Edna Millay, an American poet and playwright, was identified for her for participation towards activism through her poem Childhood is the Kingdom Where Nobody Dies, written in 1937. In this poem, Millay claims, "Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age. The child is grown, and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies" (Millay). Through this passage, Millay declares that although childhood may seem endless, a young child will always mature and lose their innocence as an adolescent. The concept that a loss of innocence is an inevitable aspect to maturing is also unveiled in the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The novel is based around Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old who
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Among the carousel rests a gold ring, in which the riders were intended to reach and grab for. The carousel’s meaning is manifested within the principle that life always carries on and that the innocence of children will continue to be removed. When Holden views Phoebe from a distance, he acknowledges, “All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she’d fall of the goddam horse, but I didn’t say or do anything” (273). As all of the children on the carousel aspire to attain the gold ring, it indicates how as Phoebe and the children continue to go around on the carousel, they continue to mature. Since Holden did not take part in saving Phoebe, it portrays how he begins his release of trying to protect children. Moreover, as Holden continues to observe Phoebe, he affirms, “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold 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). Since Holden claims that “falling” is a part of life, it exhibits Salinger’s purpose of using the carousel in order to prove how a loss of innocence comes with the struggles of life. As Phoebe holds the carousel with a tight grip, it illustrates how the carousel is a cycle that becomes the process of growing up. Once the rain began to pour during the carousel ride, Holden “felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. [He] was damn near bawling” (275). In this instance, Holden finally develops as a character and releases the bond of his fortification of Phoebe. Salinger expresses the carousel as a stepping-stone in life, in which one must let go of their shielding of innocence. As Phoebe finally “matures” by boarding the carousel, it proves the development of Holden as a character and guardian. The
Among the carousel rests a gold ring, in which the riders were intended to reach and grab for. The carousel’s meaning is manifested within the principle that life always carries on and that the innocence of children will continue to be removed. When Holden views Phoebe from a distance, he acknowledges, “All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she’d fall of the goddam horse, but I didn’t say or do anything” (273). As all of the children on the carousel aspire to attain the gold ring, it indicates how as Phoebe and the children continue to go around on the carousel, they continue to mature. Since Holden did not take part in saving Phoebe, it portrays how he begins his release of trying to protect children. Moreover, as Holden continues to observe Phoebe, he affirms, “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold 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). Since Holden claims that “falling” is a part of life, it exhibits Salinger’s purpose of using the carousel in order to prove how a loss of innocence comes with the struggles of life. As Phoebe holds the carousel with a tight grip, it illustrates how the carousel is a cycle that becomes the process of growing up. Once the rain began to pour during the carousel ride, Holden “felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. [He] was damn near bawling” (275). In this instance, Holden finally develops as a character and releases the bond of his fortification of Phoebe. Salinger expresses the carousel as a stepping-stone in life, in which one must let go of their shielding of innocence. As Phoebe finally “matures” by boarding the carousel, it proves the development of Holden as a character and guardian. The