Catcher In The Rye Innocence Quotes

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Why are people scared of growing up? Is it acknowledging that one has to then become mature and in turn take responsibility for themselves and their actions? The loss of innocence is the major issue that Holden faces in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The author uses major devices such as symbolism and characterization convey the theme that is the loss of innocence that comes with growing up. Salinger illustrates the theme through these devices to show that losing innocence comes along with growing up and although it is a painful experience understanding the adult world it is inevitable. A major symbol that reveals the theme effectively is the ducks in the lagoon. The ducks in the lagoon first appears in chapter 2 when Holden is…show more content…
Phoebe is the younger sister of Holden who is used by the author as an example of the innocent one who is slowly growing up. She is intelligent in the aspect that she is aware of Holden's struggle in which it upsets her and she says “‘ You don’t like anything that’s happening”’(173) which sparks the thought that although the sister is younger than Holden she understands that he is not content with life and how it is going and that results in her slowly losing the innocence of not seeing the sadness in others. Another instance when Phoebe has shown signs of maturing yet still has a childness mind is when she says she wants to go away with Holden in the sentence " I think I hated her most because she wouldn't be in that play any more is she went away with me."(207) in which she is willing to give up something she so desperately wanted in order to be with her brother. By doing so it proves the instance in which children are inherently oblivious of surrendering wants for others but still she is still a child for she does not understand that she simply can't up and leave with no strings since she is merely a child. Right after the incident Phoebe refuses to talk to Holden until they get to a carousel and Phoebe gets on it and Holden gets immensely happy as he says " I felt so damn happy all of a sudden,the way old Phoebe kept going around and around. I was damn near bawling." (213) showing that Phoebe is still innocent in riding the child instrument and this brightens Holden for he sees she still a child even with all the adult characteristics since she's still happy as can be with no worries in the world at that moment. Phoebe is used by Salinger as the embodiment of loss of innocence but all the while she still has hers for a while to depict that although it is inevitable it isn't a horrific experience that occurs all at
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