... artificial and this theme relates to his attitude towards children and the preserving of their innocence. If these children might succumb to the ways of the adult world, they will become "phonies", untrue to themselves. This is a dominating theme in the book, which is characterized by two literary elements: characterization ... envisions himself a catcher in a field of rye. Holden would rather treat his fantasy of an idealistic childhood than deal with the complexities of the adult world. He knows his idea is "crazy", but his desire to protect children from this corrupted youth is what di...

• Word Count: 1143
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... Rye chronicles the growth from childhood to adulthood. Holden, the narrator, is a 16-year old adolescent that has the desire to be in the adult world, which is full of choices and responsibilities that he wishes to encounter. Holden thinks being a child is comfortable and is protected from all the ... impurities in the world, therefor he wants to become an adult too quickly. Throughout the novel there are several instances that show the struggle inside Holden to make the switch from a boy to a man. Holden ... constantly battles the two different sides. This directly affects him mentally...

• Word Count: 786
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... childhood to adulthood throughout the story. He adequately portrays the way many teenagers feel during adolescence and his actions prove his fear of becoming an adult. The most prevalent characteristic about Holden is his desire to be independent. All teenagers yearn to be independent from their parents and free from responsibility ... by himself. Holden needs to be independent in order to feel in control of his life. His fear is being molded into society and becoming an adult. If he lets go of his independence and becomes dependent, then he will feel as though he is becoming a "phony" hi...

• Word Count: 1127
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... hospital as a result of his belief in preserving the innocence of children. Holden is preoccupied with saving children before they are corrupted by the phony adult world where people are not true to themselves; he wants to save children from being exposed to sex, deceit, and the phoniness of being fake ... of ways. He never got mad at anybody." (p.50) He died at a very young age and Holden never saw Allie grow up into the "phony" adult world. To Holden, Allie is a symbol of innocence that can never be destroyed. In contrast, Phoebe is the more sophisticated child; her childish innocence i...

• Word Count: 925
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... , authenticity and integrity compared to the pure and innocent children. Holden, a 17-year-old narrator of Catcher In The Rye is entering into the adult world. He knows that it's time to change; but his mind despises the characteristics of the grown-up world. He hates the fact that he ... hat, Holden is probably hunting for something. The thing he's hunting for is probably the meaning of his life. As Holden struggles to become an adult, he slowly matures from being a teenager. Another thing he likes and wants to be is from the title, Catcher In The Rye. The catcher in ... and "catch ev...

• Word Count: 575
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... preoccupied in preserving the innocence of children. He does not want to lose that innocence because that would mean that he would have to enter the adult world and become "phony." He believes that all adults are phony, but that they cannot seem to see their phoniness. He wants to remain a ... . Antolini. He trusted Mr. Antolini, yet that same person betrayed that trust by his seemingly homosexual pettings. Mr. Antolini was Holden's only "non-phony" adult that he could turn to. Although Mr. Antolini may have given Holden some good advice, the effects of the advice would be canceled as a ...

• Word Count: 1033
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... sees that every time he goes to the museum it has not changed but he has. Holden is afraid of growing up and becoming a "phony" adult. He thinks that almost every adult is a sell out and constantly criticizes them throughout the entire novel. His Older brother D.B. was a nice guy, a great writer, but once he ... got older he transformed into a "phony" adult. Holden's visit to the museum made him see that there is no way you can prevent yourself from change. Another point in Holden's journey from adolescence into adulthood ... someone would come and carry him away as well. Knowing the du...

• Word Count: 663
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... up on and she had all these curlers in her hair. All that matters is she looks good to society so that she can be accepted into the adult world. Children remember people by something unique they did in the past, but adults only remember people by sexual experiences. Holden remembers the way that Jane would ... he"d have something to read when he was in the field and nobody was up at bat" (Salinger 38). When Holden was trying to act like an adult and told Maurice to send up a prostitute he did not score with her but instead he tried to talk to her and get to know her better. He ... old ...

• Word Count: 914
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... he express how Holden Caulfield is stuck in the middle of his childhood and adulthood. He just doesn't seem like he wants to grow up and become the adult he can be, but he also hates his life as a teenager. The role of Jane's kings in the back row represents Holden being afraid of undergoing maturation ... good friend to Holden. This also symbolizes how Holden is being held back by his child like mind and him not letting himself grow up to an adult. There are many symbols in the novel, the game of checkers is like the game of life and each move you make will help you in the ... and in th...

• Word Count: 565
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... of his problem is that he was deeply affected by the death of his brother Allie. He really misses him and this leads him to not want to face the adult world, but to go back to the innocence of his childhood. His problems begin at school. He was sent away to school and then he flunks out of school ... how he cannot deal with the world around him and maybe he would be better of is he committed suicide and then he would not have to live in this adult world. Holden is a boy who becomes increasingly paranoid and delusional, which leads to him being put in an institution because he has attempt...

• Word Count: 811
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the angst of the adolescent and demands that voice be heard. It speaks to the anxiety of the adolescent caught in the current of becoming an adult and having difficulty coping with all that the adult world means. It gives insight into the psyche of a troubled Holden. Holden' s growing pains. This paper aims to show all kinds troubles that Holden faced during ... healthily. It' s very important. Because adolescent' s growing trouble is very common in nowadays and let them grow up healthily is very important to the future of human. Key words: adolescence, adult world, trouble, growing pai...

• Word Count: 678
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the ducks all help Holden learn and mature throughout this novel. Although the hunting hat allows Holden to be more courageous, it also makes him feel more self-conscious in adult situations. When Holden opens a window it is symbolic of the clarity needed in his life along with him maturing. During Holden's visit in New York his curiosity about where the ... the cab, just for the hell of it, but I took it off before I checked in. I didn't want to look like a screwball or something." (61, Salinger) When Holden gets into adult situations he is embarrassed of his hat, so he does not wear i...

• Word Count: 897
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... better" (Salinger 115). Unexpectedly, on a congested New York Street, Salinger embodied Holden's yet to be fully developed thoughts on his desire to protect youths from the corruption of the adult world. His pleasure from finding this small piece of innocence in a defiled society kindled the inception of what would be his new quest to finding, preserving and protecting innocence. Furthermore ... ;the catcher in the rye" defines the qualities he must have and has to fill this role. He sees himself as the only big person among the children: an adult. Holden has constantly commented on adul...

• Word Count: 987
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... infuriated when he sees "fuck you" carved into his little sisters school. He feels that way because he doesn't want these young children to get exposed to the adult world and lose their innocence. This thought isn't processed by normal people which portrays how mad Holden really is in the world he is taking part in. He believes that ... once you become an adult, you are washed away in a world chock-full of a hypocrisy and contradiction. This madness has been deeply engraved in Caulfield's mind. His thought process really takes a toll on his mental ... back into the realization that he ...

• Word Count: 817
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... acts conventional into a prejudice of "phonies ". His creation of phony prejudices were also caused by his refusal to move on from a child-like state of mind and mature into a "conventional " adult. As a result of all these issues, Holden defines the people around him according to how he views them and not according to how society views them. Thus, he alienates himself ... , whom are the adults. Obviously, to him adulthood means becoming a phony and a giant hypocrite. Clearly, that's not the case in the real world. But to Holden, that's what being an adult means, therefore he has a very ...

• Word Count: 982
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... realization of his surroundings from which he successfully crosses over. Focusing on the rebellious and confused truth of adolescents stuck between the innocence of childhood and the crookedness of the adult world, this novel strikes a cord, which most adolescents can relate. The essence of the story The Catcher in the Rye follows the forty-eight hour experience of sixteen-year-old ... days hiding out to rest before confronting his parents with the news. During his adventures in the city he tries to renew some old acquaintances, find his significance in the adult world, and come to grip...

• Word Count: 1050
• Approx Pages: 4

... , an individual may experience loss, grief, failure, numerous responsibilities, and being characterized into a social class of society. Holden Caulfield, the antagonist of J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, lives in an adult society when he moves into New York City yet he is only a teenager. As a result, he faces a self-identity struggle and is uncertain of his beliefs. Salinger portrays the difficulties ... the adulthood when he finds himself sleeping in a subway packed with people (pg 194, Salinger). He feels a lack of self-worthiness and self-pity, as well, and turns to the adult aut...

• Word Count: 930
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... 's death. Holden's views on life were dismal and cynical and he considered most people to be "phony." He could not seem to cope with the responsibilities and pressures of the adult-world, and he preferred the simplicity and honesty of childhood. Although Holden grew up physically after his brother passed, his emotional growth was somewhat stunted. He did seem to have ... they committed suicide. In fact, he also said mentioned that he wanted to sit on top of the A- bomb, or jump out of the window. What Holden saw of the adult world left him deeply distressed and disturbed. He associated m...

• Word Count: 930
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... as well, but with no avail. This is showing his extreme hurt and anger from his brother's tragic death by leukemia. To Holden, losing your innocence is becoming an adult, "a corrupt adult", which Holden very much is not partial to, so he continues to fail out of prep schools so that he can wait as long as he possibly can to enter ... the adult world that he despises with such intensity. As Holden evolves through numerous revelations, he continues to year for the permanence in his life that he has no immediate control over ... ...

• Word Count: 772
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... and be able to communicate with people again. Holden is a very insecure and sensitive teenager desperately trying to connect with someone. Because he is immature he has problems understanding the adult world and because he is sensitive he has the same difficulty relating to his peers. He feels very much alone and doesn't know how to create a connection partly because he ... the things he claims to be phony. He even admits that sometimes it's necessary to take part in these actions and ultimately become a phony in order to exist in the adult world, which is why he is so strongly opposed ...

• Word Count: 639
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Caulfield and the experiences he faces after being dismissed from school. On his trip, he meets many different people all of whom he viciously criticizes and complains about adult evils. Holden Caulfield consistently condemns adult corruption and the "phoniness" in people, but he consistently contradicts himself and therefore is a phony and a hypocrite. This can all be proven in the book, by misrepresenting ... ...

• Word Count: 530
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... hope of retaining innocence. Although this is a valid interpretation, it seems that, more than running away from his childhood, Holden is caught in a muddled search for the experiences of an adult while still holding onto his memories of adolescence and the concept that are fixed in his mind. Golden Rings.... Throughout the novel, Holden keeps coming back to things the give ... age novel which is exemplified throughout. One would expect the novel to end in a neatly tied up package with moderate evaluation necessary to understand what it means to become an adult. The actual place that Ho...

• Word Count: 1227
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... story in first person, although the whole thing is all one big flashback. The story is one of a young Boy trying to grow up in an Adult world, and trying to show that he is an Adult. As Holden is learning, there are many depressing things in the world. Holden, being the Idealist that he is, searches to find everything that needs ... ...

• Word Count: 272
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... well as Holden's unique use of crude language, he also has an adaptable vocabulary which delineates his personality as being able to speak with typical teenage language and high level adult English. Holden lazily uses words that do not exist by simply turning nouns into adjective through adding a -y, or turning nouns into adverbs. Terms and phrases such as "perverty" and "She ... the average person would not. Terminology such as "bourgeois" shows his high level of intelligence. "Often Holden seems to choose his words consciously, in an effort to communicate to his adult reader clearly a...

• Word Count: 964
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... delicate subject. Although many adolescents, like Holden, may not recognize how their dilemmas are created because they find themselves trying to make adult decisions with the mentality of a child. When they try to take on the mentality of an adult, they lose the securities of being a child. This exposes them to the harsh reality of life which they can not handle. An ... ...

• Word Count: 901
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School