Rhetorical Analysis Of The Catcher In The Rye
Title In this novel, Holden Caulfield gets kicked out of his school and stays in New York for a couple of days before returning home. During his travels Holden does not maintain any relationships and he associates most adults with being phony. He is constantly trying to protect himself and his sister Phoebe from being exposed to the harsh adult world. In The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger uses rhetorical devices to explain Holden’s struggles and establish the theme of preserving his own innocence and the innocence of those around him. Salinger uses tone to show Holden’s struggle to maintain relationships. Holden is reminded of Jane Gallagher when Stradlater goes on a date with her. Upon Stradlater’s arrival from the date, Holden yells
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Holden mishears the words of Robert Burns’ poem. Holden hears “if a body catch a body comin’ through the rye” (Salinger 224). Instead of “ If a body meet a body coming through the rye” (Salinger 224). His misinterpretation leads him to want to become a catcher in the rye. He describes to Phoebe what he would like to do by saying “I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going. I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day, I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all” (Salinger 225). He wants to save people from falling off of this cliff and losing the innocence they posses. Timothy Aubry further extends Holden’s need to preserve innocence in his article The Catcher in the Rye: The Voice of Alienation by stating “Holden’s urge to shield children from danger and allow them to play endlessly exemplifies his desire to suspend time, to inhabit a space of youth preserved indefinitely” (Aubry). Salinger’s illusion is a major indication of Holden’s struggle with preserving innocence. A symbol of Holden losing his innocence, was the record that he gave Phoebe. The title implies, the record was made for children to listen to. Holden giving the record to Phoebe represents him wanting to preserve her child-like innocence. He dropped the record in the park which symbolizes holden’s life and innocence shattering. Holden describes Phoebe’s reaction when he gave her the pieces as “She took them right out of my hand and then she put them in the drawer of the night table” (Salinger). Phoebe accepted the shattered record. She accepted him for who he was. She ends up influencing Holden and he learns to accept the idea of not being completely innocent. Holen had an epiphany while Phoebe was riding a carousel. He noticed “ All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and
Holden mishears the words of Robert Burns’ poem. Holden hears “if a body catch a body comin’ through the rye” (Salinger 224). Instead of “ If a body meet a body coming through the rye” (Salinger 224). His misinterpretation leads him to want to become a catcher in the rye. He describes to Phoebe what he would like to do by saying “I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going. I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day, I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all” (Salinger 225). He wants to save people from falling off of this cliff and losing the innocence they posses. Timothy Aubry further extends Holden’s need to preserve innocence in his article The Catcher in the Rye: The Voice of Alienation by stating “Holden’s urge to shield children from danger and allow them to play endlessly exemplifies his desire to suspend time, to inhabit a space of youth preserved indefinitely” (Aubry). Salinger’s illusion is a major indication of Holden’s struggle with preserving innocence. A symbol of Holden losing his innocence, was the record that he gave Phoebe. The title implies, the record was made for children to listen to. Holden giving the record to Phoebe represents him wanting to preserve her child-like innocence. He dropped the record in the park which symbolizes holden’s life and innocence shattering. Holden describes Phoebe’s reaction when he gave her the pieces as “She took them right out of my hand and then she put them in the drawer of the night table” (Salinger). Phoebe accepted the shattered record. She accepted him for who he was. She ends up influencing Holden and he learns to accept the idea of not being completely innocent. Holen had an epiphany while Phoebe was riding a carousel. He noticed “ All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and