In The Catcher In The Rye, Salinger presents Holden Caulfield as someone who defends innocence in various ways: by safeguarding children, sacrificing his own innocence to assist others, and expressing his revulsion towards graffiti on walls. Holden is a determined individual who openly expresses his emotions. While initially it may not appear that he plays the role of a “protector of innocence,” as the narrative unfolds, he gradually relinquishes more of his own innocence in order to impact those in his vicinity.
Holden’s main desire is to shield children from growing up and losing their innocence, as he believes most adults have. Some may argue that Holden has developed an obsession with his sister, although his intentions are purely protective. He does not want her to undergo any changes. Certain things should remain unchanged. Ideally, they could be preserved in glass cases and left undisturbed. I understand that this is impossible, but it is regrettable nonetheless. Regardless, I found myself pondering these thoughts as I continued my walk.
Holden believes that his sister Phoebe represents all children, whom he considers to be superior to adults. He finds it repugnant when adults exhibit behavior that deviates from what he considers normal as they age. Holden longs for Phoebe to remain a child, as he is disturbed by the distinctions he observes in the physical appearance and personalities of children versus adults.
Holden has a deep affinity for children and finds them physically acceptable in any situation, unlike adults. This leads him to have a dream of becoming a “catcher” to protect and save the children who may be in danger. This aspiration becomes a driving force throughout the novel and ultimately gives him a reason to keep going. Throughout the story, Holden never shows much affection for anything except his sister. However, when he starts contemplating his sister’s hardships and struggles, he begins to feel a sense of purpose.
Holden envisions himself as the catcher in the rye, a role that gives his life purpose and focus. He imagines a large field where numerous children are playing, but he is the only adult present. Standing on the edge of a dangerous cliff, Holden sees his responsibility as catching anyone who might start to fall; particularly those who are running and not paying attention. He visualizes himself spending all day as the catcher in the rye, constantly vigilant and ready to rescue anyone in need. (179)
It is evident from this quote that Holden is losing touch with reality and becoming increasingly unstable. However, since the beginning of the story, he has harbored a disdainful attitude towards everything, as seen when he mentions his friend’s English assignment: “he asked me if I’d written his goddam composition for him. I told him it was on the goddam bed” (40). Though he continues to gripe, his complaints have lessened as he starts contemplating his sister.
Throughout the story, Holden frequently expresses his disdain for things that he deems uncool. Although he never outright calls them as such, his use of the word “phony” suggests his perception of injustice and selfishness (79). Anytime he encounters something he dislikes, he refers to it as phony. This behavior demonstrates his desire to protect innocence, which he has always exhibited. It is not a result of his aspiration to become a “catcher”. Holden simply believes that the outside world is inauthentic and wishes to shield his sister from its corruption.
Holden wants to preserve the innocence of children, acknowledging that he has already lost his own and ultimately sacrificing it further to protect others. During his time in New York, he doesn’t have a specific purpose and simply seeks enjoyment and distraction. Following his dream of “catching,” he goes through different stages of transformation, shedding his innocence in order to be better equipped to help those he needs to catch. Although he believes he has no innocence left on his journey, he still retains certain childlike qualities in some ways.
Holden is deeply intrigued by his desire to be like a catcher in the rye. Unbeknownst to him, his innocence remains intact until he starts to lose it. Warren French elucidates that Holden yearns to be the figure who stands at the edge of a perilous cliff, safeguarding oblivious children running amok in the field from tumbling over the precipice. This ensures their perpetual engagement in joyful, heedless play.
This is the point where Holden starts to disconnect from his surroundings, making it difficult for readers to determine whether he is giving up on his goal of becoming the “catcher in the rye” or if he simply doesn’t care due to feeling insignificant in his own life. These factors, either combined or separate, lead Holden to make a definitive decision. However, before he can undergo his ultimate transformation, he must experience a situation that alters his perspective on growing older. He embarks on a journey across New York City, refusing to halt until he reaches a location described as “way up in the sixties” (178).
Holden starts summoning his deceased brother Allie for assistance in preventing himself from vanishing. He persists in this practice until it eventually generates an innocent realization: comprehending the reasons why childhood might fade away on a street necessitates recognizing the symbolic importance of motion… upon his arrival at the residence, he approaches Mrs.
Spencer asks, “How’s Mr. Spencer? Has he gotten over his Grippe yet?” and she responds, “Gotten over it! Holden, he’s behaving like a perfect—I don’t know what.” Mr. Spencer is behaving like a perfect child, one might say… that’s why Holden is able to stop crossing streets when he’s “way up in the Sixties.” It’s because a man of old Spencer’s age has reached his second childhood. Holden subconsciously remembers his old history teacher, Mr. Spencer, and the notion that when someone reaches that age, they have a second chance to experience the same fun as a child.
Holden ultimately expresses his disdain for a world that has lost its innocence. Upon examining Holden’s character, it becomes apparent that he harbors a distaste for anything deemed unnecessary. This disdain extends to both profane language, such as the phrase “Fuck you,” and graffiti, as he views them as needless additions that further fuel his aversion towards a corrupted society. Interestingly, this particular aspect of Holden’s character remains constant throughout the entirety of the novel.
The phrase “Fuck You” always disgusts him (145). It unnerves him for a few reasons – he believes it is unnecessary, he doesn’t fully comprehend its meaning, and he feels it will have an impact on the younger generation he is protecting. This obscenity holds significant importance to Holden’s Dilemma. It not only represents an adult behavior that confuses Holden – “You never know where the hell you are” – but it also implies a corruption of that behavior, exposing young children to worldly influences. Holden reflects on this when he sees the phrase written on the school wall: “I thought about how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it and wonder what it meant.”
Holden’s abhorrence of this type of defacement is indicative of his loss of innocence. It also demonstrates a level of maturity within him. The graffiti continuously troubles him throughout the narrative and remains a recurring haunt. Holden possesses a disdain for the society he associates with this phrase. He presumes that everyone in his adult world embraces this notion as a societal norm, believing it to be morally acceptable.
It is clear that although the reader may not immediately grasp this concept, it is evidently possible for it to be true. If the reader did genuinely believe this, then they would likely want to shelter children from it due to the potential loss of innocence. The reader’s inclination to remove the graffiti may stem from their lack of true adult experience, causing them to merge it with the adult world and form the opinion that this word is vulgar.
Despite being crude, Holden may have these thoughts for various reasons: even if I were to die and be buried in a cemetery with a tombstone engraved with my name “Holden Caulfield,” the year of my birth and death, underneath it will definitely say “Fuck you.” In fact, I am certain of it. (145)
This is Holden’s approach, in which he firmly believes as the correct way to conduct oneself and think. While he may be right in some areas and completely wrong in others, Holden’s actions and thoughts differ significantly from those of other teenagers. Consequently, this leads to his upbringing centered on the “Protection of Innocence” concept. For Holden, individuals fall into two categories: the innocent ones, resembling children or those with a childlike nature, and the counterfeit ones.
