Holden: A Catcher in the Rye
While Holden may only be sixteen years old, his outlook on life makes him seem much older. He has this idea that he is different from everyone else because he does not conform to what society expects, and he criticizes those around him, which makes him feel better about himself. Another one of Holden's ideas is that children are innocent until corrupted, meaning children are the purest forms of life in society. Still, they soon enter a world of stress, dishonesty, and a "phony" lifestyle. Holden sees himself being a kind of savior to the children in the world. He pictures children running around, playing in a rye field, and suddenly jumping into an abyss, and he wants to catch them before they fall. This "falling" is Holden referencing the way children mature in real life, becoming hypocritical adults instead of innocent children. The image of the children playing before falling represents their youth and their carefree way of life. Holden wants to save the ch