Catcher in the Rye Essay
Natassja
Mr. Ferraro
ENG 2D1-03
November 1st, 2011
Falling off the Edge Essay
Some may find it is impossible to protect all youths from the vulgarity of the world. Protecting someone or something is not always the easiest task. People do not have control over what a child may hear or see. Children lose their pureness as they mature and explore the world. In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by Jerome David Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield, finds himself the protector of innocence. There are substantial symbols that are beneficial to signify the theme of innocence throughout the novel. These symbols include, the Museum of Natural History, which is a place of innocence, children and security. Holden’s red hunting hat, which he lends to Phoebe to shield her from the phoniness of adulthood and through Robert Burns’ poem, “Comin’ Through the Rye.” One of the symbols that demonstrate the theme of innocence is the museum. The museum establishes a place of childhood and purity to Holden. It is a sentimental and symbolic environment were nothing changes. “Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that's impossible, but it's too bad anyway” (Salinger 122). The museum enables him to visualize his perfect fantasy: a world without change. Holden differentiate between innocence and youth. He insists that every time he visits the museum, he would be different. This quote plays into his imagination that he fears youths changing and becoming aware of the adult world. Holden emphasizes that it is not the aging that scares him, it’s the changes one goes through in order to become an adult. The museum reminds Holden of his youth and it symbolizes security. When Holden sees that the walls being contaminated with profane language, he is agitated about how it is going to affect the children when they come across it. “That's the whole
Mr. Ferraro
ENG 2D1-03
November 1st, 2011
Falling off the Edge Essay
Some may find it is impossible to protect all youths from the vulgarity of the world. Protecting someone or something is not always the easiest task. People do not have control over what a child may hear or see. Children lose their pureness as they mature and explore the world. In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by Jerome David Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield, finds himself the protector of innocence. There are substantial symbols that are beneficial to signify the theme of innocence throughout the novel. These symbols include, the Museum of Natural History, which is a place of innocence, children and security. Holden’s red hunting hat, which he lends to Phoebe to shield her from the phoniness of adulthood and through Robert Burns’ poem, “Comin’ Through the Rye.” One of the symbols that demonstrate the theme of innocence is the museum. The museum establishes a place of childhood and purity to Holden. It is a sentimental and symbolic environment were nothing changes. “Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that's impossible, but it's too bad anyway” (Salinger 122). The museum enables him to visualize his perfect fantasy: a world without change. Holden differentiate between innocence and youth. He insists that every time he visits the museum, he would be different. This quote plays into his imagination that he fears youths changing and becoming aware of the adult world. Holden emphasizes that it is not the aging that scares him, it’s the changes one goes through in order to become an adult. The museum reminds Holden of his youth and it symbolizes security. When Holden sees that the walls being contaminated with profane language, he is agitated about how it is going to affect the children when they come across it. “That's the whole