Catcher In The Rye

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Catcher in the Rye Essay
Holden wanted to be the catcher in the rye. Holden wanted to catch children before they fell off the cliff and realized how the world really is, the world is disappointing. He wanted to keep children innocent and pure. There are several quotes and examples to support this in Catcher in the Rye like when the kid was singing in the park of Radio City, the school scene, Allie’s death and Holden’s rage over Allie’s death.
Allie’s death helps make Holden’s decision about wanting to be a catcher in the rye. Holden wished he could have caught Allie before he fell off the cliff and died. Holden wanted to save Allie to catch him before it was too late. The night of Allie’s funeral Holden smashed every window in his garage with his fists. Holden tried smashing the windows on the car but his fists were too badly injured to do it. Holden went to the hospital bleeding during Allie’s funeral. Holden did not attend his brother’s funeral, so that he would not have to completely let go of Allie.
Holden was changed so much by his brother’s death, Allie’s death. Holden often talks to himself, like Allie was still right next to him, thinking he is having a conversation with Allie. This shows Holden has unresolved issues of Allie’s death, that he has not gotten over it yet. Holden never goes to Allie’s grave, to see his tombstone. Thinking that if he never goes to see him, Allie death would never have really taken place in Holden’s mind, kind of like hear no evil, see no evil.
Holden watches Phoebe ride on the carousel, turning and turning on it, and thinks "so damn happy all of a sudden". "This recreates the pattern of the catcher in the rye story" writes Malcolm Bradbury. Holden, the protective, watcher observes Phoebe’s happiness of childhood.
Holden realizes that children are born innocent. Much like Adam and Eve in the Bible, both were innocent until coaxed into eating the fruit of knowledge from the tree by the snake of evil, in the Garden of Eden. God told them not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge but Adam and Eve wanted to be as smart as God. To punish Adam and Eve, God made the fruit get stuck in their throats and give them sin. After that Adam and Eve started wearing clothes because they were no longer innocent.

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