Analysis of The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

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In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield struggles to avoid "falling down" into the corrupt adult world. Holden views adulthood as a dishonest world while children are blameless and sincere. Corrupted with this mindset, he wants to act as the "catcher in the rye", to "catch" innocent children before they "fall" down the path of adulthood. In Holden's attempt to do so, he realizes that everyone must eventually take the "fall", even himself.
Holden's biggest error is his misconception that all children should not grow up. He considers adults as phonies while children are honest and pure. When Holden talks about his older brother D.B., he says "Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute"(2). Despite D.B. becoming a successful Hollywood writer, Holden views D.B. as a "sell-out" who writes purely to make money; therefore, Holden groups him up with the other adult phonies that inhabit his life. But, when Holden talks about his deceased brother Allie, Holden describes that "he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest, in lots of way...

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