Natalie- comin’ thro the rye,” but it
Natalie- “The Catcher in the Rye” Topic sentence: Holden’s obsession to be the catcher in the rye further develops his character, yet blinds him from the reality of his desires.Holden’s ambition in life is to be the catcher in the ryeHe can picture himself wearing a giant glove, waiting to catch kids that fall off of the cliff while playing in the ryeHe obsesses with the fact that he doesn’t want children to grow up, lose their innocence, and see the world in a different mannerHe wants to protect children from having their “fall” from the field of innocence He doesn’t want them to recognize the harshness of adulthood in this worldHowever, this not only symbolizes his desire to save children, but also his desire to prevent himself from growing up into an adult world that he describes as “phony”Song: Holden dreams of becoming a catcher in the rye when he mishears the song “Comin’ Thro the Rye” He thinks the lyric is “If a body catch a body comin’ thro the rye,” but it is actually “If a body meet a body comin’ thro the rye”The original lyrics refer to two people having an intimate encounter in the ryeHe feels that intimacy should be between people who care deeply about each other, but is struck by the realization that it can be casualThis is ironic because it puts emphasis on the fact that Holden wants to shield children from losing the innocence, but also allows us as readers to recognize that he is still innocent himselfQuote: During Holden’s visit to Mr. Antolini’s house, Mr.
Antolini tells Holden, “I don’t want to scare you, but I can very clearly see you dying nobly, one way or another, for some highly unworthy cause” (Salinger 188).Mr. Antolini also tells him a quote referring to an immature man that dies nobly for a cause; whereas a mature man lives humbly for the causeHolden is unable to accept the reality that he will be sacrificing himself for nothingChildren will eventually lose their innocence and he can’t prevent that from happening The best that he can do is be a good role model to children and guide them as they grow upCharacter development: This symbol also shows us the development of Holden’s characterAccording to the quote, Holden was developing into an immature man that would die to save innocenceWe are able to experience his feelings as he expresses his thoughts of being the catcher in the rye and being a protector for children from the real worldConcluding sentence: Although being the “catcher in the rye” is very meaningful in the novel, Holden also speaks about Allie’s baseball glove being a very important symbol in his life. Raquel: Allie’s baseball gloveTopic sentence: As Holden often struggled with the death of his own brother, the symbol of Allie’s glove represented times without mourning.
The poems written in the glove would show the readers a more sensitive side of Holden that he never really expressed. Allie:Glove is a reminder of the type of person Allie was; intelligent, friendly, inventive, and unique (left handed)Allie needed something to entertain himself with during slow times in the outfield is a reminder of his personalityThe Glove:Allie’s glove had ink all over itPoetry written on itAllie wanted something to read in the outfield and it illustrates his personalityHolden:Symbol for Holden’s emotional expression Keeps it hidden, it is precious and holds his heartWrites a composition on his glove for Stradlater’s homework”I wrote about my brother Allie’s baseball mitt. It was a very descriptive subject. It really was. My brother Allie had this left-handed fielder’s mitt.
He was left-handed.”By writing about his glove, we see Holdens sensitive sideGlove is the only real connection Holden’s has to his feelings Grief: Holden needs help dealing with griefHe must take out the glove and confront his painHe must acknowledge his feelings in order to release himself from the terrible guilt and loss that he feelsHoldens memories of Allie are the only things he enjoys Conclusion:The glove represents Holden’s love for his brother. The poems were a testament to Holden’s intelligence. Holden only shares with one of the only people he believes is worthy enough to know, Jane Gallagher. Holden idolizes the people that he has lost.
As Holden thinks of Allie as someone who brings him comfort, he tends to look for this feeling of tranquility in others and himself, but ends up not being able to find it. The glove is an epitome of this.
