... going to apply himself next year, but having had the experiences and pain he describes it seems logical that he has matured and learnt about himself. When Holden tries to rub out the graffiti at Phoebe's school in order to protect the minds of the innocent children he is becoming the catcher in the rye. This is reinforced at the end of the book when he purports to miss everyone mentioned, one ... feels that he would like to have protected them and caught them in the rye like the children, he doesn't want them to have grown ... up. In this way at least he is defining himself by his own ...

• Word Count: 1213
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate