Catcher in the Rye - Coming of Age
By the end of the novel, Holden experiences a coming of age and shows signs that he is ready to enter adulthood. When Holden is sitting on the stairs of Phoebe’s school, he sees profanity written in the school. He rubs it off to avoid the children seeing it. He encounters more profanity, rubs it off, but then realizes that even if he rubs off all the profanity he can, there will always be more in the world. This shows Holden’s growth into a mature character. He realizes that he cannot protect children from seeing the profanity, as he cannot be the catcher in the rye for them. In addition, when Holden watches Phoebe reaching for the ring on the carousel, he concludes, “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (Salinger 211). When Holden allows Phoebe to reach for the ring, it is evident that he is no longer trying to protect her from falling. Jeff Pettineo comments about Holden’s reaction to Phoebe reaching for the gold ring, “But Holden's admission to the reader that one has to allow kids to ‘reach for the ring’ despite a possible fall indicates, perhaps, that he is starting to come to terms with the ephemeral and dynamic nature of human existence” (Pettineo n.pag.). Holden begins to understand that no one can stop a child from falling from innocence, just as they cannot stop the child from falling off the carousel. Holden understands that he cannot be the catcher in the rye and that he will not always be there to protect Phoebe’s innocence. When it begins to rain at the carousel, Phoebe is covered by the carousel while Holden is soaked by the rain. The rain may be a symbol for a new beginning for Holden, as his immaturity and innocence is figuratively washed away. Phoebe is under cover to show that her innocence is not yet being washed away. Sandra Lott says about Holden and a character from another novel, “At the end