One of the central themes in The Catcher in the Rye is Holden's desire to protect the innocence of childhood. In this way, his relationship with his younger sister, Phoebe, is pivotal to the story.
Holden often confides in Phoebe and believes she is one of the few people in his world that isn’t a “phony.” In one scene, Holden reveals his innermost desire:
That’s all I’d do all day. 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.
The catcher in the rye is someone who stands guard to catch children before they might fall. This image symbolically describes Holden’s fixation on preserving innocence.
Two examples of Holden preserving innocence occur as Holden attempts to protect his younger sister. In one occasion, Holden desperately tries to erase swear words written on a wall at the school Phoebe attends. He doesn’t want her exposed to that type of language. In a later scene, Phoebe packs a suitcase and decides she wants to run away with Holden. He cannot allow this and convinces Phoebe that she must stay, distracting her by spending the day at the zoo with her instead.
It can be noted that in many ways, Phoebe also saves Holden. While watching the sweet and innocent Phoebe riding on a carousel, Holden is pulled out of his depression (at least momentarily). Phoebe gives Holden purpose.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
What are 2 ways that Holden protected Phoebe in The Catcher in the Rye?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What is the theme of the chapter Lead?
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
The statement "Development policy needs to be about poor people, not just poor countries," carries a lot of baggage. Let's dis...
-
James is very unhappy on a number of occasions throughout the story, but he's especially unhappy with his life situation as the story be...
-
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
One of the plot lines in Pride and Prejudice is Mrs. Bennet’s plan to marry off her daughters, preferably to rich men. Throughout the novel...
-
As if Hamlet were not obsessed enough with death, his uncovering of the skull of Yorick, the court jester from his youth, really sets him of...
-
Under common law, any hotel, inn, or other hospitality establishment has a duty to exercise "reasonable care" for the safety an...
-
Note that these events are not in chronological order. The story is told by the narrator, looking back upon her life. The first notable even...
No comments:
Post a Comment