Catcher In The Rye Persuasive Essay

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4. At this part of The Catcher In the Rye, Holden is talking to Phoebe about his possible future careers, however his choice in career reflects Holden's affinity for all things innocent and his will to a protector of them. Holden remembers a part of a Robert Burns poem incorrectly as "if a body catch a body coming through the rye" this causes him to imagine himself saving children by "catch[ing] them" before they "go over the cliff." Ironically, the poem itself is about casual sex, yet Holden interprets it differently in a much more innocent manner. He believes that someone must save the children before they fall off the cliff. The children represent innocence and Holden wants to save the children before they fall off the cliff and enter into the pit of adulthood and a world full of phonies. As Holden himself struggles with realizing his own future, he does not realize that he also wants to be saved from the
world of phonies and preserve his innocence. His affinity for innocence is evident here and in other places throughout the novel, such as the time Holden could not find a place to throw his snowball because everything looked white, pure and clean, which are other symbols of innocence. Rather than watching the children become corrupted by the world around them, Holden seeks to preserve their innocence and save them before they fall into the pit of adulthood.

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5.
In this scene of Catcher in The Rye, Holden has gone to visit Mr. Spencer who lectures him about playing by the rules of life; however, through the characterization that occurs Mr. Spencer's statement, it is clear Holden would rather not play by the rules of life and become a phony and feels alienated by the world around him. After Mr. Spencer says that life must be "played by the rules." Holden thinks that those who play by the rules are the "hot-shots and phonies" in life. In many occasions throughout the novel, Holden states that he would rather leave than be "surrounded by phonies." Often times Holden associates those who are doing well in like and "making a lot of dough" with phonies, such as his brother D.B, and Mr Ossenburger. Holden, who would rather not be phony, begins to feel more alienated and victimized by the world around him because he knows that he does not want to play by "rules of life" and become a phony. His feeling of alienation further contributes to the loneliness that Holden associates with his
depression.

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7. As Holden attempts to pass time before his date with Sally, he reminisces about the Natural History Museum that he used to visit as a child, which he was fascinated by because nothing ever changed in the museum; through the characterization in this quote, it is evident that Holden resists change and moving on. Holden thought that "the best thing" about the museum was that "everything always stayed right where it was." All throughout Holden's life he has experienced change, after Allie's death, and now as seeks to find a place for himself in the world. The idea that things could remain fixed and never change interests Holden because he does not want to move on into adulthood and become a "phony." During his date with Sally, Holden asks Sally to run away with him and live together right away because he would rather skip adulthood with its going to places and working and becoming a "phony", and just remain the same person he is. Holden struggles with finding a place for himself in the world and as a result the idea of remaining fixed and unchanged fascinates him immensely because he fears moving on and becoming a "phony". hide answer