Catcher In The Rye Adulthood Analysis

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There are many inevitable changes as one proceeds through the journey of life. One of them is the critical advancement from childhood to adulthood. The years between childhood to adulthood is the epitome of a train wreck since the difficult transition can be influenced by others. This phase is also very confusing to people since people start to enter into the abyss of the grown up world, but at the same time are not willing to let go of their ties to their earlier years. As a result, they are stagnant and stuck in uncertainty. Unfortunately, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist from J. D Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, is just like those people and is stuck between these two stages of life. He sees children as innocent, but adults as corrupt, begins to explore sexuality but does not go through with it, and rejects change by seeking refuge in childhood places and around children. Throughout the story, Holden mentions a lot about phoniness and corruption of the adult world. In the first chapter, he expresses his disappointment in…show more content…
The field of rye represents a safe place for them and falling off the cliff represents the children transcending into the world of the grownups. His inability to comprehend the fact that children will grow up someday shows how in touch with reality he is. It also further adds to the point that he too, is not willing to completely enter the adult world. Holden is also more content around children than he is around adults. When walking to the skate park to find Phoebe, he sees a boy who sings, "If a body catch a body coming through the rye" (Salinger 115) which makes him less depressed. He rarely drops his negative attitude, but in this scene he mentions that the boy had a nice voice and was swell which shows how much he prefers the company of kids. At the skate park, he meets one of Phoebes friends and has nothing to say but
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