Holden�s Revelations
In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden views the world as an evil and corrupt place where there is no peace or innocence. He believes that only children are innocent and he must protect them from the sinister adulthood. Over the course of the novel, Holden�s perception of the world does not change significantly, but his idea of how to react the world does.
During his visit with Mr. Antolini, Holden changes his perception of the world more than he does anywhere else in the book. Yet, the change is insignificant. When Mr. Antolini pats Holden on the head as he is sleeping, it causes Holden to jump up and run out thinking that Mr. Antolini is a pervert. After reviewing Mr. Antolini, Holden ...
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sun, of course, is a reference to decency through the common association of light and goodness. Thus, Holden�s perception of the world remains, essentially, unchanged.
The belief that does change during the book is that Holden can evade or protect the world. He sees a corrupt environment, and at first, believes that he must either protect or abandon it. On his date with Sally, Holden reveals his feelings about his situation in the world: "Did you ever get fed up? I mean did you ever get scared that everything was going to go lousy unless you did something?� (130). From here, one sees that Holden feels a responsibility to protect the world from becoming �lousy.� At a later point, in his first discussion with Phoebe, Holden tries to disregard his situation and avoid contact with the corrupt world. He contemplates heading out west where he will pretend to be a deaf-mute and live a quiet life. He thinks that if no one is talking to him he will have no problems with the evil ...
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Holden�s Revelations. (2005, August 16). Retrieved March 28, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Holdens-Revelations/31782
"Holden�s Revelations." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 16 Aug. 2005. Web. 28 Mar. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Holdens-Revelations/31782>
"Holden�s Revelations." Essayworld.com. August 16, 2005. Accessed March 28, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Holdens-Revelations/31782.
"Holden�s Revelations." Essayworld.com. August 16, 2005. Accessed March 28, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Holdens-Revelations/31782.
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