The Innocence of Childhood in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

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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.
To begin with, Holden’s love for the innocence and purity of childhood makes him very hesitant to transition into an adult life. Generally, he finds children to be straightforward, easygoing, and simply pure in every way. This is because they always say what they mean, and never try to set a false façade for...

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... childhood. Additionally, his concern with the way that things are constantly changing also communicates his wish to simply freeze everything and keep it the way it is. That way, neither he nor any other child would have to go through the pain of growing up. Despite all of Holden’s thoughts about preventing “loss of innocence” and change, he is helpless in the end because change is inevitable and everyone has to grow up and play their part in life, whether they want to or not. Becoming an adult, no matter how hard it may be for an individual, is an important part of their life cycle. All in all, the preservation of innocence is a noteworthy cause, but is not a completely realistic one because it is not within the grasp of humans to change the way in which their minds develop.

Works Cited

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.

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