Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the subject matter of Innocence is explored as Holden’s quest throughout New York City unfolds and his views on society develop. The novel is narrated by Holden Caulfield who is telling us the story of how he got to the mental hospital where he is currently a patient. Holden starts off at Pencey Prep, a preparatory school in Pennsylvania but eventually leaves after he is expelled. Holden wanders through New York City where he originally plans to go home after 5 days but continuously ponders the idea of running away after he visits his sister Phoebe. Throughout the novel, Holden’s mental state worsens dramatically and eventually leads to his mental breakdown. In Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s
When Holden comes home at night to see Phoebe, he mentions that regardless of what a kid is doing “they still look all right” (Salinger 207). Holden is watching Phoebe sleep in D.B.’s room right before he wakes her up. He mentions adults look funny when they sleep with their mouths open but kids always look fine. Multiple times throughout the novel, Holden mentions that when kids are young such as in elementary school, they are perfect and innocent. The kids are pure and Holden wants to keep all kids this way by stopping them from growing up. Holden feels that it is his duty to protect younger children by shielding them from the real world and ensuring they are safe. Another instance where Holden shows how Phoebe determines his societal views is when he ponders what would happen to Phoebe if he contracted pneumonia and died. Holden explains Phoebe is “quite fond” (Salinger 202) of him. When pondering this thought, Holden realizes how much he loves Phoebe and what she would go through if he died. Holden decides to sneak home to see Phoebe. Holden gets home and waits for Phoebe to wake up, and then begins to talk to her. Holden talks to Phoebe about D.B. in Hollywood and eventually Phoebe finds out he got kicked out of school. For a while, Phoebe and Holden fight about being kicked out of school but eventually Holden and Phoebe carry on their conversation. At this point in the novel, Holden realizes how special Phoebe is to him and why he is constantly thinking of her. Holden always recalls great memories of Phoebe and he always raves about how pretty and smart she is. Holden loves to strike up conversation with her and always thinks of her when making decisions. Holden realizes Phoebe is a guiding star in his