Importance Of Adolescence In The Catcher In The Rye

Adolescence is a time of great change—you are transitioning from a child to an adult, you are becoming more independent, and you are figuring out who you are as a person. Although these changes can be exciting, the realities of adulthood and loss of innocence scares most young adolescents. Author JD Salingers ' novel, The Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951, follows a troubled teen named Holden Caufield’s the following days after being kicked out of yet another prep-school. In these few days, we see how he struggles with the fact that everyone has to grow up and that the innocence of the young cannot be protected forever. Holden feels that adults are corrupt due to the lack of their childhood innocence. Therefore, his ultimate message, or

He makes it apparent that this is all he wants to do when he states:

I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody 's around—nobody big, I mean—except me. And I 'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they 're running and they don 't look where they 're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.

Holden feels that he is the only one that can keep the innocence in the children. He continues with “I 'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it 's crazy, but that 's the only thing I 'd really like to be.” He understands that although it seems strange, he feels that no one else is going to protect the innocence like he

Antolini represents the loss of innocence in an adult, but still being aware of it in others. Although it is a little unusual how Mr. Antolini acted towards Holden in one scene, Mr. Antolini and Holden have been friends for a while and seem to be close. They would play tennis, Mr. Antolini would hang out with Holden’s family, it seems that Mr. Anolini cares a lot about Holden. “This fall I think you’re riding for—it’s a special kind of fall, a horrible kind” (Salinger 187). Here, Mr. Antolini shows that he understands what Holden is holding onto, but he wants him to know that it cannot be held onto forever. He understands Holden on a personal and relatable level, so it seems. Mr. Antolini explains that Holden is going to “fall” or lose his innocence soon, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Holden is constantly trying to escape the problems he has with his life instead of facing them because if he actually faces them, maybe he feels they are going to take his