Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Innocence of Holden -- Catcher Rye Essay

The Innocence of Holden in The Catcher in the Rye   In J. D. Salingers novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, spends several days wandering rough New York. During this time, he learns many things about himself. He seems to let well-nigh sort of mental problem, hardly this problem fortunately begins to be less(prenominal) serious by the end of the story. But more interesting that the things he knows about himself are the things he does not know about himself. Holden is constantly holding children on a pedestal and dismissing adults as phonies. Holden, though he does not know it, subconsciously protects the innocence of childhood within his mind.   In the book, Holden constantly reminisces about Jane G totallyagher, a friend of his that he met a some summers ago in Maine. The day that Holden leaves Pencey, Stradafter tells him that he is going on a date with Jane. Upon hearing this, Holden says to Stradlater   ...I employ to play checkers with her all the time. You applyd to play what with her all the time? Checkers. Checkers, for Chrissake Yeah. She wouldnt move any of her kings. What shed do, when shed get a king, she wouldnt move it. Shed just leave it in the back row. Shed get them all lined up in the back row. Then shed never use them. She just liked the way the looked when they were all in the back row. (31-32)   Holden later becomes jealous of Stradlater when he suspects that he had sex with Jane. As Holden later wanders nigh New York, many times he has an impulse to call Jane but does not. He never gives a reason, but subconsciously, he realizes that if he calls Jane, he will have to face a new person, who may have lost the innocence of a girl who plays ch... ... in his life to ride out the same, for this keeps things simpler. Holdens need for simplicity also translates into a need for wide-eyed, childlike innocence. This solid groundview is simpler than the cynical, materialistic, experienced innov ationview of the adults Holden knows. This is why Holden prefers for people to stay innocent, and why he subconsciously protects that innocence.   Holden views the world of adults as a harsh, unforgiving place. He realizes that he has been forced into this world against his will and this has hurt him. Subconsciously, he strives to keep children out of this world for as long as possible, and serves as a protector of innocence within his own mind. While he does not protect this innocence in the external world, within his mind he longs to keep children from reaching maturity and to preserve the naïveté of childhood for them.