The Catcher in the Rye is a social commentary that criticizes the superficialness of adulthood, through the eyes of the rebellious protagonist: Holden Caulfield. Holden is an academic failure who flunked out of his preparatory school, Pencey Prep, for failing grades in all of his courses except English. Holden then continues his life, traveling around, criticizing the world around him in a cynical tone, attacking the “phoniness” and unbearable corruption of the adult world. As a result of his hatred for the distastefulness of adulthood, Holden views children as a sliver of hope and happiness; he views children as precious because they are the only people that have not faced the brutal deterioration of adulthood. Holden takes it upon himself,
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Phoebe asks Holden to join him on the Carousel, but he admits that he is too big, and insists on watching her from the nearby park bench. Holden watches her as she rides for the first time as she tries to grab the gold ring, he fears that she would fall of the horse as she desperately reaches. Holden then realizes that if “they want to grab for the ring you have to let them do it and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (274). Holden finally admits that perhaps children falling is a part of life. He does not insist on catching them from this fall, even his own sister Phoebe, instead he recognizes that he must give these children their independence. It began to downpour as Phoebe starts her second ride around the Carousel, and Holden begins to cry as he watches his sister go around and around on the carrousel. This idea of moving around in a circle brought so much joy to him, the idea of her not progressing into adulthood, rather just going around and round in her circle of youth brought so much indescribable joy to him. The novel concludes with Holden accepting the fact that he can not be this “Catcher in the Rye” that he originally set out to be, but in the end of the novel, he has this baptism of new realizations where he chooses to watch children, primarily his sister, as they enjoy their own youthfulness, but then when it is their time to grow up and transition to adulthood, he will continue just to watch, not be the catcher in the rye, but to let life run its
Phoebe asks Holden to join him on the Carousel, but he admits that he is too big, and insists on watching her from the nearby park bench. Holden watches her as she rides for the first time as she tries to grab the gold ring, he fears that she would fall of the horse as she desperately reaches. Holden then realizes that if “they want to grab for the ring you have to let them do it and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (274). Holden finally admits that perhaps children falling is a part of life. He does not insist on catching them from this fall, even his own sister Phoebe, instead he recognizes that he must give these children their independence. It began to downpour as Phoebe starts her second ride around the Carousel, and Holden begins to cry as he watches his sister go around and around on the carrousel. This idea of moving around in a circle brought so much joy to him, the idea of her not progressing into adulthood, rather just going around and round in her circle of youth brought so much indescribable joy to him. The novel concludes with Holden accepting the fact that he can not be this “Catcher in the Rye” that he originally set out to be, but in the end of the novel, he has this baptism of new realizations where he chooses to watch children, primarily his sister, as they enjoy their own youthfulness, but then when it is their time to grow up and transition to adulthood, he will continue just to watch, not be the catcher in the rye, but to let life run its