Theme Of Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

987 Words4 Pages
Clare Hoevenaars Mrs. Curran ENG 4U December 12, 2011 Fall from Innocence in The Catcher in the Rye The transformation from childhood to adult hood is inevitable. Some accept this change with more ease than others, but at some point all must come to terms with this conversion. In J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield demonstrates this conversion with great difficulty. He can not seem to accept that people are changing, though he slowly shows slight signs of reaching adulthood. He has close friends and family, such as Jane and Phoebe, whom he fears will also lose their innocence. Throughout the novel, Holden’s loss of innocence in represented by his childhood friend and crush, Jane, the Museum of natural history, and his red hunting hat. As one of Holden’s closest friends during his innocent childish stages in life, Jane Gallagher has a big involvement in his inability to let go of the past. As children Holden and Jane were very close. As Holden begins to mature slowly, he always remembers Jane as an innocent person because that is how he knows her. Holden always speak highly of Jane and in an innocent manner.…show more content…
Holden shows constant fear of Jane losing her innocence; he always loved her innocent nature and approach to life. To Holden, the museum is a representation of innocence, since it was one of his favourite places as a child, and his red hunting hat protects him from those places with lack of innocence. It is human nature to evolve into an adult, and to change your personality somewhat to become an adult. At times humans want to remember those childhood moments that they lived, however Holden takes this feeling to an extreme, by doing anything to hold onto innocence for himself and his close friends and people he cares
Open Document