Holden

            The Catcher in the Rye, a novel by J. Salinger, he describes Holden Caulfield (the main character in the novel) as a sixteen year old junior who at first appears to be a crazy weird and obnoxious kid. In the beginning of the novel Salinger starts off with Holden who has just been expelled for academic failure from a school called Pencey Prep. Even though whenever we think of Holden it is usually his poor characteristics, we later than find out his positive side and true meaning behind his actions; and how he wants to help kids and protect them from society. It is in this way that Holden truly becomes the reader's hero. Through his actions and reactions to society and others. .
             Phoebe Caulfield, Holden sister who he very much likes, he gets in contact with where Holden tells his inner most feelings and problems. After a while, she says that she will run away with Holden unless he goes home. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden views children as innocent, and tries to protect them from the evils of society. In The Catcher in the Rye, evil is trying to corrupt innocence. Children are the symbol of innocence, and society is the symbol of evil. As children grow up and experience society and the world, they become corrupt, or phony, through their experiences in Holden's view. .
             Society is a symbol of evil because it is already corrupt. All around there are.
             alcoholics, prostitutes, thieves, drug addicts, etc. Holden saw this in most of the people he met. After living in New York City for a few days, Holden becomes very upset by the number of phonies in the city. And Holden then decides that he will be like "the catcher in the rye", and protect the innocent children. In on of Holden's dreams he sees himself standing at the edge of a cliff watching little children running around care free. As the children run towards the cliff they are so involved in their running around, that they don't even see it, so Holden picks up the kids and turns them in the other direction, and they never have to worry about anything.