Holden Caulfield Honesty

While life may offer an abundance of opportunities, love and happiness amongst those, it does not offer the opportunity to last forever. Through his emotional roller coaster across Manhattan, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, refuses this and insists on obtaining something that is impossible. He is unable to understand or conform to the phoniness of adulthood and is stuck in the past. Through overcoming the death of his younger brother and holding on to feelings for a childhood friend, Holden is desperately clinging on to every ounce of innocence he has left. While speaking to his younger sister, Phoebe, he admits he wants to stand in a field of rye where children play and catch them as they near the edge of a cliff.

This is a metaphor for preventing children from transitioning into adulthood. Holden wants to save them before they tumble off the cliff and into the abyss of phoniness, or adulthood, and preserve their innocence. In other words he wants to be the Catcher in the Rye. As heartbreaking as it is, Holden can never be the catcher in the rye and innocence cannot be preserved.
In The Praises and Criticisms of J.D.

Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ Eric Lomazoff argues that Holden Caulfield is merely “a good guy stuck in a bad world.” Holden values honesty and stability, often admitting how much he dislikes change. Already being an incredibly emotional person, the added pressure to let go of his innocence and transition into the adult world, which favors suspense and lies, is nearly too much for Holden to handle. Lomazoff explains further that although Holden tries to make the best of his situation, it is ultimately a losing battle. “It is a testament and decent spirit that Holden would place the safety and well-being of children as a goal in his lifetime.” says Lomazoff, which reinforces that Holden is sympathetic character that has high moral value, but is possibly incapable of pulling himself out of a dismal

situation.
Carl F.

Strauch explores the topic of Holden Caulfield’s childhood crush, Jane Gallagher in a study titled Kings in the Back Row: Meaning Through Structure. A reading of Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.” When Holden discovers that Stradlater, his “sexy bastard” roommate is going on a date with Jane, he is made uneasy by this to say the least. Danger becomes eminent as Holden comments that he “nearly dropped dead” or “went right on smoking like a madman.” According to Strauch’s interpretation Stradlater has “violated a symbol of innocence” in Holden’s world by going out with Jane. While Stradlater is getting ready to go out, Holden recalls how Jane would keep her kings in the back row as they played checkers when they were children. Perhaps overlooked at first, Holden recalling something as specific as Jane keeping her kings in the back row holds volumes of meaning. Holden later requests Stradlater to ask Jane if she still keeps her kings in the back row. Strauch believes this to be “The symbolism of this imagery, portraying defense against sexual attack…” Strauch also elaborates on Holden’s intentions with this request, arguing he meant to send a secret message to Jane, warning her of the sexual advances that Stradlater may make. Strauch states that this gesture could indicate, “…that Holden is unconsciously preparing for his subsequent role as a catcher in the

rye.”
Throughout the novel Holden refers to Allie, his younger brother, who although is deceased also happens to be his closest friend. From Holden’s perspective Allie escaped the transition to adult hood and according to Susan K. Mitchell in an essay entitled To Tell You the Truth “Allie represents immunity from the dangers of society.” Being as Allie is dead, he has managed to escape the grasps of a society that forces children to trade their innocence for the corruption of adulthood. Mitchell explains that Allie is Holden’s ally. Holden wants to follow Allie’s footsteps and simply disappear from the spurious society he lives in. In Holden’s eyes Allie has become a fragment of the catcher that he wants so desperately to embody. Essentially, Allie is frozen in a time where he is a child, innocent and pure forever; he will never be tainted by the fraudulent ways of reality and the adult world.
In the same essay Mitchell also examines Holden’s younger sister Phoebe, who bears a name similar to Phoebus, or Apollo, the god of poetry. “As pure as Holden makes Phoebe appear, she has wisdom that belies her years,” states Mitchell. While reading the chapters of the novel where Holden is visiting Phoebe we realize she is very perceptive, perhaps a bit too perceptive for a ten-year-old. Mitchell provides evidence of Phoebe’s wisdom, such as seeing straight through Holden’s “façade of well-being” and requesting him to identify something he likes. Ultimately Holden realizes he doesn’t like anything. When Phoebe’s mother smells smoke in her room Phoebe is quick to cover up and say that it was her who took just one puff when in reality it was Holden. Again, when her mother complains of a headache Phoebe quickly prescribes a few aspirins. Mitchell questions “Does Phoebe’s covert wisdom support Holden’s premise that society is corrupt?” Mitchell suggests that Holden’s thesis is flawed. Holden wants to proclaim and preserve the innocence of children, however, as we can see “not all is as easily categorized as it appears” and perhaps not all children are as innocent as they appear.
Holden Caulfield wants to preserve the innocence of children from the corruption of the adult world; a desire stemming from his fear and distaste of ‘phonies’. As endearing and charming as this may be, it is impossible. Innocence cannot be preserved, as childhood only consumes a small amount of a lifetime. Holden also assumes that all children are innocent; this is a flawed theory. After examining his quick witted ten-year-old sister Phoebe, we realize that some children may not be as innocent as we think.