Holden Caulfield and Childhood Innocence
Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, we learn more and more about our protagonist and narrator. From the beginning of the book, to the end of the book, Holden is telling us more and more about himself and the events spanning around two days, and we have to pick up the fragments and piece together a character. He really doesn't give much info, but one major theme easily seen in his story is the depiction of childhood and innocence. He holds this above a high standard, and reveres it, and almost protects it from the dangers of adulthood.
One piece of evidence for Holden regards child innocence highly is when Stradlater mentions his past friend, Jane Gallagher. This was a very emotionally charged scene for Holden, as the moment Stradlater mentions Jane, his whole demeanor changes. He goes from a goofy attitude to a serious, and inquisitive one. He mention many details about their relationship during their youth, which Stradlater doesn't really care about. This awkward moment reaches a peak when Stradlater returns from his date and refuses to elaborate on the details. "'What the hell ya think we did all night - play checkers for Chrissake?' I didn't even answer him. God, how I hated him." Holden holds a very deep relationship with Jane in their childhood, and the moment when he considers that she might have grown up, he gets very fearful and angry. This idea is coupled with the fact that Holden considers Stradlater to be a "very sexy bastard", and he frequents with sexual activities. Holden can't stand the idea of moving on to adulthood, and especially of Jane, one of the few characters that he respects, growing up too.
Phoebe Caulfield is a very important personification of childhood innocence in Holdens mind, and she, along with Jane and Allie, are the few people he doesn't judge. It was only natural for him to wish to visit Phoebe with all the trouble and turmoil he experienced in New York. However, during their late night chat, Phoebe asks something to Holden that is very revealing in his character. She asks him what he wants to be when he is older. Rather than answering a real job, his dream job was based off of a misinterpretation of a poem by Robert Burns. "I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but it's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy." His unrealistic dream job represents his want to protect and preserve childhood. Falling off of the cliff represents "adulthood", and is a scary matter for Holden, who greatly dislikes what comes with it. Adulthood represents growth, but also the need to conform to society, and Holden hates conforming, calling people who do so phonies. This is why he is so fearful of Janes growth, and also why he wishes to protect people from this scary change. This explains his fixation on the museum, as he mentions that things never change there, and only the visitors do. In a way, he wishes this for himself, Phoebe, Jane, and Allie. He wants them to stay the way they are, as change is frightening.
It's interesting that you also point out the scene of Stradlater bringing up Jane as an example of Holden's value for childhood innocence. Certainly his appreciation of Phoebe and his efforts to postpone his own coming-of-age are clear examples, but now I can totally see how Jane is also an example. Like you said, he fears that she will have grown up into a "phony" and the Jane he remembers will be gone forever. Holden's reaction to hearing about Jane all these years later, particularly the fact that she's hanging out with somebody like Stradlater, definitely triggers something in him that is seen in his altercation with Stradlater.
ReplyDeleteSalutations Connor. I certainly agree that Holden values child-like innocence -- Jane, Phoebe, and Allie are all examples of figures that lie in Holden's "golden non-phony zone," which he makes clear throughout the book. I would just like to chip in by saying that Holden also had no complaints about the skipping child singing the poem and the nun. The child is clearly child-like and innocent, and the nuns' attraction to literature and their demure attitude also helps Holden view them as unphony. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think that your third paragraph gets your idea across especially well. Phoebe really is the most present example of childhood innocence in Holden's life, but in many ways, she's more mature than Holden. You do a great job of explaining the significance of Holden's fantasy of being a "catcher in the rye" and how it speaks to the protective urge that he feels towards children.
ReplyDeleteYour discussed theme about "growing up" and "innocence" are an integral part of Holden's perspective. He gives certain people his respect and whenever he encounters someone who doesn't act similarly to those respected people, he labels them as "phonies" or conformists of a corrupt society of adults. As you said, change is terrifying, and we can see that in his actions throughout the novel.
ReplyDeletehello Connor, i agree that Holden's relationship with Jane and his emotional reaction when Stradlater brings her up is such a telling moment—it really shows how protective he is of her, and how fearful he is of the transition from childhood to adulthood. Your point about Phoebe being the personification of innocence is spot on, and it’s so telling when Holden talks about wanting to be the "catcher in the rye" to protect kids from falling into the adult world. I think you really nailed why Holden can’t stand the idea of people growing up, especially people he cares about, like Jane and Phoebe. His whole fixation on the museum, where things stay the same, perfectly illustrates his longing for a world where change doesn’t happen, and I totally agree that it’s tied to his fear of conformity and adulthood.
ReplyDeleteHighlighting the importance of Holden's deep relationships is very valuable. They are, after all, what brings Holden into the real world and allows him to find his place, although his ideas are quite revolutionary. As Mr. Prasanth and others mentioned, all he wants to do is protect the people who are closest to him from what he sees as a world that makes people bad.
ReplyDeleteThanks you Mr. Guarnieri!
I agree that Holden seems fearful of finding out too much about what has been going on with Jane Gallagher in the couple of years since they've last seen each other, but we also see an early example of something like his "catcher" fantasy when he thinks about Jane. In HIS mind she is still the quirky and "muckle-mouthed" kid who is so much fun to hang out with (checkers, going to the pool or the movie), and it's clear that he views Stradlater as a sexual predator (Holden would never use this term, but his anxiety about Stradlater and his date-rape "technique" is clearly a big source of his fears about Jane) from whom he must try to "protect" Jane's innocence. And when we hear about the creepy stepfather and the scene where Jane's tear drops onto the checkerboard, we realize that checkers and childhood innocence and predatory men are closely bound up in Holden's mind (so he's quite triggered when Stradlater makes his crack about playing checkers for Chrissake). The "fight" that ensues (more of a beat-down, really) doesn't accomplish much to protect Jane's innocence, and for the rest of the novel he remains unwilling to just "give her a buzz" and see what she's *really* like as a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old. In a sense, Holden's fight with Stradlater is in defense of his idealized memory of Jane, the one who still likes to keep all of her kings in the back row.
ReplyDelete