. I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.” (pg. 173) From the song Holden imagines children running and playing in a field of rye on a cliff, which symbolizes their childhood. The reason this song resonates with Holden so much is because he desires to be the “catcher” to protect children from falling off of the cliff, which would represent their transcending into adulthood.
In Holden’s mind, the edge of the cliff metaphorically represents the perils of adulthood and the falling out of innocence. As the “catcher of the rye,” he could help prevent the loss of innocence by helping the children who are unaware of what adversity is usually associated with growing up. Holden first mentions the song lyric when he hears a young boy singing it in the street. Although Phoebe attempts to correct Holden by telling him that the lyrics are instead “if a
Suddenly, they appear in a grassy field looking at colorful kites. This dream is significant in that it proves Amir to be the coward and the weak one by being lost in the snow while Hassan comes to rescue him, proving him to be brave and courageous. This is a parallel to the rape scene where Amir runs away in cowardice and Hassan
Bracelets dangling and making noises when she moves her arm… The dress is loose and flows, and as she walks closure, I like it. I hear Maggie go "Uhnnnh" (Walker 2439). She shows a very selfish characteristic and that trait is repeatedly brought out in the story. For instance, she begins to ask for things in the house like the chair and desk. Another instance is when she asks her mother for the quilts her grandmother had made, her mother said they were for Maggie; Dee's reply was, “Maggie wouldn't appreciate the quilts” and Maggie says, “Dee can have them” (Walker 2441).
As soon as Stradlater said “You always do everything backasswards,” and “No wonder you’re flunking the hell out of here,” Holden asked for the essay. Instead of receiving the essay from Stradlater, Holden grabbed it out of his hands ferociously Stradlater’s descriptive essay As a kid, everyone enjoys to hold something extremely dear to them. This special thing may be a bear or blanket. For my brother, it was a baseball mitt he owned. The mitt was brown and made by Easton.
The Catcher in the Rye shows clear relations to the quote as the experiences of adulthood and the corruption that comes along with it brings about a strong desire in Holden to protect the innocence in children, as he cannot return to his own childhood to escape adulthood. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger brings about Holden’s desires through his experiences to protect innocence from the corruptions of the outside world. Holden’s experiences throughout the novel show a clear desire of him wanting to return to his childhood. Holden’s depression through his experiences with the outside world reflects as he becomes desperate for love. His desire for love and someone to care for, as well as the need for someone to care for him becomes evident, as his usual adult-like rationality reverts to that of a child’s when he pleads for an escape attempt with Sally.
Chris Higgins October 29, 2013 English 10 Holden’s Demeanor In the novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger, Holden acts very careless. Holden forgets the fencing team’s foils on the subway. He tries to make up for this by telling the reader “It wasn’t all my fault. I had to keep getting up to look at this map, so we’d know where to get off”(3).
Salinger and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The Catcher in the Rye is about a boy named Holden and how he got kicked out of his school Pency Prep and tries to live on his own and run away from home but cant do it after talking and taking
Some may find it too difficult to face, and decide to never to grow up, in order to remain a child forever. In the Catcher in the rye, By J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield wants to prevent children and him from facing adulthood, by becoming the catcher in the rye. Hos drive to become the catcher was caused by death of his younger brother Allie. Despite Holden’s desire to be the catcher in the rye he realizes that it is okay to grow up. Holden’s central goal in life is to resist the process of growing up and becoming an adult.
Another author, Aldous Huxley, wrote of a future “Utopia” as well in his Brave New World; however, Huxley’s point of view of a Utopia is different. One critic noted on Huxley’s point of view: “Brave New World describes what Huxley fears may be man’s future. He seeks to warn readers that ‘utopia’ must be avoided” (Matter 65). In fact, Huxley’s story is an ironic tragedy in a Utopia with parallels to Shakespeare’s works. The story is based around the protagonist, John the Savage, a man who was considered primitive and lived on a reservation.