Catcher and the Rye Essay

Adam Bayless
English 11 Advanced
Mrs. Cooke
September 13, 2011

Importance of the Title The Catcher in the Rye

In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the major plot line consist of a young teenager named Holden Caulfield who is approaching the fears of adulthood. Holden is extremely lost throughout the book not knowing how to embrace adulthood and has very little assistance from adults. The reader first sees Holden’s immature behavior through his explosion from the Pencey Prep School. Holden is failing all of his classes except English and is asked to leave the prep school over the winter break. Holden leaves the school a couple of days before he is kicked out and embarks on a journey where his is trapped in between adulthood and childhood. Holden engages in many adult activities such as drinking, smoking, and ordering a prostitute but he never is able to leave childhood and fully become an adult which eventually causes Holden to have a mental breakdown. The title The Catcher in the Rye carries a large importance in the plot of the story and his relationship with Phoebe as well as in Holden’s dream occupation.

The plot in The Catcher in the Rye deals with the transition between childhood and adulthood shown through Holden’s eyes which is related to the title of the book. Holden is stuck in between childhood and adulthood but unlike most teenagers he has no support or parenting through these years. Holden wishes to catch these teenagers who are struggling with adulthood and keep them young and truthful. He dislikes every adult or classmate claiming them as “phonies” and he only seems to like small children such as Phoebe for their innocent nature. Holden wishes to be the preserver of this innocence and keep all children from growing up and heading out into the corrupt adult world. He visualizes this “catcher” to be someone who snatches children before they jump off the cliff which symbolizes growing up and turning into an adult. Holden believes it would help society if he prevented children from becoming corrupt like adults and if he keeps them truthful. The plot as well as Holden’s entire out take on life are impacted by the title The Catcher in the Rye. The importance of The Catcher in the Rye is also shown through Holden’s relationship with Phoebe because of his obsession with keeping her innocence. The reader first realizes Holden’s obsession with Phoebe when he sneaks in and watches her sleep in D.B’s bed. He does not wake her but he rather watches her sleep and observes her innocence. Holden wishes to be the “catcher” who prevents Phoebe from embracing the adult world. He takes this as a serious occupation and wishes to prevent children from coming in contact with the havoc of adulthood. Holden shows how much he cares about Phoebe when she tries to run away with him. Phoebe tries to escape with Holden, however Holden will not let her because he fears for Phoebe entering into the adult world. Holden is very protective over Phoebe because he is trying to live through her so he can escape from growing up. The reader notices the reason Holden is so close to his younger sister is because he is trying to escape through her and stay away from his challenge of embracing adulthood. He does not know how to embrace adulthood and uses his little sister to help him stay away from the responsibilities of being an adult. He shows this when he comes back to his families apartment and hides instead of telling his parents about his explosion from Pencey. Although Holden has attending a few boarding schools and is about to graduate high school he is still to immature to tell his parents about his explosion from school. This shows the reader Holden is closer in maturity to Phoebe’s age than his own. Holden’s relationship with Phoebe plays a large part in the title The Catcher in the Rye because Holden wants to “catcher” her before she embraces adulthood as well as preserve her innocent nature. The title The Cather in the Rye comes up many times throughout the novel through the plot line and his relationship with Phoebe. Holden desires to prevent children from losing their innocent nature and falling into the adult world. He shows this desire by trying to protect Phoebe who he does not want to fall into the phoniness of adulthood. Holden also dreams of becoming a “catcher” in order to help society become a better place and keep all children from losing their innocence. Holden Caulfield’s entire character is based around someone who prevents children from growing up or losing their innocent nature as well as falling into the chaotic world which in the story is symbolized by the title The Catcher in the Rye.