Holden Caulfield Childhood

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Holden Caulfield is widely regarded as one of the most relatable characters in literature. J.D. Salinger’s book, The Catcher in the Rye, explores two days of Holden’s life through his memories. The book starts with him in a psychiatric hospital after having a mental breakdown, as he recounts his journey through New York City after being kicked out of school, and all the events that led him to this point. He is raw and vulnerable, trying to understand himself in a way that feels very realistic for a sixteen-year-old boy. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously; at first glance it seems like the casual, uninterrupted thoughts of a teenager. But when you go a little deeper, there are messages and themes that you and Holden are realizing together. …show more content…
Salinger, it is his unrelenting clinging onto childhood which is the single most critical factor that makes Holden a relatable character and a poor role model to teens, as shown through the themes of the loss of innocence and identity, and as evidenced by his emotional dependence on his relationship with Phoebe, his inability to have a mature relationship with Jane, and the hold Allie’s death still has on him. One of the main things that makes Holden cling onto his childhood is his emotional dependence on his sister, Phoebe. She is quite a bit younger than him, and I think she represents the innocence of his childhood that he is trying to hold on to. Personally, I think Phoebe is the only person he truly feels safe around and that’s why he is so drawn to her during times of need. On page 43, Holden says that you, “.never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life. She’s really smart.” While Holden describes himself as dumb, he’s an intelligent and deep thinker and I would assume that Phoebe is one of the only people who can match his level of conversation. Phoebe is also a main symbol of childhood innocence, and his connection with her is a way to tether himself to
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