Holden’s Struggle for Identity: The Conflict Between Adulthood and Childhood Innocence

In J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is portrayed as a teenager facing deep
psychological distress because of which he is unable to take responsibility for his everyday life.
This paper argues that his primary psychological concerns are engrained in his perception of
conflict between the world of adults and the world of children, the former of which “defiles” the
latter. Whenever he realizes that the world of adulthood breaches the world of childhood
innocence, Holden’s language reveals psychological disturbance. His encounter with his sister
Phoebe reveals holes in his worldview which challenge him as he begins to feel more afraid of
what would happen to him (and her) if he chose not to take responsibility for his life. The end of
the novel suggests that this interaction was transformative and that he will begin applying himself
in different aspects of life in the future by participating in adulthood.