Theme Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye - 812 Words

â€Å"Don’t let the concept of change scare you as much as the prospect of remaining unhappy.† -Unknown. Innocence is something we all fall out of eventually, whether we like it or not, yet not all of us are ready to. The edge of innocence is something Holden, the main character, struggles with in the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and though there’s always trouble, he is still able to learn from these struggles and grow into a young adult. As Holden denies his own innocence, he tends to forget what he’s speaking about in the first place, and starts running off about Jane, for instance, â€Å"Jane Gallagher, Jesus. I couldn’t get her off my mind.† (Salinger 37). Despite the fact that Stradlater was about to take her on a date, he†¦show more content†¦Making these types of mistakes are ongoing for Holden, as he keeps clinging onto people, but not communicating his feelings. It was in the beginning of the book when Holden spoke so kindly of Jane, talking about the good ol’ days when they played checkers, and she would leave her kings in the back row. He spoke so kindly of her, but never to her face. He knows he should have, but he never had the guts to. It was because of these ongoing thoughts, that kept him from maturing. He just needed to develop the power to persevere. Holden also talks of innocence as if he isn’t innocent himself, and he always remembers to show us his pure side from time to time, â€Å"Then, all of a sudden, I started to cry. I couldn’t help it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Salinger 198) This is a defining moment because of how in touch he is with his emotions, this seems to be him breaking out of his shell to notice that he can’t always be the tough one, and he needs someone to be there for him during some of his hardships. It’s these types of instances that we can see Holden evolving to become a genuine young adult, and is trying his best to stay calm in these struggles of his, â€Å"What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie.† (Salinger 110) He expresses his feelings to Allie, his late brother, when he feels out of place. He tries his best to keep his feelings locked up, because he thinks that’s the adult act to take on, yet when he shows us his true side in these occasions, we can re ally see him thrive.Show MoreRelatedThe Theme Of Innocence In The Catcher In The Rye1222 Words   |  5 Pagesand lack of innocence on and off the camera. In this show young girls were depicted as acting like older, maturer, looking young women, who compete in beauty pageants. However, during this pageant stricken era, we have to realize that young childlike innocence has vanished. Although Holden Caulfield is a fictional character, he would not stand for these kinds of issues. Through Salinger’s use of symbolism and Holden’s views, he depicts the message of innocence. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s hypocriticalRead MoreTheme Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye951 Words   |  4 PagesCorrupted Purity: A Look into the Loss of Innocence in the Catcher in the Rye Innocence is a beautiful thing to appreciate. Sadly, all people lose that innocence to the impurity of the world. In the novel, the Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, Salinger uses symbolism that is found throughout the novel to portray the theme that losing innocence is an inevitable process in the human development. He depicts this theme by adding hidden messages to things that the main character, Holden, interactsRead MoreTheme Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye1046 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"I’d just be a catcher in the rye and all. 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He also believes that children are the only genuine thing in the world due to their innocence and their purity. SalingerRead 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. Hol den 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 MoreLord Of The Flies, By William Golding And The Perks Of Being A Wallflower1087 Words   |  5 Pagessome of my most beloved. In my junior year, I read A Separate Peace by John Knowles for my AP U.S. History class while I read The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger over the summer. A Separate Peace explores the rivalry that can lie at the heart of many friendships and conveys the concept of individuality rather than conformity. Similarly, The Catcher in the Rye is the story of a teenage boy who despises the phoniness of society and fears becoming just another phony adult. Both novels share similarRead MorePreservation of Innocence In The Catcher in the Rye Essay545 Words   |  3 PagesThemes in literary works are central, recurring ideas or messages that allow us to understand more deeply about the characters. It is a perception about life or human nature that is often shared with the 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 preserveRead More Catcher in the Rye Essay: Levels of Meaning902 Words   |  4 Pages Levels of Meaning in The Catcher in the Rye nbsp; Protected by a cocoon of naivetà ©, Holden Caulfield, the principal character in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, therapeutically relates his lonely 24 hour stay in downtown New York city, experiencing the phony adult world while dealing with the death of his innocent younger brother.nbsp; Through this well-developed teenage character, JD Salinger, uses simple language and dialogue to outline many of the complex underlying problems hauntingRead MoreCatcher in the Rye vs Frankenstein Novel Study Essay1304 Words   |  6 PagesIndependent Novel Study In today’s world, innocence cannot be preserved forever. As humans age, they lose their innocence due to the corruption that exists in society. This is demonstrated in the two novels, Catcher in the Rye and Frankenstein. The two authors, J.D. Salinger and Mary Shelley prove this statement through their use of various literary devices. Key characters in both novels- Holden and the creature- learn through personal experiences that innocence cannot, in fact, be preserved foreverRead MoreCatcher In The Rye Analysis1015 Words   |  5 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, Holden embodies an anxious, confused teenager who can’t figure out what his future will hold – usually stories like this involve some sort of growth, and result in a coming of age. Ironically, Holden’s only purpose is to resist maturity; throughout the book he grows and changes minimally, as a result of little to no success. Stuck in the middle of innocence and maturity, he is not able to apply himself to accomplish anything. In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger