The Catcher in the Rye In J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the narrator's statements and actions contribute to an understanding of the themes through many different ways. Holden goes through a lot in the novel and gives off many messages about life and people. Three themes where about isolation, phoniness, and innocence. Isolation is one of the themes that get shown through Holden’s actions in the novel. For example he says "People never notice anything". Throughout the novel what Holden does is that he uses the word people a lot including in the quote to separate himself from others. He doesn’t like to be thought of as being like other people. If anything he feels like the world is against him. He desires independence and is trying to find his …show more content…
He's having a conversation with his sister and she asks him what he plans to do with his life and he respond with "I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all." this quote here shows a lot about how holden feels about childhood and that he will play the role as the protecter of their inocence. He doesnt want to accept the reality and prefers to live in his own world where adults arent superficial and hypocritical. He can not come up with anything better to live by than his fantasy of being the catcher in the rye and reflects his innocence in the uncorupted youth, and all he wishes to do is protect that spirit. I see where he comes from though because its hard to accept the real world and have to grow up leaving behind that purness. Its something holden didnt want to loose and protet others who might be in danger of loosing it
Holden Caulfield faces a dilemma throughout “The Catcher in the Rye”. Holden wants to protect his innocence as a child. As he leaves Pencey Prep; venturing off into the vast city of new york, he tries to get somebody to listen to him and meaningfully respond to his fears about becoming an adult. Holden has grown six inches in the past year and one side of his head is full of grey hair, both symbols of the inevitability of the progression of time towards adulthood and its disappearance of innocence. He is so obsessed with protecting his innocence he can't even through a snowball at a car because, “it looks so nice and white.
Literature has always relied on techniques to catch the reader’s attention and format the story, and “the Catcher in the Rye” is no exception. Salinger brought many different writing styles into his novel to make it a bestseller. With his knowledge, Salinger was able to depict the persona of Holden to the reader without directly stating his characteristics. Salinger proves Holden is a lonesome figure who wanted to fit in but struggles to be accepted. The Catcher in the Rye depicts Holden as one who struggles with his sexuality and adulthood and wants to save children from adulthood because of the difficulties that it has brought himself. Salinger greatly expresses Holden through the use of metaphor, imagery, symbolism,
When Phoebe asks Holden what he likes, he replies by saying, "I thought it was 'If a body catch a body,'" I said. "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around—nobody big, I mean—except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy." (Salinger 173). The top of the cliff symbolizes the innocent child life, but below the cliff symbolizes the adult world of phoniness. Holden wants to catch the children before the run off into the phony adult world. In conclusion, Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye” as he wants to catch children’s innocence before they fall into the phony adult
Holden has very noble goals, he wants to protect children’s innocence. He says to his little sister “‘Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I’m standing on the edge of
Holden then realizes that he wants to help preserve children’s innocence before they go out in to a corrupt world. He wants to become a catcher in the rye, and catch children before they go off the “cliff”, as he did. “ What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.”(P173) Holden can be compared to peter pan in the
Holden has numerous distinct attributes pertaining to both childhood and adulthood. His transition from growing and relational life, to an uncontrolled spiritual realm, this stresses him. He has instances of introspection that helps him encompass a realization for his own livelihood. When he shares with his sister Phoebe what he would sincerely like to do with his life he says “I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all.” (Salinger 173) That quote reveals the reasoning for the title of the book because Holden wants nothing more than to protect the innocence of children.
Societal pressure effect any who allow them to because everyone wants to be accepted by the masses. Holden does not try to be accepted, he does not feel societal coerce because he does not like society as a whole. “I had her glued to her seat. You take somebody’s mother, all they want hear about is what a hot-shot their son is.” (Salinger 33). In the quote, the reader can tell that Holden lacks a compassion for those around him. Throughout the entire book Holden constant puts down the people around him, the only people does not seem to have qualms with are child, particularly his younger siblings. Holden at no time in the book does not have an issue with the adult he was currently talking to. Not to mention, he likes to make himself sound mysterious and dark, but he’s not, he’s a rich impertinent little kid who was not given enough attention as a child. In fact, the fact that Holden does not show any pressure from society shows that he himself is so detached from actual society that he knows little about authentic life. The only inkling of factual societal pressure he shows that he faces is having to lie about enjoying one’s company, which to be honest is the low bar on the social ladder if a bar at all. He has no grasp on reality because he reduced his reality to the minimalist percentage possible due to him focusing in on the one
Holden is talking about protecting the children so they will not experience the cruelty of the adult world. If he catches the children before they fall, he will preserve their innocence and keep them from the cruelties of the adult world. Holden’s only desire and goal in life is to be the catcher in the rye because is the only job that is appealing to him where he can shows his love and protection for childhood innocence, “That’s all I’d do all day. I‘d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be” (173).
The quote above taken from Chapter 23 of Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" depicts a conversation between Holden and his younger sister Phoebe after he sneaks into his parents apartment. It shows how Holden, the narrator doesn't want to grow up to be a part of the phony adult world. Instead he wants to "just be the catcher in the rye." Holden would just "have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff" which symbolically makes him a protector of the innocence of children before they have to grow up and join the adult world by taking that leap off the edge of the cliff. Through his longing tone while talking about the rye the reader sees the reluctance Holden carries with himself to grow up and get a real job among the adults that he
In J. D Salinger 's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden, goes through many hardships in his journey to self-knowledge. In the beginning, Holden has to deal with being kicked out of school and not having any place to call home. He is also struggling with the unfortunate tragedy of the death of his beloved younger brother Allie. At the same time, Holden is trying to deal with growing up and accepting the adult world. Throughout the novel Salinger addresses the conflicts faced by a young man struggling with the trials and tribulations of growing up while also confronting personal loss and loneliness along the way.
Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger, incorporates numerous themes. However, the two most important themes throughout the book were innocence and loneliness. Holden’s innocence is constantly changing as he matures throughout the story. Furthermore, Holden has to deal with the effects of embarking on his journey throughout the story with loneliness. Salinger’s message during the 1940’s shows how American society and the growth of the teenage boy remains the same throughout
To begin with, in J.D Salinger’s book The Catcher in the Rye, Holden portrays as a character that
One might argue that Holden’s actions is driven by his wish of becoming a “catcher in the rye.” Some of these behaviors are his love for children because of their innocence, his wish to act like a child or start to grow up, and his attitude towards adults. He tends to call people who are older than him phony because he feels people try too hard to conform to society. This fantasy of becoming a “catcher in the rye” began when he saw a little kid singing a song called, ‘Comin’ Thro the Rye’ in the street. At the end of his journey he is not a catcher, but rather the one who got caught.
He wants to shelter kids from progressing into the phony adult world. He says in the novel how he wants to be the “catcher in the rye.” The catcher’s job is to catch kids before they fall over a cliff into the phony adult world of time and death. This is used on the cover of the book for the title. He is scared of time and death because he was traumatized by his younger brother Allie’s death from leukemia. You see this when Holden still holds his brothers baseball glove close to his heart. Remembering the days Allie was still alive and well. Part of Holden’s collapse is due to his inability to come to terms with his death. He is also upset by the profanity written on Phoebe’s school and how it threatens the innocence of the
The author from The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger utilizes motifs loneliness and depression to show how Holden a teenager from the book explains the struggles he had during the great depression. J.D. Salinger uses the motifs of loneliness and depression to illustrate the theme that when people feel lonely they try to connect with people to get rid of it.