Holden’s Dearest People and Things
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is a novel about Holden Caulfield a young man coming of age in the 1950’s. Holden feels trapped between childhood and adulthood and has been kicked out of yet another boarding school because of his dismal attitude towards life and growing into an adult. He feels most adults are phonies and he is reluctant to become one himself. Holden has a great mistrust of adults and he is constantly at odds with them. The only time he is truly happy is when he is thinking about or around children, he admires their purity, innocence and authenticity. While Holden’s view on life is very depressing, his sister, Phoebe, his childhood friend, Jane Gallagher and his red hunting hat always make him happy and are very dear to him throughout his story.
Holden’s younger sister, Phoebe is a symbol of youth and she is very dear to Holden. Holden describes Phoebe by saying, “You'd like her. I mean if you tell old Phoebe something, she knows exactly what the hell you're talking about. I mean you can even take …show more content…
Phoebe’s sense of innocence and connecting with her is his last chance to stay youthful. Phoebe is important to Holden because she allows him to stay connected with his own youth. Jane Gallagher is another person who helps Holden stay connected to his own childhood. By never reconnecting with her throughout the story she is able to stay in his memory as an innocent child which makes Holden happy, he never knows her as an adult who potentially may have become a phony. The red hat is a symbol that connects Holden to his red headed siblings, something he uses for protection and most of all it allows him to be himself. The red hunting hat is his protection from the adult world. All three, Phoebe, Jane Gallagher and the red hunting hat help him stay connected to his youth which he holds dear to him and makes him
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is a novel about Holden Caulfield a young man coming of age in the 1950’s. Holden feels trapped between childhood and adulthood and has been kicked out of yet another boarding school because of his dismal attitude towards life and growing into an adult. He feels most adults are phonies and he is reluctant to become one himself. Holden has a great mistrust of adults and he is constantly at odds with them. The only time he is truly happy is when he is thinking about or around children, he admires their purity, innocence and authenticity. While Holden’s view on life is very depressing, his sister, Phoebe, his childhood friend, Jane Gallagher and his red hunting hat always make him happy and are very dear to him throughout his story.
Holden’s younger sister, Phoebe is a symbol of youth and she is very dear to Holden. Holden describes Phoebe by saying, “You'd like her. I mean if you tell old Phoebe something, she knows exactly what the hell you're talking about. I mean you can even take …show more content…
Phoebe’s sense of innocence and connecting with her is his last chance to stay youthful. Phoebe is important to Holden because she allows him to stay connected with his own youth. Jane Gallagher is another person who helps Holden stay connected to his own childhood. By never reconnecting with her throughout the story she is able to stay in his memory as an innocent child which makes Holden happy, he never knows her as an adult who potentially may have become a phony. The red hat is a symbol that connects Holden to his red headed siblings, something he uses for protection and most of all it allows him to be himself. The red hunting hat is his protection from the adult world. All three, Phoebe, Jane Gallagher and the red hunting hat help him stay connected to his youth which he holds dear to him and makes him