Catcher in the Rye exam
In J.D. Salinger’s famous novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the narrator is a 16 year old boy named Holden Caulfield. Throughout the course of the book, Holden is kicked out of his prestigious prep school, fights his roommate Stradlater, gets drunk (a lot), but learns a new, more positive outlook on life as a result. The meaning of the title of The Catcher in the Rye pertains to a dream that Holden had, in which he stands on a cliff catching children who are playing in a field of rye. It is his job is to catch the children and to throw them back into the field so that they’re safe and continue to play. He attempts to keep them safe, maintaining their innocence. Many things upset Holden in this book, like the writing of “fuck you” on the walls of Phoebe’s school and the Museum of Natural History because these things take away innocence.
The person in this novel who has the biggest impact on Holden would be his little sister, Phoebe. Phoebe Caulfield, although six years his junior, is one of the only people in the world who understand him. She listens to what she says, and she is very good at saying the right thing. Her childish innocence and maturity consistently brings Holden joy throughout the novel. Holden gave Phoebe his hunting hat, which he wore for a while to hide behind. Phoebe has the biggest impact on Holden because she is consistently helpful to him. She lends him money when he sneaks into her room to talk. She covers for him when he is almost found by his mother, telling her that she wanted to try a cigarette and that was the reason it smelled of smoke in her room. When Holden tells her about his plan to run away, Phoebe invites herself and shows up with a suitcase. She was devastated and angry when he refused to let her come along. They end up walking to the zoo, and she rides the carousel. This is a very important scene.
The carousel scene is significant because it shows many things, and ties up the ending of the book....