Free Essays - The Title of The Catcher In The Rye :: Catcher Rye Essays

The Title of The Catcher In The Rye         The title of the novel The Catcher In The Rye, by JD Salinger, has a substantial connection to the story.  This title greatly explains the main character, Holden Caulfield, and his feelings towards life and human nature.  In society he has found enormous corruption, vulgarity, harm and havoc.  He knows that the children of the human are ruined by the corruption of adults around them and, he states later in the novel, his new purpose in life will be to dish up save the children from this vulgarity.  Holden wants to be a Catcher in the Rye.  We first hear the title of the novel being used in chapter 16, and in chapter 22 we return the full explanation of this title.  Human dignity is vital to Holdens existence and the only way to guarantee this on a long term basis is to serve children in maintaining their innocence  from the dangers of adulthood.       & nbsp In chapter 16 we have the first reference to the meaning of the novels title, The Catcher in the Rye.  Holden hears a little boy singing to himself a verse which makes Holden very smart If a body catch a body coming through the rye, (Page 115).  It is difficult to understand why Holden is made happy by the little boys singing unless one has an idea of what the song means to Holden. The little boy is described by Holden in gentle caring monetary value  The kid was swell.  He was travel in the street, instead of on the sidewalk, but right next to the curb.  He was making out like he was walking a very straight line, the way kids do, and the whole time he kept singing and humming.  (Page 115). Holden notes that the childs parents pay no attention to him.  To Holden this child represents innocence and juvenility unspoiled by adult immorality.       Holden wishes to serve humanity by safeguarding the innocence and purity of children, by protecting them from the evils of life.  His little sister, Phoebe, asks him what he would like to be and he answers   I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of