Growing up requires one to go through
The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger perfectly portrays how hard it is to overcome the adolescent stage in life. Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel, can be seen progressively coming to terms with the fact that it is unavoidable to lose one’s innocence. The elementary school, the cliffs, and Phoebe, all demonstrate how the loss of innocence is inevitable. The elementary school is a symbol that the loss of innocence is inevitable because it shows that even in one of the most innocent places there is still corruption. Holden realizes this when he is walking up the stairs of Phoebe’s school and says:
Somebody’d written “Fuck you” on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought …show more content…
Again while Holden is now leaving the school he sees another profanity saying: “I went down by a different staircase, and I saw another “Fuck you” on the wall. I tried to rub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched on, with a knife or something. It wouldn’t come off. It’s hopeless, anyway” (Salinger 222). The scratches on the wall correlates with the loss of innocence being inevitable because the scratches can not be undone, like the loss of innocence can not be stopped. Holden wants to erase the scratches like he wants to erase the ability of children losing their innocence but he can not. Furthermore, saying “It’s hopeless, anyway” indicating that even if he did undue the scratches that wouldn’t stop children from seeing it later in life. Holden then goes on to say: “If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn’t erase half the “Fuck you” signs in the world. It’s impossible” (Salinger 222). In the same way, Holden is trying to eliminate all of the bad so the children do not lose their innocence. Then realizing that corruption is everywhere and would be impossible to stop like how the loss of innocence is …show more content…
This can be seen when Holden is talking to Phoebe and says: “Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around--nobody big, I mean--except me” (Salinger 191). When the words “nobody big” are said Holden is relating that to be an adult, indicating that they wouldn’t be around because their innocence is already lost. Also, “thousands of little kids” shows how all children lose their innocence. Holden may not want them to but it is bound to happen. He then goes on to say: “And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff-…” (Salinger 191). This furthermore, shows how Holden wants to save children from losing their innocence but there are thousands of children and only one Holden making it impossible for him to save them all. Further making his point clearer when he says: “I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.” (Salinger 191). Holden is saying how he wants to save these children from the adult world and becoming corrupted or not innocent. There is also an indication of the inability to save one’s innocence because Holden can not save these children from becoming adults and witnessing evil in the world. He can prolong the wait before it happens but it is bound to happen it can not be
The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger perfectly portrays how hard it is to overcome the adolescent stage in life. Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel, can be seen progressively coming to terms with the fact that it is unavoidable to lose one’s innocence. The elementary school, the cliffs, and Phoebe, all demonstrate how the loss of innocence is inevitable. The elementary school is a symbol that the loss of innocence is inevitable because it shows that even in one of the most innocent places there is still corruption. Holden realizes this when he is walking up the stairs of Phoebe’s school and says:
Somebody’d written “Fuck you” on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought …show more content…
Again while Holden is now leaving the school he sees another profanity saying: “I went down by a different staircase, and I saw another “Fuck you” on the wall. I tried to rub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched on, with a knife or something. It wouldn’t come off. It’s hopeless, anyway” (Salinger 222). The scratches on the wall correlates with the loss of innocence being inevitable because the scratches can not be undone, like the loss of innocence can not be stopped. Holden wants to erase the scratches like he wants to erase the ability of children losing their innocence but he can not. Furthermore, saying “It’s hopeless, anyway” indicating that even if he did undue the scratches that wouldn’t stop children from seeing it later in life. Holden then goes on to say: “If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn’t erase half the “Fuck you” signs in the world. It’s impossible” (Salinger 222). In the same way, Holden is trying to eliminate all of the bad so the children do not lose their innocence. Then realizing that corruption is everywhere and would be impossible to stop like how the loss of innocence is …show more content…
This can be seen when Holden is talking to Phoebe and says: “Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around--nobody big, I mean--except me” (Salinger 191). When the words “nobody big” are said Holden is relating that to be an adult, indicating that they wouldn’t be around because their innocence is already lost. Also, “thousands of little kids” shows how all children lose their innocence. Holden may not want them to but it is bound to happen. He then goes on to say: “And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff-…” (Salinger 191). This furthermore, shows how Holden wants to save children from losing their innocence but there are thousands of children and only one Holden making it impossible for him to save them all. Further making his point clearer when he says: “I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.” (Salinger 191). Holden is saying how he wants to save these children from the adult world and becoming corrupted or not innocent. There is also an indication of the inability to save one’s innocence because Holden can not save these children from becoming adults and witnessing evil in the world. He can prolong the wait before it happens but it is bound to happen it can not be