Holden Caulfield Corruption

The Catcher in the Rye: Corruption of Innocence
In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, a bewildered teenager, struggles to accept the idea of growing up. Holden is fixated on childhood and he refuses to accept the responsibilities attached to growing up because Holden is uncomfortable and apprehensive about losing his innocence. Holden is afraid of losing his childhood memories, which include memories of his younger brother Allie, who passed away. The story begins with Holden’s expulsion from Pency Prep. He then decides to utilize his expulsion and take an early Christmas Vacation in New York City. Holden encounters peculiar people and places, which exposes his views and thoughts on life and growing up. Salinger

uses checkers, profanity, and the carrousel to demonstrate a part of growing up involves losing innocence.
The game of checkers symbolizes youth and simplicity; it represents the fragility of childhood and how most people tend to protect their innocence. Holden describes a childhood memory about Jane to Stradlater before their date. He asks, “Did she tell you we used to play checkers all the time or anything” (Salinger 37). Holden and Jane both try to remain young and preserve their innocence. Chess can be considered the mature version of checkers because it is a complex game that requires strategy beyond the next move. Adults, while children who do not yet understand the complex concepts, typically play checkers, rather than chess. Holden and Jane play checkers instead of chess because they are young and child-like. Playing checkers represents youthfulness and immaturity; this demonstrates their attempt to avoid transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Holden and Jane’s relationship was childish, innocent, and effortless, just as checkers is. Holden proceeds to describe how Jane would play checkers, “What she’d do when she’d get a king, she wouldn’t move it. She’d just leave it in the back row. Then she’d never use them”(36). When playing checkers, it is important to move your kings in order to create movement, challenge, and have a productive game. Holden’s statement represents childhood. In childhood, you must be productive and hardworking in order to have a successful future. People must be able to cope with the transition of childhood to adulthood in a healthy way, and it is important to allow innocence to be present for a certain extent of time. Jane is afraid of departing from her innocence and progressing into the adult world. She remains guarded and doesn’t allow herself to grow and mature, which explains her reasoning for not moving her kings. Holden offers a reason as to why Jane may be so reserved; Jane has an unhealthy and borderline abusive relationship with her stepfather. “She made out like she was concentrating on her next move in the game and all. Then all of the sudden, this tear plopped down on the checkerboard, one of the red squares” (88). The checkerboard symbolizes innocence, and when Jane’s tear plops down onto the red square, it demonstrates that although she may protect her innocence, she will eventually be corrupted. She chooses to not take her baby steps into maturity during a confrontation with her father by remaining silent, instead of speaking up and protecting herself. The checkers symbolize the denial and protection that occurs as a result of a loss of innocence.
The profanity symbolizes corruption is inevitable, no matter how much someone attempts to shield his or herself.

For example, written on the walls of Phoebe’s elementary school walls, he thinks to himself, “It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them” (221). As a result of Allie’s death, Holden was forced to grow up faster than he would have liked to. He is disturbed that the children will involuntarily be corrupted, and have their innocence seized from them, without their approval. He is appalled anyone would write profanity in public, for his ultimate goal is to preserve innocence and “catch” children from falling into a phony adult world. Holden is dismayed, “You can’t even find a place that’s nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you’re not looking, somebody’d sneak up and write ‘F*** you’ right under your nose”(224). Holden is coming to the realization it is impossible to grow up without being corrupted of innocence because of the abundance of cruelty in the world. He was compelled to lose his innocence at a young age and he now understands other children are faced with the same issue. Holden is further disturbed when he, “tried to rub it off with [his] hand again, but this time it was scratched on [...] it wouldn’t come off. It’s hopeless anyway. If you had a million years to do it, you couldn’t run it out even if you had years to do it, you couldn’t rub out half of the ‘F*** You’ signs in the world. It’s impossible” (222). This reveals how Holden does not have the power to save others from being corrupted. He unsuccessfully tries to scratch off the writing, and his failure represents ones inability to escape the negativity of adulthood and maturity. The profanity symbolizes Holden’s dislikes of

society.
The carrousel symbolizes the cycle of life. It symbolizes how everyone is going to grow up and lose his or her innocence. Holden notices at the carrousel, “there were few kids riding on it, mostly very little kids, and a few parents were waiting around outside, sitting on little benches and all” (231). The carrousel is full of innocence because uncorrupted children occupy it. The parents and peers sitting nearby symbolize that growing up and losing innocence is an easier challenge to tackle with support in an impervious environment. For the first time in the novel, Holden, “Felt so damn happy all of the sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all” (232). Holden starts to realize Phoebe’s innocence will soon be gone, just as his disappeared. Holden takes the steps of becoming an adult in small doses, but began the process in a damaging environment. Holden knows Phoebe will grow up in a safe, controlled place, and he can support her throughout her transition. Holden acknowledges that, “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” (232). The gold ring on the carrousel represents adulthood, and the carrousel itself represents that children will follow the cycle of life until they reach adulthood, and with each revolution, one will become closer and closer to becoming an adult. He now understands he cannot intervene in Phoebe’s process, but can only support her. The carrousel symbolizes how Holden finally accepts his loss of innocence, and he is also prepared to aid Phoebe conquer any obstacles or hardships she encounters on her journey to adulthood.
Holden came to the conclusion that life must move forward, meaning Holden is unable to hold on to adolescence forever. It is a completely normal desire to old on to childhood innocence and memories. Everyone needs to eventually realize that the loss of innocence, though is can be somber and challenging, is inevitable and can be looked at as a positive aspect of life and growing up.