FEATURED ESSAYS 1. THe Catcher In The Rye: Summary 2. Catcher In The Rye: Holden's Love... 3. Catcher In The Rye 5 4. Catcher In The Rye 5 5. The Catcher In The Rye: Holden; A... 6. The Catcher In The Rye: Holden Wa... 7. Catcher In The Rye: Holden Caufie... 8. Catcher In The Rye: Holden Goes ... 9. Catcher In The Rye - Fall Of Inno... 10. The Catcher In The Rye: Connectio... 11. The Catcher In The Rye: Connectio... 12. Jerome David Salinger, Born In 13. Catcher In The Ryes Holden Cau 14. Catcher In The Ryes Holden Cau

Catcher in the Rye:  Holden Goes Through a Fall From His Innocence

Jerome David Salinger, born in New York City on January 1, 1919, may not
have written many novels in which he is recognized for. Although ,he did
write one novel, which brought him fame.  In many of Salinger's short
stories and especially his most well-known novel he writes about how the
main character falls from his or her own innocence then rises to face their
challenges.  In J.D. Salinger's , Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield goes
through a fall from his innocence throughout his journey to his safe haven,
home.

One example of when Holden fell from his own innocence is when he is in the
room with Phoebe and he can't name anything he likes. Holden reacts to this
question by saying, "Boy, she was depressing me"(Salinger 169).   The only
three things he can name that he liked were Allie, James Castle, and
sitting there chewing the fat with Phoebe.  The reason this is a time when
Holden falls is because he gets really depressed when he can barely think
of anything he liked.  The reason I think Holden gets so depressed is
because two of the people he names are dead.  That's why he is so lonely
all the time.  Holden finds things in common with Allie and James Castle
and since they're both dead he feels, in the back of his mind,  that he
should also be dead which makes him depressed.

Another example of a fall for Holden is when he realizes he can't erase
even half the "fuck you's" in the world.  This doesn't sound very important,
but it is symbolic because he realizes that he can not be the catcher in
the rye.  His dream of shielding all the innocent children from society's
harsh elements has been ruined by this one statement.  Now because of this
realization he comes to the conclusion that he can not shield everybody,
not even half of everybody.  An example of  Holden trying to be the catcher
in the rye is when Holden first sees the "fuck you" on the wall.  Holden
said,

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- all cockeyed, naturally what it
meant, and how they'd think about it even worry about it for a couple of
days.  I kept wanting to kill whoever'd written it.(Salinger 201)

Holden's final fall comes when he is in the Egyptian Tomb in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art.  When Holden is deep within the Egyptian Tomb
he feels he is in a safe and sanitary place free from society's cruel
components until he sees the "fuck you" on the wall.  When he sees this he
starts to think about committing suicide because he feels like living is
just a waste.   During this time he spent in the tomb he decides on life or
death.  After going unconscious for a couple of minutes he decides to live
because, "Death thus becomes not a gesture of defiance but of
surrender"(Miller 17).  Once Holden wakes up he feels better and
symbolically chooses life.  This is when Holden begins to rise. When Phoebe
is on the carousel Holden wants to protect her but restrains himself, "The
thing is 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
its bad to say anything to them"(Miller 17-18)When Holden says this his
dreams of being catcher in the rye vanish.  He realizes that all children
must fall, like he himself did.

In conclusion, The Catcher in the Rye is a story of a boy falling from
innocence to enter adulthood.  An example of J.D. Salinger using symbolism
to show Holden's Holding on to his childhood is in his name, Holden(Hold
On).  This is referring to Holden not wanting to enter society and all it's
phonies.  Today, when somebody holds on to their innocence they are often
considered outcasts; and in the persons mind everyone who considers him
this, is a phony, like how Holden saw everyone.

After Holden Caulfield returns to his native New York and rents a room in a
sleazy hotel, he makes a date with Sally Hayes. Before this date, Holden
finds himself wandering the streets of the naked city. He is feeling
depressed and finds himself on Broadway trying to purchase a record for his
sister. After making this purchase, Holden notices a poor family walking in
front of him. This unit is composed of a father, mother, and "little kid."
Holden notices the child who is walking in a straight line in the street
and humming a tune to himself. Holden approaches him to determine the tune
he is singing. This tune is "If a Body Catch a Body Coming Through the
Rye."Holden finds it amusing that the child is strutting quite literally on
Broadway and is so care-free. He notices cars screeching and honking all
over the place, and yet the child proceeds. The child's happy disposition
seems to encourage Holden's on vitality. It gripped Holden that the child
was singing with "a pretty little voice...just for the hell of it" and
brightened him up. A deeper interpretation of this scene would dictate that
the child represents Holden's own personality and life. Holden is defiantly
singing his own tune just for the hell of it and like the child, seems to
have no regard for his own well-being. At this point, Holden may see a
side in himself that is care-free and this lightens his depression.