English Essay

Submitted By sarasontag
Words: 538
Pages: 3

In the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Holden Caulfield is a boy of rebellion, disrespecting authority, suffering from feelings of neglect and striving to keep the youth in young generations. Throughout the novel Holden figures out what he wants to be and what he aspires to do. He wants to be the “Catcher in the Rye.” By being the Catcher in the Rye Holden’s job is to save the children of the world that are in the rye that is their youth and innocence from falling over the edge of it into the adult world. Holden shows he want to protect when he sees a child isolated from his parents, when he buys Phoebe a record, and when he erases the foul language on the walls of Phoebe’s school. When Holden is walking down the street and he sees a little boy walking distanced from his parents close to the street singing to himself he sees a bit of himself in the young boy. Full of innocence and youth the boy walks alone. This is the moment Holden decides that he wants to be the “Catcher in the Rye.” He wants to conserve the childhood in the young generations while they still have a chance to. Holden had grown up too fast and tried too much to be mature that he missed out on his innocence. Holden holds a special bond with his sister Phoebe. She is, what Holden feels, the only one in his family that truly cares for him. Holden bought Phoebe a musical record to bring home for her when he returned for Christmas Break. This Little Sally Beans Record was a symbol of Phoebe’s youth. Holden bought it so his sister can always have a little piece of her childhood with her. This is another way the Holden tries to protect children and keep them young and preserve their simpler years. Holden Caulfield’s final way he displays his solicitous behavior towards children is when he tries to shelter