Holden Caulfield´s Innocence and Purity in The Catcher in...

In a society filled with impureness, Holden Caulfield searches for purity and innocence in everyone around him. Lonely, affectionate, and judgmental, Holden is the narrator and protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye. His actions and the way he acts reveals that Holden is very lonely, and is longing for human companionship. Holden is somewhat mature above his age, but still desires pleasures like any other teenage boy. After meeting people, Holden becomes very judgemental about the way people act. Theses traits all come together at the end and put Holden into a psychiatric institution, living a few miles away from his big brother. Throughout the entire story, Holden tells the reader that he is very lonesome, but never actually does†¦show more content†¦Her mother knew my mother, and I could picture her breaking a goddam leg to get to the phone and tell my mother I was in New York. Besides, I wasnt crazy about talking to old Mrs. Hayes on the phone. She once told Sally I was wild. She said I was wild and that I had no direction in life. Then I thought of calling up this guy that went to the Whooton School when I was there, Carl Luce, but I didnt like him much. So I ended up not calling anybody.† (pg.59) This passage shows how there are many people that he is able to phone but chooses not to, because he is afraid to talk to them. Holden is like a cactus, tough and painful on the outside but still soft inside. Through his tough exterior, Holden still does wants friends just like any other teenager. Feeling compulsion for affection Holden respects women to a certain degree, and does know his boundaries. He is a sex crazed 16 year old, who admits, â€Å"Sex is something I just dont understand. I swear to God I dont.† (pg.63) He does not what to have sex with a girl he cares about, because he feels that it will turn her into an object. When he has a urge for sex, he would like to have it with a girl he doesnt care about or not fulfill that urge. For Holden it is very difficult to get close with a girl, unless he knows and likes her very much. When the chance finally arrived to fulfilling his urge with Sunny the prostitute, he shut that down because he would have rather just talked. When he said toShow MoreRelated Catcher in the Rye Essay: Holden - The Misfit Hero2101 Words   |  9 Pagesof The Catcher In The Rye      Ã‚     The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger was published in 1951. A recurring theme in J.D. Salingers stories concerns people who dont fit in with the traditional American Culture. Salingers misfit heroes, unlike the rest of society, are caught in the struggle between a superficial world and a conscious morality (1 Wildermuth). In his attempt to create a new and realistic portrayal of the times, Salinger first, effectively creates Holden Caulfield, the mainRead MoreCatcher in the Rye4413 Words   |  18 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye â€Å"Is The Catcher in the Rye, as a work of literature still relevant for today’s youth?† Name: Sara Sigurdson Course: English A1 Supervisor: Mr. Peter Steadman Word count: 3851 Candidate number: 00136022 Table of Contents Content Page Number Abstract 3 Introduction 4 The Actual Catcher in the Rye 4 The Sexual Matter 5 The Caulfield Family 6 Narrator and Protagonist 8 Role Model 9 Mr. Antolini 10 Targeted Audience 10 Guidance 12 Read MoreHolden s Journey Toward Maturity2555 Words   |  11 PagesAdditionally, Holden is constantly looking for answers to where the ducks go when not at the lagoon. For instance, â€Å"Do you happen to know where they go, the ducks when it gets all frozen over?† (Salinger 60). 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The theme of the story is one of emotional disconnection felt by the alienated teenagers of this time period. The quote, â€Å" I didn’t know anyone there that was splendid and clear thinking and all† (Salinger 4) sets the tone that Holden cannot find a connection with anyone around him and that he is on a lonely endeavorRead MoreA Pessimistic Adolescent Is Not What Most Consider A Reliable Narrator1295 Words   |  6 PagesA pessimistic adolescent is not what most consider a reliable narrator, but author J.D. Salinger challenges this commonly held thought with his coming-of-age novel The Catcher in the Rye. The reader is introduced to Holden Caulfield, a secondary school junior that is outcasted and aimless upon expulsion from yet another preparatory school in a post-World War II world. Salinger weaves a myriad of comparisons of genuinity and disingenuousness into his work, each explored through a facet of Caulfield’sRead MoreEssay on Meaningful Symbols in the Rye by J.D Salinger537 Words   |  3 Pages Catcher in the Rye†, by J.D Salinger, is about a boy named Holden Caulfield. He thinks the adult world is a bunch of â€Å"phonies.† The novel c ontains many key symbols that help develop the novel, and to help show Holden Caulfield’s point of view on the way he sees the world. Three of these key symbols include: Holden Caulfield’s red hunting hat, the ducks in the Central Park lagoon, and The Museum of Natural History. One of the most important and recognizable symbolsRead MoreLoss of Childhood Innocence: the Transition to Adulthood2831 Words   |  12 Pageschildhood innocence as children enter into the adult world. Some say that society can change and take a turn for the better, and though it may not be filled with honest, pure hearted people, it can be more genuine and more about the heart and less about success and materialistic pursuits. Others say that society cannot change and that it will continue to be corrupt and filled with selfish individuals, regardless of whether or not there are a few who are truly honest. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Catcher In The Rye1437 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger explores a teenage boy s struggle with adolescence after the death of his brother. The story is told from the perspective of Holden Caulfield, who discusses his recent past from a psychiatric hospital. Throughout the novel, Salinger explores how Caulfield copes with the grief of his brother Allie s death, and how he projects his emotions to the outside world and on everyone else around him. Specially, Caulfield manages his emotions by alienating himself