Catcher In The Rye Childhood Analysis

In “Catcher in the Rye”, the theme of childhood constantly recurs throughout the novel, which shapes the significance of the meaning of youth as a whole. The meaning of the work as a whole may be looked upon as maintaining the morality that you are born with, which may lead to his conflict in opposition to growing up. Holden Caulfield experiences a battle throughout his childhood, which involve the infancy nightmares that later influence him. The main factors that are involved in Holden’s adolescence issues are his protection of respect, his strong viewpoint of innocence towards childhood, and the realization of the process of growing up. Throughout the book, it is clear that Holden is a victim of protecting the action of respect. This characteristic represents the way that Holden was raised, and the things that he encountered towards women as a child. Holden carries a specific love and care for the people that symbolize purity, which is the reason why he gets so upset with his roommate, Stradlater. Stradlater attempted to hook up with his former friend, June, which caused Holden to become overprotective …show more content…
In Chapter 22 of the book, Holden is asked about what he wants to be when he gets older. After moments of thinking, Holden confidently responds “I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all.” (191) With this response, Holden expands his dream job by explaining what he would specifically want to acquire. He explains “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.” (191) With this clarification, it is clear that Holden feels a sensation of devotion towards the life of a child. This represents that Holden does not want the children to fall into the barrier of adulthood, due to the fact that he believes that the adult humanity is a