Literary Analysis Essay On Catcher In The Rye

1. Title- The title refers to the misinterpretation by Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the story, of the poem “Comin’ Thro’ the Rye”. Holden Caulfield mistakes the line “if a body meet a body” to his understanding as “if a body catch a body”. Caulfield pictures children playing in a rye field near a cliff and his dream job would be catching them before they fall off.

During the narrative, Holden is irrealistic with what he wants out of life. “I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.” (ch. 22

In an attempt to pass time after his breakfast, Holden has the idea to stroll around the city. He visits broadway to purchase a record for Phoebe, he eventually chooses a vivacious record with a unique and brash sound. Holden believes that Phoebe is special and wants to showcase his beliefs to her by giving her a record with music that corresponds with her individualism. Consequently, Holden’s mind begins to meander for a while when he starts to admire Phoebe’s maturity and intelligence. It is only until he overhears a young boy in the middle of the street singing “If a body catch a body coming through the rye” (Salinger 115), that Holden is brought back to reality.

Holden struggles to become the catcher in the rye. He want to do something in his life and just does not know who to accomplish his goal. Holden is faced with certain challenges that he must overcome before he can save anyone. When explaining his dream to Phoebe Holden says,“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” Salinger 191 pg.

After being kicked out of Pencey Prep, Holden decides to spend three days alone in New York before returning home to his family for Christmas break. While looking back into the past to narrate his life, at many times, Holden describes himself as feeling very depressed and lonely. As Holden roams the streets, he notices a young boy and points out by mentioning “He kept on walking next to the curb and singing ‘If a body catch a body coming through the rye.’ It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed anymore” (Salinger, 115).

When she asks what he wants to do with his life. Holden answers, “I’d just be the catcher on the rye and all (173).” He so badly wants to save kids from plunging into the adult world. All adolescents mature, no matter how aware, and they must encounter evil. Holden realizes this as the good he strives to preserve is threatened.

In the novel CATCHER IN THE RYE by J. D. Salinger, Phoebe causes Holden to think about his future, which prompts him to compare it to a game in a field of rye. After Holden returns home from Pencey, Phoebe talks to Holden, and he dreams about himself protecting the kids when they "start to go over the cliff". Holden's connection of his life with the rye field is a parallel to the theme of childhood and innocence. The "thousands of little kids" playing in the field represent the joys and innocence of being a kid. However, as the kids grow up, they start to get closer to the edge of the cliff, and risk falling into the abyss of adulthood.

Holden’s answer was, “‘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. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye(191). Holden wanting to be the catcher in the rye is a good dream to have but it is also an immature dream because he cannot catch everybody that falls off the cliff, which can also be seen as trying to save the children's innocence.

Holden has grown out of the innocence of his childhood. Holden often finds his happiness from children as he states, “I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy but that's the only thing I'd really like to be”(Salinger, 191). What Holden means, is that he would save all the children from falling off of the cliff, which represents adulthood, preserving their innocence. Holden likes the

“ I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids and nobody’s around - nobody big, I mean- except me and I 'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do 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 that 's all I do all day I just be the catcher in the rye and all…”(Salinger 173). Holden doesn’t want to grow up, and he doesn’t want anyone else to grow up.

By becoming the catcher in the rye, it allows him to have an excuse for not actually fighting phonies because he needs to protect kids. Holden believes that he is fighting the phony world by protecting kids from falling off this cliff which he mentions when Phoebe is telling him about being wrong. He pictures “little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around-nobody big” except for Holden who is “standing on the edge of some crazy cliff” and if the kids are not looking where they are going; Holden has to “come out from somewhere and catch them” (224, 225). Being the catcher in the rye metaphorically means that there is a very steep cliff, and at the top of the cliff, there are children playing around while Holden is at the edge of the cliff protecting them from not falling down.

Holden’s dream of wanting to be the catcher in the rye proves that he wants to keep every child innocent and pure. He says, “I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around―nobody big, I mean―except me” (Salinger 224). Holden wants no adults except for him in the field because he believes that the adults are the ones who change children and break their innocence. Similar to his dream of being the catcher in the rye, his fantasy about the glass cases and the cabin camps also proves that Holden wants to protect others and himself from losing innocence by isolation.

He is trying to find meaning in his life but the “phoniness” around him keeps him depressed. Due to the death of his little brother and his past experiences he is able to see more flaws in society compared to the average teenager. He never seems to accept that everyone has flaws including him. If poor Holden isn’t able to

During his journey home, Holden seeks someone who he can emotionally vent to. Since his sister would tell his their parents that he called, she is not an option. He goes through several failed attempts of finding someone he can express himself to, until he finally meets at taxi driver that is willing to give at least some feedback. After doing so Holden says, “He was the touchiest guy I ever met. Everything you said made him sore.”

In J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s present life is being affected by all the troubling things he 's had happen to him in the past. Holden has never really stopped grieving his superlative brother—Allie’s—death which can lead to sudden anger outbursts abuse. Holden had hinted at being sexually abused at one point of the book which can lead to him doing bad things to cope with the abuse. A boy that Holen liked—James Castle—jumped out of a window after a few boys bullied him. These past instances have made Holden the cold, lying, introverted person we know.