In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, 16-year-old Holden Caulfield is trying to find his sense of direction. Holden, a growing adult, finds himself unable to accept the responsibilities of one. Holden describes the adult world as sinful and corrupted and he avoids it for three reasons: his hatred of phonies and liars, his inability to accept adult responsibilities, and his refusal to let go of youth. Eventually realizing that there is no way to avoid adulthood, he can do nothing but accept this responsible lifestyle
Holden uses the word phony to identify everything in the world that he rejects or finds distasteful. People are too talkative, too quiet, or dissimilar. Holden believes he is perfect, but of course he is the only one who thinks …show more content…
Not only simply acting responsibly, but also taking responsibility for one’s actions. When Holden comes up short in life, he always justifies his inability and makes excuses. For example, after being expelled from Pencey, Holden tells Mr. Spencer, his old history teacher not to worry: "I'm just going through a phase right now. Everybody goes through phases and all, don't they?" (15) At this point in the novel, Holden believes this part of his life is a phase, but as the book progresses, he realizes it is more than a phase; it could be his future. However, Holden denies his future, saying, "I feel some concern for my future...but not too much" (184). He is afraid to acknowledge reality because he fears that if he does, he must relinquish his innocence and embrace …show more content…
However there is an unavoidable line of knowledge that everyone must cross before becoming an adult. Holden is the child, traveling alone in his journey, faced with the reality of adulthood. A good example of this is when Holden feels depressed after he sees profanity written on a wall: "That's the whole trouble. You can't ever find a place that's nice and peaceful, because there isn't any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you're not looking, somebody'll sneak up and write F 'you' right under your nose" (204). He is beginning to understand what it means to be an adult: to face the bad things in the world and deal with them. However, this does not stop him from idealizing innocence. Holden holds Allie and Phoebe in such high esteem because they are innocent, unlike the phony adults, such as his other brother D.B who he says is “out in Hollywood...being a prostitute” (1) D.B., although not literally a prostitute, is characterized as something overtly sexual, symbolizing how he has become an adult and now represents everything Holden despises about adulthood. Holden believes that children are innocent because they view the world and society without judgement or dishonesty. He wishes they could stay in this state of ‘perfection’ forever, which is why he wishes to be “the catcher in the rye” (159). In this metaphor, the rye field symbolizes innocence -- the
Holden uses the word phony to identify everything in the world that he rejects or finds distasteful. People are too talkative, too quiet, or dissimilar. Holden believes he is perfect, but of course he is the only one who thinks …show more content…
Not only simply acting responsibly, but also taking responsibility for one’s actions. When Holden comes up short in life, he always justifies his inability and makes excuses. For example, after being expelled from Pencey, Holden tells Mr. Spencer, his old history teacher not to worry: "I'm just going through a phase right now. Everybody goes through phases and all, don't they?" (15) At this point in the novel, Holden believes this part of his life is a phase, but as the book progresses, he realizes it is more than a phase; it could be his future. However, Holden denies his future, saying, "I feel some concern for my future...but not too much" (184). He is afraid to acknowledge reality because he fears that if he does, he must relinquish his innocence and embrace …show more content…
However there is an unavoidable line of knowledge that everyone must cross before becoming an adult. Holden is the child, traveling alone in his journey, faced with the reality of adulthood. A good example of this is when Holden feels depressed after he sees profanity written on a wall: "That's the whole trouble. You can't ever find a place that's nice and peaceful, because there isn't any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you're not looking, somebody'll sneak up and write F 'you' right under your nose" (204). He is beginning to understand what it means to be an adult: to face the bad things in the world and deal with them. However, this does not stop him from idealizing innocence. Holden holds Allie and Phoebe in such high esteem because they are innocent, unlike the phony adults, such as his other brother D.B who he says is “out in Hollywood...being a prostitute” (1) D.B., although not literally a prostitute, is characterized as something overtly sexual, symbolizing how he has become an adult and now represents everything Holden despises about adulthood. Holden believes that children are innocent because they view the world and society without judgement or dishonesty. He wishes they could stay in this state of ‘perfection’ forever, which is why he wishes to be “the catcher in the rye” (159). In this metaphor, the rye field symbolizes innocence -- the