Innocence of Youth Essay

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger shows how an adolescent boy develops a cynical outlook on life, causing him to feel isolated. Salinger uses Holden to interpret change from the innocence of youth to the responsibilities of adulthood. Holden’s confusion represents that difficult change a person experiences while growing up. He is trying to find his place in the world, but certain obstacles are preventing him from moving forward. The path to redemption is difficult for him because he doesn’t want to accept the responsibilities of being an adult. The novel shows that through adolescence a person faces many new changes that can be difficult to accept. Holden wants the preserve the innocence that a person has as a child. His cynical views of the world develop through his experience with the corruption of the adolescent world. â€Å"Certain things, they should stay the same. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone, I know that’s impossible but it’s too bad anyway.†(Salinger 122) Salinger points out that, changes are not always positive and it would be easier if we could preserve some things. Holden doesn’t want to face the reality of adulthood because he hasn’t experienced many events that show the positive side of being an adult. Holden’s search for moral values is a difficult and lonely path because of his minimal success of finding them. â€Å"Holden speaks of his loneliness and depression; the story of a few days in his life indicates how sad and lonely his search for moral values is in which he finds them to be sorely lacking.†(Walters 3) The search for innocence and moral is often times very lonely due to the constant heinous events that occur. Characters like Holden want to realize a better life that is away from the corruption of civilization. (Walters 3) Throughout his life, Holden experienced many events that show the corruption of adults and teens. He believes that as a person grows up, they fall into a pit of evil and cruelty. He dreams of becoming the catcher in the rye and saving children from falling into the tainted world of adults. Salinger interprets children as pure and free of sins. Purity is often associated with kids as they have not experienced the greed and desires of adul ts. The thing Holden holds closest to him is the memory of his unique brother Allie. The qualities Allie possesses are extremely unique among even kids, which is why Holden is so mesmerized with him. He was not able to experience the adolescence of Allie, which could have contributed to his obsession with innocence. â€Å"Holden’s fantasy elaborates his obsession with innocence and his perhaps surprisingly traditional moral code.†(Walters 3) Holden’s moral code is different because he is often rude, lies to people and even pursues sexual intercourse. Although his moral code is different, he still has the right intentions. His lies are often to make people feel better and his rude attitude is a result of his distaste for immorality. Holden is confused and doesn’t know how to face the world or the people in it. The time period and environment in the novel are aspects that could have contributed to the confusion. Holden’s experienced this confusion during a time of tension in the United States. The post World War II time period could have had negative effects on Holden through conformism and dramatic changes occurrence in the U.S. â€Å"Holden experiences both the confusion of adolescence and spiritual discomfort of an entire age.†(Historical 6) Holden experiences events in New York City, a city of demoralization, crime and crookedness. His cynical perception of the cruel world could have been limited to the setting of the novel. Prep school and public schools are both socially and economically different than public schools. (Historical 8) His time at school could have influenced his emotion due to the elevated expectations of prep schools. There are many aspects of Holden’s life that could have contributed to his confusion and hatred. Confusion is a common emotion during the adolescent stage of a person life. Holden’s confusion is a result of his inability to truly connect with anyone because of his cynical views. He has a feeling of hopelessness for the world around him because of his distaste for adulthood. â€Å"Holden tells the story of his disenchantment with his life and the direction it is taking.†(Walters 2) The realization that he will be entering adulthood evntually depresses him. He wants to retreat backward into the world he is leaving, that of childhood innocence. (Vanderbilt 298) Holden wears a red hat is symbolic of his position in life and the direction it is taking. Wearing it backwards suggests not only his defiant withdrawal from teammates but his desire to go back to his youth. (Vanderbilt 297). Holden finally decides he needs to move on in life after meeting with his sister Phoebe. The innocence of his younger sister allows him to truly find what he is looking for. Through his sister, he finds hope for the world around him. It is through the innocence of Phoebe, at the end, that Holden initially moves toward his redemption. (Vanderbilt 299) Holden’s cloudy stage of confusion eventually starts to clear up. His realization that his actions affect that people he cares about allows him to seek redemption. He states that he will start applying himself in school and has a better outlook on life. Work Cited Page Literary and Historical Context.† The Catcher in the Rye: Innocence Under Pressure. Sanford Pinsker. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. [1]. Twayne’s Masterwork Studies 114. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. Salinger, J D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print. Vanderbilt, Kermit. â€Å"Symbolic Resolution In The Catcher In The Rye: The Cap, The Carrousel, And The American West.† Critical Insights: The Catcher In The Rye (2011): 297-305. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. Walters, Gordon. â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye.† Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-2. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.