Dan Geisman

Jr Theology/Faith

August 23, 2005

Holden Caulfield: Man Without Faith

            Holden Caulfield in “Catcher in the Rye” is a man without faith because of his need to rely on the crutches of alcohol and tobacco to fit into the adult world, his inability to see the inherent goodness in people, and his beliefs in the perversion of the adult world. Holden’s reliance on the crutches of alcohol and tobacco to fit into the adult world makes it so he can not see God in all things. Although Holden is sixteen, he smokes and drinks to make people believe he is older then he is, and this gets him into the corrupt parts of the adult world. When Holden is bored and has nothing to do, he wonders around the town from bar to bar and drinks all he can. His wandering shows he thinks that to be social, he must drink and enter a world of corruption, and when he drinks, he forgets his faith and loses himself. Holden’s desire for things never to change shows he does not trust in God, and he just wants everything to be untouchable and he believes that when he grows up, God no longer exists, and the whole world becomes corrupt. Even when Holden goes to his old teacher that he trusts, he finds the perversion of alcohol in all the “high balls” his teacher drinks. Holden finds it acceptable to be an alcoholic, and with this acceptance comes the danger that he himself could become one, further separating him from God.

Holden’s lack of faith is shown by his seeing corruption and perversion in everyone instead of people’s inherent goodness and desire to help him. Holden is fascinated by perversion, as is shown by his observation of the perverts in the hotel and his knowledge of perversion in general. Holden even sees perversion and corruption in his mentor, his teacher, even though his teacher really just cares for him and acts as the “catcher” Holden envisions himself as. Holden runs from the fact that his teacher cares for him, and instead of accepting other’s and God’s aid, goes off on his own. Holden lacks the faith to trust others, and jumps to the worst conclusions whenever something is even slightly off. Holden thinks that unless a “catcher” helps a person, that person will become corrupted and join the majority of the world. This belief shows that Holden thinks that there is no higher power that will help with his life struggles, and that he seeks artificial means such as alcohol and laughing at other’s misery to help him cope with his problems.

Holden’s belief in the adult world being the epitome of corruption and change being always for the worst shows he does not have the trust in God to allow things to happen, and he believes that knowledge and questioning are evils. Holden sees the museum as a calm and perfect place, because he sees pure science and things frozen in time, unaffected by anything. Instead of being able to see perfection as God’s will being doen, he sees perfection as a world where nothing changes, and God has nothing to do with it. Although Holden’s view of a catcher seems to show his faith in a higher power, it really shows that he believes that everything will become corrupted and perverted if someone does not intervene and guide the people step by step. Holden, although not necessarily a bad person, is a man without faith.