall” or loose his innocence soon if he already hasn’t. During the book when Holden is going mad it sure seems like he keeps falling and falling but he can’t feel himself fall or hit bottom. He drinks constantly to escape the problems he has with his life. He tries to find people and things to make him happy, but he can’t anymore. Allie made him happy, but now Allie is dead.
Universal Theme Question: Why does Holden cling to the innocence of children, a theme in this book, so deeply?
This reveals Holden’s fantasy of an idealistic childhood and his role as the guardian of innocence. Preventing children from “going over the cliff” and losing their innocence is his way of vicariously protecting himself from growing up as well. Holden acknowledges that this is “crazy,” yet he cannot come up with a different lifestyle because he struggles to see the world for how it truly is, and fears not knowing what might happen next. Holden’s “catcher in the rye” fantasy reflects his innocence, his belief in a pure, uncorrupted youth, and his desire to protect it. This fantasy also represents his disconnection from reality, as he thinks he can stop the process of growing up, yet
He begins to own up to his mistakes and starts to build stable relationships with his peers. In a conversation with Phoebe Holden mentions that he wants to be a catcher in the rye, and save children from falling off the cliff. Being a catcher in the rye is a metaphor that represents Holden's dream of saving people and leaving a lasting mark on the world. “ I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy”(186). When we enter this point in the book we can really get a feel for how much Holden has matured as he has begun thinking about others and not just focusing on himself. Although Holden has progressed in his track towards maturity he still tends to sway away from maturity. Holden continues to impolitely disagree with others and argue his way to the top in order to achieve what he desires, “Daddy's going to kill you.” Phoebe suggests, then Holden comes right back and states “I don't give a damn if he does” (186). This example shows that Holden still has a fixed mindset on his ideas and doesn't allow for new thoughts to persuade him to change his opinions. This forces us to view him as immature as we do not see a man who is incapable of interchanging ideas with others and therefore unable to interact with his
Holden is afraid to leave his precious/innocent childhood behind and enter the corrupted, evil society adults and ha trouble accepting adults and society. Mr. Antolini basically is saying He’s falling down the rye, and still hasn’t hit rock bottom because he can’t fully understand adults and society. Everything doesn’t make sense to him, from adults being complete phonies to sex. He can’t understand adults which is why his transition from childhood and adulthood is very difficult and complex for him. His own actions and decisions often contradict itself due to, to opposing “worlds” of Holden. Childhood and
On page 187, Antolini begins to encourage Holden to get his act together, warning him that “The man falling isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling.” This is Antolini’s way of trying to save Holden from getting lost in his spiral, and by doing so, Mr. Antolini is in the rye, ready to catch Holden. Many would argue that this is an example of a fatherly act, but Antolini’s goal is to save Holden, rather than give him the constant care that a father does. This is to say that both Holden and Mr. Antolini wish to save, or “catch”, those who are going on a downward spiral because they both embody the catcher in the
Themes in literary works are central, recurring ideas or messages that allow us to understand more deeply about the characters. It is a perception about life or human nature that is often shared with the reader. In The Catcher in the Rye, there are several themes that can be found in the words and actions of the narrator, Holden Caulfield. The dominating theme in this novel is the preservation of innocence, especially of children. We can see this throughout the novel, as Holden strives to preserve innocence in himself and others.
Growing up and becoming mature can be an intimidating experience; it is difficult to let go of one’s childhood and embrace the adult world. For some people, this transition from youthfulness to maturity can be much more difficult than for others. These people often try to hold on to their childhood as long as they can. Unfortunately, life is not so simple. One cannot spend their entire life running from the responsibilities and hardships of adulthood because they will eventually have to accept the fact that they have a role in society that they must fulfill as a responsible, mature individual. The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger follows the endeavours of Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy who faces a point in his life where he must make the transition from childhood to adulthood. In an attempt to retain his own childhood, he begins hoping to stop other young children from growing up and losing their innocence as well. As indicated by the title, “The Catcher in the Rye” is a book that explores a theme involving the preservation of innocence, especially of children. It is a story about a boy who is far too hesitant to grow up, and feels the need to ensure that no one else around him has to grow up either. His own fear of maturity and growing up is what leads to Holden’s desire to become a “catcher in the rye” so he can save innocent children from becoming part of the “phoniness” of the adult world.
Another theme is how hard growing up is. Holden deals with the conflicts of intimacy, change and work
Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caufield’s interpretation of the world is extremely negative, emphasizing the presence of evil, primarily in the form of phoniness. This view of the world remains a constant, yet Holden later learns to compromise on his dream of being the catcher in the rye and aversion to all things deemed “phony”.
Protecting the innocence of young children is very important for parents and family members. [CC1] Parents do not want to see their children mature too fast, and want them to enjoy their childhood. In J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s desire to protect innocence results from his belief that the adult world is untruthful, further leading to an awareness of his shortcomings. Holden shows this want for protection of innocence in his hesitation to throw a snowball. He further shows his desire to protect the innocence of children by trying to erase the “fuck you” on the school wall. Lastly, Holden dreams of being the “catcher in the rye” in order to stop children from falling off the metaphorical cliff, into
Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye approves of Jay Gatsby but not of Lt. Henry because Henry admires Gatsby’s fundamental innocence, while despising Lt Henry because he thinks Lt. Henry is a phony. Holden evidently values innocence by the way he thinks of himself in terms of age, his personal security, the availability of childhood and his compassion for women.
Innocence is a word that can usually only be associated with children and teenagers. J. D. Salinger shows innocence through the main character, Holden, a 17 year old teenager who just got kicked out of another school, in his novel The Catcher in the Rye. Holden shows his innocence through how he wonders where the ducks go in the winter, his lack of sexual experience, and how he views the ‘f*** you’ written on the school’s wall.
Holden recognizes that he won't be able to protect all of these kids from the world they will eventually have to live, that, no matter what soon they will experience the real world for themselves without the protection of anybody. "The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them." (211) Throughout the novel Holden has slowly come to the conclusion that kids will not always be kids and theres no way to stop them from becoming adults. Even he is not able to escape the real world, even if he was to run away. Holden comes to the conclusion shortly before he returns home that he can't avoid becoming an adult and dealing with the real, corrupt, world. All children will have to go through this and theres no way to stop it. Kids will always fall off the cliff, because at some point innocence leaves them and at that moment they either fall into the real world or they stay stuck, like Holden, not wanting to belong in such a corrupt world, but not able to regain their innocence either. In each situation you end up in the harshness of the real world, where innocence is just an
The harshness of living independently in such an overwhelming environment is destructive to Holden’s innocence. If he had never been expelled from school than he could have maintained the remnants of his innocence in a safe and familiar environment. The loss of his brother combined with his expulsion from school causes damage to his innocence that he cannot repair. Holden is dismayed by his loss of innocence, and as outside factors push him farther into corruption his wishes to go back to when he was wholly
Antolini talks to Holden about school. After Holden tells him his beliefs, Mr. Antolini challenges him attempting to make Holden think about why his morals are what they are, however, this upsets Holden. Mr. Antolini then reveals he is afraid that Holden will “fall.” The “fall” Mr. Antolini is referring to parallels Holden’s dream of catching children who fall of the edge of a rye field. The specific “fall” Mr. Antolini is referring to, however, is the downgrade of Holden’s mental state. Mr. Antolini cares about Holden and wants to fill the gap in his life where his father was absent. He cares for Holden and wishes to protect and care for