Holden Essay -- essays research papers

Holden Caulfield, the narrator and the main character of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, is a young adult, who, at first seems to simply describes his four day adventure in New York City after bring expelled from his forth school. However, at the same time he narrates more; through his many experiences, which he describes in the book, we can see the themes of the work. The theme that definitely stands out is the loss of innocence. Holden portrays himself as an individual, who does not want to grow up and change. From the beginning, it is obvious that Holden does not like anyone, except children. To Holden, the world around him, the adult world and all of its members, is phony. In other words, the innocent world of children is the only world that appeals to Holden. However, in the end the reader also gets to see Holden's change and eventual surrender to the adult world. The Catcher in the Rye is simply about Holden's futile resistance to growing up and his surrender. Holden's attempts to refuse maturing are seen through his failures in education, his attitude towards the adult world, and his caring for only children, but his sudden fall into maturity shows there is no escape from growing up. Holden's actions and the way he describes his experiences clearly show his refusal to grow up. The first sign of Holden's refusal to leave the childhood world behind is his constant failures in school. Holden has been kicked out of several schools already, from each one within a...