Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is one of literature's most relatable characters in history. Everyone his age and older from even the most diverse backgrounds can identify with his views and attitude toward the world. He is a troubled adolescent trying to get through life. Although Holden is an extremely intelligent sensitive young individual, he is very cynical and judgmental and always finds the negativity in the world around him. This causes many problems for him. He gets kicked out of his fourth school because of academic failure since he simply does not care. He then goes to New York for a last adventure on his own trying to connect himself to the past before ending up in a mental hospital. Throughout
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Holden cannot go through with adult decisions he makes because he cannot accept the reality of them which adds to this refusal to enter adulthood. Holden also has a desire for everything to remain the same which causes this denial of losing innocence. Finally, Holden’s refusal to enter adulthood can be seen through his many fantasies and unrealistic anticipations of his own future. Holden Caulfield is troubled by his refusal to grow up which results from an unrealistic view of reality and adulthood.
Holden’s value of children remaining innocent forever and his inability to accept their changes, which are the reality, cause him to fear losing his own innocence. Two people he values and likes most are his siblings Allie and Phoebe; two children who have yet to lose …show more content…
Holden is afraid of losing his innocence when he fantasises about saving children from losing their innocence instead of accepting the fact that adults help children grow up. He imagines himself as a catcher in the rye, someone who catches children from falling off a cliff in a field of rye. This metaphorically symbolizes his desire to save children, and himself, from falling off the cliff of innocence into the terrible adult world. When describing this fantasy, he says, “I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff” (Salinger 173). He refuses of losing his so he immerses himself in this fantasy of being a catcher in the rye. Holden is also troubled by his fear of growing up when he cannot accept adulthood and fantasizes about becoming a deaf mute. He is afraid of growing up so he creates an idealistic world where he does not have to grow up. When imagining this fantasy he says, “Everybody’d think I was a poor deaf-mute bastard and they’d leave me alone… I knew [it] was crazy, but I liked thinking about it anyway” (Salinger 199). Holden is so afraid of losing his innocence he imagines an unrealistic future where he can avoid adulthood; living as a deaf-mute. Holden’s fantasies play a major rule in his inability to accept reality which causes a fear of growing
Holden cannot go through with adult decisions he makes because he cannot accept the reality of them which adds to this refusal to enter adulthood. Holden also has a desire for everything to remain the same which causes this denial of losing innocence. Finally, Holden’s refusal to enter adulthood can be seen through his many fantasies and unrealistic anticipations of his own future. Holden Caulfield is troubled by his refusal to grow up which results from an unrealistic view of reality and adulthood.
Holden’s value of children remaining innocent forever and his inability to accept their changes, which are the reality, cause him to fear losing his own innocence. Two people he values and likes most are his siblings Allie and Phoebe; two children who have yet to lose …show more content…
Holden is afraid of losing his innocence when he fantasises about saving children from losing their innocence instead of accepting the fact that adults help children grow up. He imagines himself as a catcher in the rye, someone who catches children from falling off a cliff in a field of rye. This metaphorically symbolizes his desire to save children, and himself, from falling off the cliff of innocence into the terrible adult world. When describing this fantasy, he says, “I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff” (Salinger 173). He refuses of losing his so he immerses himself in this fantasy of being a catcher in the rye. Holden is also troubled by his fear of growing up when he cannot accept adulthood and fantasizes about becoming a deaf mute. He is afraid of growing up so he creates an idealistic world where he does not have to grow up. When imagining this fantasy he says, “Everybody’d think I was a poor deaf-mute bastard and they’d leave me alone… I knew [it] was crazy, but I liked thinking about it anyway” (Salinger 199). Holden is so afraid of losing his innocence he imagines an unrealistic future where he can avoid adulthood; living as a deaf-mute. Holden’s fantasies play a major rule in his inability to accept reality which causes a fear of growing