Holden Caulfield Coming Of Age

Despite the great diversity among human beings, there are a variety universal experiences that all share. One such process is aging. This brings to mind the question: Does everyone experience aging in the same way? One way of exploring this is to look at one’s coming of age, compared to that of others. An enduring example of this comes in the form of J.D Salinger’s 1951 novel, the Catcher in the Rye. The novel’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is a teenager who many view as a symbol of adolescence. He has his own unique set of struggles, which include a fear of growing up, and the desire for acceptance and to connect with others. These issues, among others, have led to Holden’s story being an enduring example of a coming of age. Holden’s growth

can be seen in his realization that he can never become the “catcher in the rye,” finding self-acceptance through the help of his sister, and coming to terms with the inevitability of aging.
Holden feels that growing-up has taken his innocence, leading to a desire to become a protector of innocence, which he calls “the catcher in the rye;” as the text goes on, he realizes that this dream is unattainable.

This concept of the Catcher in the Rye comes from a fantasy of Holden’s where there are “…all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye…And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff… I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff” (Salinger 224). The cliff is often considered to be the edge of innocence, meaning that if the children were to fall they would lose their innocence. Although the field is imaginary, Holden acts to protect innocence in similar way in the real world. Holden is disgusted upon seeing “fuck you” written on the wall his younger sister’s school, believing that, in a way, it will serve to corrupt the innocence of the children there. This leads to him rubbing out the word only to find another carved into the wall. He wants to rub it off too, but he realizes “…It wouldn’t come off. It’s hopeless anyway. If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn’t rub out even half the ‘Fuck you’ signs in the world” (Salinger 262). This final statement that he cannot rub-out all the “fuck you signs” in the world is critical. In this moment Holden is accepting the reality of the world. He becomes aware that the children cannot be kept from the cliff forever. Eventually they will grow-up, leaving his field of rye just

as corrupt as the reality that Holden wants to escape.
Holden struggles with gaining the acceptance of others and often lies, creating other personas to mask his own, yet by the end of the novel he receives acceptance of his true self from his younger sister, Phoebe.

Holden loves Phoebe and thinks of her often, one such instance being where he buys her a record that he thinks she will like. Unfortunately, he drops this record before he can give it to her—shattering it. Holden explains this to her and is surprised by her response: “’Gimme the pieces,’ she said. ‘I’m saving them.’ She took them right out of my hand and then put them in the drawer…” (Salinger 212) One way to read this scene is to see the record as representative Holden, just as broken and damaged as he feels. By accepting the pieces, regardless of the fact they do not function, she is accepting Holden in his current state. This contrasts the way many others treat Holden. They are constantly reminding him of his inadequacies, trying to change him, saying he must apply himself in school and think about the future. Another object that is somewhat representative of Holden is a red hunting hat that he only wears when he thinks others will not see him. It seems to give him confidence, despite his being embarrassed by the look of the hat. In Holden’s final scene with Phoebe, he notes that she “…all of a sudden she gave me a kiss. Then she…reached in my coat pocket and took out my red hunting hat and put it on my head” (Salinger 274). Both the kiss and giving him the hat

demonstrate her love for Holden. The kiss is more the more obvious expression, yet the giving of hat holds more meaning. In placing the hat upon his head, she is letting him know that she accepts him with the hat, the way he is. She is telling him that it is okay to show his true self to the world, without being ashamed.
Holden’s desire to protect innocence and the fact that he associates innocence with youth manifest themselves in a fear of aging, leading to Holden eventually gaining = acceptance of his role as a soon-to-be adult, as-well as the aging of others by the novel’s end. One particularly influential scene is when he takes Phoebe to ride the carousel. As she is riding he notes that “All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she’d fall off the goddam horse, but I didn’t say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it…” (Salinger 273). If he was acting as a “catcher in the rye,” he probably would have attempted to protect the kids from falling, just he does with the children in his fantasy. Yet, he does not. He acknowledges that he has to let them learn, he cannot stop then just as he cannot rub out every “fuck you.” In the same way that he cannot stop aging. This is further exemplified in his standing by the parents as Phoebe rides. Just he tells her to ride the carousel on the account of his youth, he acknowledges that he cannot ride on account of his age. He is both accepting Phoebe’s role as a growing child, and his own impending adulthood.
Holden’s acceptance of these things is just a part of Holden’s coming of age, which further be seen in his realization that he can never become the “catcher in the rye,” and finding that acceptance. Although most would agree that not everyone experiences growing-up exactly the same. Most people do not become obsessed with innocence as Holden does, yet nearly everyone experiences some uncertainty, and even a little about the aging process. And, almost everyone will experience some doubt in their identity or fear of being rejected, similar to the fear that keeps Holden from wearing the red hunting hat. While, others will long for the blissful innocence of childhood from time-to-time. All of these feelings that a reader sees Holden experiencing are ones that they have probably felt as-well. This is what makes Holden so relatable and the Catcher in the Rye so enduring. It is something all can connect to and, perhaps helps one to feel less alone in their life experiences. Experiences which can, all-to-often feel isolating. In reading Holden’s story and watching how Holden changes, grows, and finds acceptance, one is reminded that they can as-well.