In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield's innocence is taken away through a twisted chain of events. The novel opens up with Holden depresses after fluking out of Penecy, the suicide of a classmate, and the death of his brother, Allie. Because if these tragic events, Holden tries to preserve his innocence and the purity of the children around him. Holden wants to "catch" all of the naïve children who are falling off the cliff into adulthood. As a result of Holden coming across his sister Phoebe and the "fuck you" on the wall of the school, Holden's dreams of becoming the catcher in the rye disappear. He finally realizes that all children must fall into adulthood, just as he has.
While walking through the bust streets of New York, Holden notices a lighthearted little boy who is walking and humming "if a body catch a body coming through the rye" (43). Holden finds it humorous that the child can hum so nonchalantly as the cars on the bust street honk at......
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Approximate Word Count: 694
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |