The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a story that explains events in the life of the main character, Holden Caulfield, while also exposing his thoughts and the inner workings of his mind. Throughout the novel, Holden expresses multiple different emotions while the author explicates his relationship with his younger sister Phoebe Caulfield. Is it easy to tell by the way Holden describes her, that the two have an extremely close relationship. We constantly find Holden affectionately referring to her as “old Phoebe,” when he thinks about reaching out to her, and this shows his exceptional love for his sister. The relationship between the two is truly pure which feels great to Holden as it shows him that there are people who you can sit and have an intelligent conversation with without feeling like the person is being, as Holden would describe them, a “phony.” One thing made clear about Holden is that he despises the “phony” characteristic that he sometimes finds in a person, and it is easy to see that Phoebe possesses no such quality. This is possibly why Holden seems so happy with the relationship, as it is a refreshing break from all of the phonies he encounters throughout his life away…show more content… Holden tells Phoebe that he is thinking about leaving the city via a written letter, and Phoebe then goes home and packs a suitcase, ready to join Holden on his journey. The action slowly snaps Holden out of his dream of leaving the city as he sees Phoebe’s anger as he tries to tell her that she cannot go with him and realizes that he cannot leave his sister alone like that. Seeing Phoebe so angry with him changes his mindset and pulls him towards staying with his family and his sister, showing the power of his relationship with his
Culture 13
Conclusion – Fall of Innocence 15
Works Cited List 17
Abstract
This essay is a detailed analysis about The Catcher in the Rye investigating whether it is relevant for youth and…
