Salinger s The Catcher s The Rye - 1303 Words

Irving Howe, a literary and social critic said, â€Å"The knowledge that makes us cherish innocence makes innocence unattainable† (BrainyQuote). The Catcher in the Rye, a novel by J.D. Salinger tells of a very important part Holden Caulfield s life. Holden, a 17 year old from New York, writes about the events that follow him flunking out of Pencey Prep School. Holden is very critical of everyone around him, except the small group of people that he protects with his life. He cherishes the youth children have, and hates the qualities that adults share. He acts very young for his age, but has the responsibilities on his shoulders that an adult would have. Holden is very defensive of other’s innocence and attempts to selfishly protect it from the†¦show more content†¦His innocence, and Allie’s innocence were quickly taken away, which leads Holden to cherish the youthfulness that he no longer has. Through his constant hatred of phonies, he reveals what he is truly hiding; he does not want himself and others to grow up. The innocence that children have stops them from becoming an adult and learning of the true dangers of the world. He is very critical of his brother D.B., because he went to make a name for himself in the movie-making business, instead of writing more stories, â€Å"Now he’s out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the movies† (Salinger pg. 2). Holden hates the decision his brother made when he went to Hollywood. It is a very adult decision, that required D.B. to take a lot of risks, yet rewardingly pays off. Holden refers to him as a prostitute, which shows how he really feels about D.B.’s choices. He sees him as a sell out, even though he is pursuing a good career. Holden is trying to retain the innocence of those around him, because he does not want to see them become adults and put on a fake act for the world. Children to him are genuine and pure, whereas people like his brother are phony and do not meet his extremely high standards. Allie is idolized by Holden throughout the book, and he sees him as perfect, but he could not protect him from the cancer that quickly killed him. He should not protect the innocence of others, because it