Who Is Responsible For The Catcher In The Rye

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4. Holden, the protagonist in the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger, tells his sister Phoebe about his dream occupation. Holden wants to "catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff." In his description, the "big field of rye" symbolizes childhood: in the field are "thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big." Holden expresses his desire to preserve the innocence of all the children around him. This is the first time in the novel that Holden directly talks about his wish to maintain childhood. Previously, Holden talks about not wanting to change things, like not throwing his snowball, or the museum not changing. However, now that his sister forces him to give her an answer, Holden realizes himself what he has been trying to do. This passage gives the book its title, and establishes the theme that the separation between the world of children and adults is large and potentially dangerous, and children will need help in order to cross that gap. Holden, who lacks parental support, shows how a child can develop to be disillusioned …show more content…
J D Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye details the story of Holden Caulfield who attempts to fight against the inevitable loss of innocence of the people around him. When Holden visits his teacher Mr. Spencer, his teacher imparts to him that "life is a game." This deeply upsets Holden. To him, all the people surrounding him are "phonies," meaning they have no individuality; these people simply put on a fake persona because society forces them to play "according to the rules." Throughout the novel, Holden repeatedly shows that he does not wish to play by life's rules, possibly in attempt to disprove his teacher's statement: he drops out of school and also shows irresponsibility to the people around him. The passage lays the foundation for a theme that the book develops over the course of its plot: children can be disillusioned as they mature and understand the realities of the societies around
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