Catcher in the rye

A detailed Summary of Catcher in the rye


In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield finds himself a protector of innocence. Throughout the whole book, the idea that children lose their innocence as they mature is widely explored, and it appears that Holden is trying to shield them from maturity. Or, at least, to keep these people pure, and innocent, in his mind. In this way, I believe Holden Caulfield is one of the most complex characters that we have read about, in school.

The act of Holden giving his red hunting cap to Phoebe, to wear.

This acts as a shield. It symbolizes security and protection. In a way, Holden feels as though he is protecting his sister, by giving her his hat. A red hunting cap, that you can pull over your ears, and block out the rest of the world. Block out the harshness of reality, block out the "phonies", block out the cruelty that


This quote shows Holden expressing his deepest desire: here he is, protecting childhood innocence, and saving these children from having to live in the "phony" adult world. To Holden, few are sacred... the rest are phonies.

"If a body meet a body comin thro' the rye," not "If a body catch a body comin thro' the rye."

In the end, I have decided that, even though Holden seems to view himself as a "catcher in the rye", it is Holden himself that needs one. Holden feels all-alone in a strange world. A world that is made even stranger when you are an adolescent young boy that has a ton of emotional problems. It is obvious that Allie's death still bugs Holden, and he still is not able to come to terms with it. Holden needs somebody, on his wavelength, to talk to. He seems to have no close friends, and it seems like his family has pret

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Approximate Word count = 565
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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