Mark Amoroso
August 27, 2008
Jr. Theology

A Metanoia of Sorts
Holden Caulfield did not trust in society to protect kids from growing up. Throughout the book, Holden gives articles of clothing to the children that he encounters. He provides this metaphoric piece of protection in order to defend their innocent and untroubled life. The falls are representation of the loss of innocence, the loss of childhood. While Holden is staying at the hotel, he indirectly requests a prostitute. When she knocks on the door, he trips over his suitcase. Though he falls often, he tries to prevent the children from falling. He gives a hand to the girl with the skate key so that she does not lose her balance and fall. His lack of trust in others and over protectiveness that he exhibits for the children that he does indeed have little faith. He sees himself as the man in the rye field, catching the children, protecting them from falling off the cliff of innocence and landing into adulthood. Holden’s “Catcher in the Rye”, Mr. Antolini, gives good advice and hopes the best for him. Yet in Mr. Antolini we see that the Catcher in the Rye will not work, because the adult in the field is not pure, is not innocent and is not a child. Through this revelation Holden begins to see that falling is not only acceptable but is welcome in order to grow, because “if the fall…they fall.”