It is often said that ignorance is bliss. No members of society live more blissful and ignorant lives than children. They live unaware of evil in the world and free from the judgement of others. During childhood, kids exist in almost a separate world, where they are able to be truly genuine people. Holden Caulfield of J.D Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye persistently fantasizes about the freedom of childhood. Holden thinks highly of children and praises how sincere they are. Holden also feels jealous of how innocent they are. As Holden faces the transition stages between childhood and adulthood, he realizes how children tend to lose this innocence with age, and along with it their true personalities. Holden finds this extremely depressing,
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He tells his younger sister Phoebe he wishes he could be ‘a catcher in the rye’. He says that all he wants to do is “come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all [he’d] do all day. [He’d] just be the catcher in the rye.” (Salinger 172). Holden believes that if he could catch kids before they fell into adulthood, they would be happy and innocent forever. Part of this desire to protect children comes from his guilt over not being able to protect his brother Allie. Allie died of cancer at a very young, age Even after visiting Allie’s grave, Holden worries about the rain. He says “it rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass and on his stomach.” (Salinger 155). Even though he no longer can protect Allie, Holden still feels responsible for him. Holden will always love Allie, and may be so fond of him because Allie will always be a …show more content…
He dreads the day when his sister Phoebe grows up and wishes he could save all children from the horrors of the world. However, time is never ceasing and everyone must grow up. J.D Salinger encapsulates the grief linked with these thoughts through Holden, and his yearning to keep all children from growing up. Seeing children lose their innocence in a world so cruel is very difficult, and Salinger depicts this through Holden’s mental state. Holden’s somber journey into adulthood tells the reader in great detail why he would not want other children to grow up, as well as why Holden himself wishes to remain a
He tells his younger sister Phoebe he wishes he could be ‘a catcher in the rye’. He says that all he wants to do is “come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all [he’d] do all day. [He’d] just be the catcher in the rye.” (Salinger 172). Holden believes that if he could catch kids before they fell into adulthood, they would be happy and innocent forever. Part of this desire to protect children comes from his guilt over not being able to protect his brother Allie. Allie died of cancer at a very young, age Even after visiting Allie’s grave, Holden worries about the rain. He says “it rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass and on his stomach.” (Salinger 155). Even though he no longer can protect Allie, Holden still feels responsible for him. Holden will always love Allie, and may be so fond of him because Allie will always be a …show more content…
He dreads the day when his sister Phoebe grows up and wishes he could save all children from the horrors of the world. However, time is never ceasing and everyone must grow up. J.D Salinger encapsulates the grief linked with these thoughts through Holden, and his yearning to keep all children from growing up. Seeing children lose their innocence in a world so cruel is very difficult, and Salinger depicts this through Holden’s mental state. Holden’s somber journey into adulthood tells the reader in great detail why he would not want other children to grow up, as well as why Holden himself wishes to remain a