Idealism in 'The Catcher in the Rye'

The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 coming-of-age novel by J.D. Salinger, which details the thoughts and emotions of Holden Caulfield, as he navigates the pitfalls and peaks of adolescence. His idealistic view of the world stems primarily from his desire to hold on to his innocence, and his reluctance to grow up. This is shown through the author’s use of first person narrative, metaphor, and irony.

The metaphor of ‘the catcher in the rye’ and Holden’s description of what he would like to do in his life perfectly encapsulates how he views the world, and how his perspective has matured over the course of the story. He imagines himself catching children running through fields of rye as they are about to accidentally run off the cliff. This can be interpreted as Holden wanting to ‘catch’ children before they enter the ‘phony’ world of adulthood. Here, the fields of rye (where children are blissfully unaware of the difficulties of life, as they cannot see where they are going) represent childhood and innocence, and running off the cliff represents plunging into the unwelcoming world of growing up.

The fact that Holden, for the first time in the novel, states his desire to have a job when he grows up and fancies himself the protector of children conveys his growth in the novel and his acceptance of the changes in his life.

Salinger’s use of first person narrative and irony in the novel gives the reader a firsthand look into how Holden views the world, and how that contrasts with what actually happens in the novel. For example, the reader understands, through Holden’s narration, that he glorifies the idea of childhood, and makes it out to be a simple, flawless experience (like running through fields of rye). This is contrasted by the character of Phoebe, which Holden ironically views as the epitome of childlike innocence. Phoebe acts as a parental figure to Holden, guiding him in the right direction, and hearing him out when he needs it. His idea of childhood is also contrasted as he walks through Phoebe’s school, and finds cuss words written all over the walls.

His irrational view of childhood is shattered at the end of the novel, as he finally accepts that children must grow up.

Holdens’ idealism has a plethora of positive and negative consequences in the novel. His immaturity gets him in a painful situation after his first ‘sexual’ encounter, and causes the people around him (people who are often more mature than him) to reject him, as they misunderstand him. On the other hand, it also allows him to mature and figure out what he wants to do with his life.