Examples Of Holden's Dream Job In Catcher In The Rye

The Irony of Holden’s Dream Job Holden Caulfield just cannot seem to catch a break. He is kicked out of school, ran away from home, and is now all alone in life. In the book The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield is going through terrible experiences in his life. He does not want anyone else to have to go through what he is experiencing. Holden’s dream job is to catch children from falling off a cliff in a field of rye. He received this
While Holden was having a discussion with Phoebe on the matter of what Holden wanted to be Holden says: “You know that song ‘If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye’? I’d like-“It’s ‘if a body meet a body coming through the rye’!” old Phoebe said. “It’s a poem. By Robert Burns” (173). Holden substitutes the word “meet” for “catch”, as if to prevent children from falling out of innocence into sex or knowledge of sex. What’s ironic here is that the word “meet” refers to sexual encounters. The fact that Phoebe tells Holden this is also ironic, Phoebe knew the true meaning of the poem even though she is still a child. Holden’s entire goal was to be the catcher, to prevent kids from losing their innocence when in actuality the poem meant to stay out of other people’s business and let them go through adult experiences because in the long run you cannot stop them. Furthermore, Holden’s dream was to stand in a field of rye and catch any kids if they fell off the cliff. Holden wanted to protect the children from growing up and losing their innocence. It is not until Holden is watching Phoebe ride the carrousel when he