7. How do you think Holden perceives childhood and adulthood? Where do you think he fits in?

I believe Holden views adulthood as the epitome of phoniness. He thinks of it as something to avoid and to be rescued from. Adulthood, in Holden’s opinion, is where children loose their innocence and are corrupted. Holden views childhood as innocence as purity. Holden explains that he wants to be “the catcher in the rye,” saving children from falling of a cliff into the world of adulthood. He has a desire to protect the innocent children from becoming phonies. 

Holden doesn’t really fit in to either the childhood or adulthood category. He is right in the middle. On one hand, Holden is physically mature and his thoughts prove to be more mature then his actions. For example at the end of the book Holden realizes that he cannot save everyone’s innocence where as at the beginning he continuously calls people phonies. On the other hand he is very immature. For example, he kept calling Stradlater a moron which provoked Stradlater to fight him. When Stradlater feels bad about what he has done, he tells Holden to go wash his face but in return Holden says, “Go wash your own moron face.” (pg45) Another example is when Holden pays a prostitute to come to his room. Holden makes her leave before anything happens, still paying her but she soon returns with her boss, Maurice, asking for more money then originally agreed upon. Holden becomes very frazzled and is unsure of what to do, and begins to cry. Instead of just giving Maurice the money he argues very immaturely and is punched, while the prostitute takes the money from his wallet. Holden is at the crossroads of adulthood and childhood, where he will need to make his decision about either excepting the fact that he is growing up or trying to stay as a child.