Loss of Innocence in The Catcher in the Rye Essay

Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is a complex young man, filled with many an(prenominal) observations near the world virtually him. Most of his comments tend to be cast out and judgmental however he appears much more enthusiastic and near his younger siblings, and even his past. Events and situations that occurred, both in his past and over the consort of the sassy, show signs of Holdens affection for naturalness. Children also bothow Holden to appreciate the consider for a more positive attitude in his struggle with depression.Lastly, objects and places that waste an impact on Holdens attitude and positivity, symbolize the uprightness of youth. Although Holden maintains a fairly negative state of mind throughout the novel, he always becomes uplifted by the mention or memory of innocence, some liaison that he deeply cherishes and attempts to preserve in this murky world that he finds himself trap in. Events, both in the past a nd present, can bring innocence seat into Holdens thought path, causing him to feel an array of emotions.One of the some influential events that happened in Holdens past was the death of his brother, and it has definitely taken a piece of Holdens innocence. Allies death had a horrible impact on Holdens life, and it is one of the main causes of his depression I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. It was a very stupid liaison to do, Ill admit, but I hardly didnt even exist I was doing it, and you didnt know Allie (Salinger 50). Although Allie is rarely mentioned in this novel, his death had a huge impact on Holden.The innocence of his younger brother had been muzzy with leukemia, which deeply saddened Holden. A plot event that also affected Holdens innocence was the date that Stradlater and Jane went on. Holden knew about Stradlaters nature with the girls that he dated, and he was very frustrated that Ward was about to go on a date with Jane, and old friend from Holdens past. Holdens innocent radio link with Jane was organism destroyed by Stradlaters motives, and he wished he could have preserved the innocence of his old friend.The protagonists outburst to this neediness of innocence was the event that lead to his premature journey out into the night, and the entire situation helped to spark the negativity that was being presented over the course the one-third days. Children always bring happiness and innocence to the main character, because they allow him to organise meaningful memories, and to appreciate the innocence that they provide. Holden imagined a world of purity and innocence, and he wished he could create such a thing Anyway, I grasp picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all.Thousands of little kids, and nobodys around nobody big, I mean except me. And Im standing(a) on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to go steady everybody if they start to go over the cliff I mean if theyre running and they dont look where theyre going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them (Salinger 224). This brighter world that Holden imagined brought his spirits up tremendously, and allowed him to take his mind off of his on-going depression. Holdens younger babe, Phoebe, was a child who possessed both innocence and maturity.She was a very important person in Holdens life, because the nimbus cloud of innocence that she gave off deeply affected her brother. He loved his sister not only because he had the obligation to love his family, but because she was the outflank representative of innocence in Holdens life. Objects and places that Holden came across in this novel also showed signs and pieces of innocence, and Holden greatly appreciated them. Allies baseball mitt was a symbol with extreme ties to innocence, because they allowed Holden to happily reminisce about his deceased brother.The museum is some other thing that symbolizes the inevitability that is presented by the loss of innocence The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobodyd moveThe only thing that would be different would be you (Salinger 158). The Museum of Natural History symbolized Holdens cultism of changing or growing up, mentioning that there was always something different about him every time he went there. His analysis of the museum represented his desire to piss on to his own innocence, and to prevent changes that could cause its loss.Anything having to do with youth and innocence, whether it is a person, object, or event, has a very deep meaning for Holden Caulfield, and it even before long uplifts his emotions. Salinger shows love through the innocence that was portrayed in various things throughout the novel, and he uses Holden as the ultimate symbol of love and innocence, which is slowly being whisked away by the inevitable process o f the loss of this purity. For Holden, innocence holds the bring out to a brighter world, and Holden refuses to be victimized by the loss of innocence as he journeys through the city that refuses to sleep.