Catcher In The Rye Innocence Essay - 1870 Words

Childhoods never truly die, they are only put away Growing up sucks, anybody who is currently a teenager or was understands that and will fully acknowledge it. There is just something about this age group that life changing events occur, whether or not the person is ready or not to experience them. Most of the time, it is something like learning what a curse word means or experiencing the act of sexual intercorse at a young age. But sometimes it can be as serious as losing a loved one, being the victim of sexual assault, or any other traumatic event that just like a punch to the gut, acting is a welcome call to what is about to come. In author J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, it recalls the story by the narration of a†¦show more content†¦In the chapter where Holden is giving a note asking for Phoebe to meet him at the Museum, he discovers profanity graffitied onto the side of the elementary school: â€Å"But while I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy. Somebody’d written à ¢â‚¬ËœFuck you’ on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them - all cockeyed, naturally - what it meant, and how they’d all think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days† (Salinger 201). Clearly, Holden is very much agitated at the fact that some sick person would write ‘Fuck you’ on the wall of an elementary school. So much so that Holden says it was most likely written by perverty bum who walked onto the school grounds and wrote it just for the hell of it. Yet, there is a possibility that it was not an older individual, but a student at the school. It is evident when Holden discovers yet another ‘Fuck you’ on the wall inside the school stairwell. â€Å"I went down by a different staircase, and I saw another ‘Fuck you’ on the wall. I tried to r ub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched on, with a knife or something† (Salinger 202). It is more likely now that the first ‘Fuck you’ was written by a student rather than somebody else. Also, the significance of the first one beingShow MoreRelatedPreservation of Innocence In The Catcher in the Rye Essay545 Words   |  3 Pagesthe reader. In The Catcher in the Rye, there are several themes that can be found in the words and actions of the narrator, Holden Caulfield. The dominating theme in this novel is the preservation of innocence, especially of children. We can see this throughout the novel, as Holden strives to preserve innocence in himself and others. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s outlook in life is either the innocence of childhood or the cruelty of adulthood. He believes that the innocence of childhood isRead More Innocence in The Catcher in The Rye Essay851 Words   |  4 Pages In The Catcher in The Rye, by J.D, the main character, Holden, can be seen as a troubled teenager growing up in a less than perfect society. Throughout the novel Holden struggles with the fact that many young and innocent kids will grow up and see the world from a different perspective. He naturally becomes worried for all future generations who will one day grow, as he did, and loose their innocence. The fixation of youth and innocence can be seen in the title of the book, as well as throughoutRead MoreCatcher In The Rye Innocence Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pages26, 2017 Lost in the Rye Many teenagers struggle with the concept of self-identity and growing up. Troubled 16-year old Holden, from the Catcher in the Rye, is no exception. The Catcher in the Rye follows the story of Holden and his journey to adulthood. To Holden, this adulthood is a world full of lies and phoniness. Due to his lack of interest in the world of growing up, Holden is a character who seeks to find the innocence in others and is a strong believer of stayingRead MoreEssay on The Death of Innocence in The Catcher in the Rye1156 Words   |  5 Pages   Ã‚   Holden identifies with, yearns for, and despises traits of the adult and child realms. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, fears becoming an adult who exhibits the characteristics that he holds complaints against. Throughout this Bildungsroman narrative, Holden searches for his identity. He tries to figure out his place either in the adult or child realm. Holden possesses a combination of fear and hatred for phonies. Holden usesRead MoreEssay on The Theme of Innocence in The Catcher In the Rye996 Words   |  4 Pagesstory. In The Catcher In the Rye, Holden says that his dream job would to be the catcher in rye. This is significant to the story because of how Holden feels that adults are trying to ruin the innocence of children, and how he can be the one that saves them. Holden then realizes he cannot always be the one to save the children. This is show throughout the book but especially in the scene where Holden takes Phoebe to the carousel.This shows that Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye so that he canRead MoreCatcher in the Rye Essay: The Innocence of Holden897 Words   |  4 Pages The Innocence of Holden in The Catcher in the Rye nbsp; In J. D. Salingers novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, spends several days wandering around New York. During this time, he learns many things about himself. He seems to have some sort of mental problem, but this problem fortunately begins to be less serious by the end of the story. But more interesting that the things he knows about himself are the things he does not know about himself. Holden is constantlyRead MoreInnocence in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger Essay888 Words   |  4 Pagespurist times in a person’s life is childhood, during this time life is easy and often romanticized. As a person grows older the innocence and naivety of childhood begins to fade into a hardness caused by the harsh realties of adulthood. Though the transition from childhood is hard, one most remember not to rush into adulthood savor your innocence . In Catcher In the Rye , by J.D. Salinger the main character Holden Caulfield is in the transitional stage, he finds it hard for him to grow-up and actRead More Innocence In The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger Essay examples1412 Words   |  6 Pages In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye, Holden Caulfield, a seventeen-year-old boy, transitions from childhood to adulthood. The death of Holden’s little brother signifies the beginning his loss of innocence and growth of maturity. As he enters adulthood, Holden views society differently from his peers by characterizing most of his peers and adults he meets as â€Å"phonies.† Thus, Holden takes the impossible challenge of preserving the innocence in children because he wants to prevent childrenRead MoreEssay about From Innocence to Adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye2367 Words   |  10 PagesFrom Innocence to Adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye      Ã‚   Adolescence is a time of existence in two worlds. One world having the desire to be in the adult world, which is filled with all the unknown wonders of the world. The other world is the world of childhood which is comfortable and protected from all the impurities in the world.   This sort of tug of war between the two worlds is not only mentally imposed on a being, but physically, socially, and morally as wellRead MoreHolden Caulfield s The Catcher Of The Rye824 Words   |  4 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye Symbolism Essay J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, is the story of Holden Caulfield’s loss of faith in society, and in particular adults. Salinger uses a number of symbols to demonstrate Holden’s rebellion against the phony facade of society and his desire to preserve the innocence of children, especially those he loves. Chief among them is Holden’s misinterpretation of Robert Burns’ poem â€Å"Comin thro’ the Rye†, wherein Holden mistakes the original line, â€Å"If a body meet a