Ok. In this chapter, the book speaks about being a catcher in the rye. Holden keeps picturing in his brain a setting of lots of kids playing on a rye patch on the edge of a cliff. Holden's job is to catch the kids if they get too close to the brink. He says it is the only thing that he would like to do in life. All day every day. It seems that the thing(s) that Holden likes bes has to do with childhood and resposibility.
To Holden being a "catcher in the rye" means being in a field of rye right near a cliff with a bunch of kids. If any on the kids start to go over the cliff it is Holden's job to catch them. I think Holden wants to be a "catcher in the rye" because he doesn't seem to like people who are like him. He likes women and children the best and seems to think all men besides his brothers are "phonies". I think he also likes feeling like he has an important role. He likes feeling like people depend on him to save the children.
I agree with Brandon. Holden says that ge pictures that children are playing in a field of rye and that if they're not looking where they are going and if they come close to the cliff and they almost fall off, he's supposed to save they and keep them from falling off. It kind of shows some of his friendly soft side. I think that the picture of kids playing on a field of rye and them being kids and playing shows that maybe he misses being a kid a little bit.
It's kind of like when your a young kid, all of the things that Holden does might be a little more acceptable when he's 16/17. He lies a log which is something very immature to be doing. He starts to unravel some part in the book though. It seems that maybe he's starting to realize that he maybe has to grow up a little bit and stop being his childish self. Maybe catching the children if they fall is a responsibility, a responsibility that he might have to grow up. It seems that Holden doesn't want to have to grow up, though.
In the chapter of the book where the "Catcher In the Rye" is mentioned. It shows how Holden feels he is obligated to protect the children from falling off the cliff. I think this is a metaphor for stopping kids from falling into the trap of being phony. We seems to have stumbled on Holden's weak side, he has a soft spot for kids. For example, he adores Phoebe and loves Allie even though he is dead. Now look at Stradlater, he hates him, and he is no longer a child. Being the catcher in the rye would be like a protector of all the born and unborn form slipping into the state that holden is in. It's like when your parents tell you they want a better life for you than they had, so they do everything and their power to stop you from falling off the cliff into the trap of wrongness or adulthood.
In chapter 22 Holden states that his desire in life is to be a “catcher in the rye”, to Holden this means catching children at the edge of a cliff when they come to close to falling. Holden hates phonies, big-shots, and all of the above, he’s made that very clear so far. If Holden were to be his concept of what a “catcher in the rye” was he would never have to deal with phonies or big-shots just children like his siblings. Holden longs for a life of simplicity and being a “catcher in the rye” would provide that for him.
According to Holden, to be a 'catcher in the rye' is to be this guy who catches the kids who are playing in a rye field if they get to close to falling. They're all very small, but he's this bigger figure compared to them. It's almost like he's guardian, in a way. The 'catcher' is this person who's always there for the kids, and is always ready to catch them.
I feel like this relates to holden because i feel like he's never quite had his 'catcher'. Throughout the book, we've seen holden have to be his own catcher, and sort of take care of himself when he almost 'falls of a cliff', or kind of gets himself into crazy things. I think this job that he dreams of is this job that he's kind of mastered. This 'catcher' figure, seems to have this big-brotherly role, that i think holden has experienced little of, making this imaginary job seem so appealing, and the thing that he sort of wishes that he had.
Holden imagines a gigantic field of rye and full of children playing and he wants to stand at the edge and catch the children when they come close to falling off. His sister asks of him what he does like in life after he told her he had failed school, and he thinks for a while and this is the thing that comes up in his mind. It shows that Holden really wants to be a child again and play, and have freedom. He is depressed and he wants to work with children.
When Holden expresses his desire to be a “catcher in the rye” he is showing how he wishes to be a guide for others but yet be apart from others. Holden expresses no desire to be with the children, rather he wishes to be amongst the rye. The rye is the crossing of the world of the phonies and the world of the pure. Holden is in this mix, he does not side with one, rather he stays hovering over the edge of the cliff and the grassy plains. Holden wishes to stop those who are lost in the rye like himself. In this instance Holden is the children’s guide, without which they can never come through the rye.
When Holden goes to visit his younger sister, Phoebe, she asks him what he likes. Holden responds by saying that he would really like to be a "catcher in the rye." By Holden's standards this entails being there to catch an assortment of children playing a game: "Anyway, I kept picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobodys around-nobody big, I mean-except me." pg 173
I thought KJ's analyzing was quite insightful. Because, in a way, it does seem as if Holden is attempting to protect the children from something, whether falling off the cliff symbolizes becoming a phony, or something else. It seems quite hypocritical that Holden would like to protect the children from bad things, while his own life is such a mess.
I think this represents Holden's character majorly. He is always focusing on others, mostly in a negative way, instead of dealing with himself. If Holden was to be a "catcher in the rye," Holden would assume responsibility over these children, and it seems quite ironic, considering Holden has done a poor job of taking care of himself.
holden sees the catcher in the rye as a field of kids playing near a cliff edge and he has to catch them when they fall off. i think that holden wants to do this for the rest of his life, he finds this a very simple yet important job. holden is going through all of these events just to find what he wants to do what makes him feel important so that he can live on.
A "catcher in the rye" is a person who stands at the edge of a cliff and stops the children from falling off. I agree with kira in saying that Holden never had a "catcher" growing up. His whole life was basically going downhill; or in this scenario falling off the cliff. He started off as a happy child and started to fall once Allie died and was then sent to boarding school where his life became a mess. Growing up, Holden had nobody there for him and nobody to love and trust other than his siblings. The people he trusted or cared for in a way betrayed or left him. When he was in New York he went to his old teacher's house who he felt that he trusted. He then had to leave when he woke up and found the teacher stroking his head. Although this may have been a friendly gesture, Holden took it as if the teacher was taking a homosexual advance toward him. Allie, also left him in a way by dying. Everything that he loved or trusted has left him and this makes him want to be somebody's "catcher"
Being the Catcher In the Rye meant to stand under a cliff and do nothing all day except for catching kids that fall down from the cliff. I think that this is a typical thing that Holden would want to do because he gets to be alone with no people bothering him and no troubles or changes.
A "Catcher in the rye" is someone who will protect little children that are playing around in big fields. There is a big cliff edge next to where they're playing and if a child roams too far and doesn't see this edge the catcher in the rye's job is to catch the child before they fall and protect them.
I think when Holden says what he wants to do for the rest of his life, he's really opening up but it's sad how Phoebe doesn't pay attention to that really important detail of his opinion in what he wants to do with his life. It's feels messed up, heroic, sad, and lonely how Holden wants this feeling of saving little children as the children are running towards a big cliff edge to fall and die. He wants this important role of saving people from death and falling, to feel good and needed. It almost seems like he is opening up and saying he's trying to replace that empty hole in him because he couldn't save his brother alli or James Castle. He also wants to be the only one doing this job and only for little kids. I think Holden and the job of being a catcher in the rye also connects with how the little kids don't know that there's a cliff there. It shows that life is always unpredictable and there are always people who will get hurt and die even if they don't deserve it and Holden is really feeling that that is very unfair and just wants to save everyones lives but at the same time only certain people since he says the catcher in the rye would only save children. So Holden seems to have this standard that only certain people should be saved that deserve to be saved, like the ones that aren't phonies or hot-shots.
Being the Catcher In the Rye meant to stand under a cliff and do nothing all day except for catching kids that fall down from the cliff. I think that this is a typical thing that Holden would want to do because he gets to be alone with no people bothering him and no troubles or changes.
In chapter 22 Holden and his sister phoebe begin discussing this poem " If a body meet a body coming through the rye." This discussion came about when Phoebe asked Holden what he wanted to be when he grew up. And at that moment Holden was imagining him at the edge of a cliff trying to save the lives of all these kids that were running towards the cliff. This profession was called " catcher in the rye ". This was a significant moment for Holden because he's the type of person who doesn't like being helped or rescued, he likes to figure things out himself. And when he said he wanted to be that profession showed that he isn't as stubborn as he seemed, that he does care and want to help others. That he does have a soft side for people other then his family.
When Holden is asked by Phoebe what he wants to be when he grows up he says that he wants to be the catcher in the rye. He keeps picturing that if a child was to fall of the cliff he would be there to catch them. I agree with KJ and Maite that it seems like Holden is trying to protect them from something like being a phony, but i think that there is more to it then protecting them from being a phony, but helping the kids life not fall apart.
The children falling of the cliff symbolizes Holden's life falling apart. In the last couple of chapters he stops trying to hide his life from himself. He is now willing to look back at the past and see that his life has fallen apart a bit. Now that he noticed it he is trying to protect other kids from going through the same thing as him.
In this segment of the book Holden talks about the "profession" of being a Catcher in the Rye. This profession entails saving kids from falling off of this imaginary cliff whilst they play in the Rye. It is sort of bizarre but Holden claims he would do it all day, every day. When he says this to Pheobe she does not respond to him because she has no idea what he is talking about. It is sort of sad in a way. Holden's profession is a made up one and he truly is aimless. I think the reason he wants to be a Catcher in the Rye is because of how much he cares for simplicity. He hates phonies who are so very complicated in life. He thinks these children who run through the Rye all day are simple folk who Holden cares for. This is why he wants to save them. And this is why he cares for the museum. It is all so simple. -Pablo P.S I don't know why it says David haha.
To be a catcher in the rye is to catch children in a rye patch at the edge of the cliff if they get to close to the edge and are about to fall off. Holden has to catch the kids in his mind as his job. In a way this makes him a savior and honored, like a main character. His previous dreams such as his guts falling out while shooting Maurice where he is the main character of the monologued "play." As a hero he is actually treating himself as a part of the crowd or "somebody" and others would as well.
The catcher in the rye means to be free. It means to be free from the New York City life, the life full of phonies. What he really wants is to get away from all these people, the people that are playing the game day after day. He doesn't want to play the game and that's what the rye is, an escape from the game. He sees things all the time in day to day life, and these things make him feel like he is going to puke, make him feel depressed and hatful. The rye is to be free, be with people like Phoebe and Allie, kids that understand him. He wants to be with these kids, play with them, make sure they are safe. He wants to protect Phoebe and wished that he could have protected Allie.
When Holden said he wanted his profession to be a "catcher in the rye" he meant that he wanted to save kids from falling off a cliff. He got this idea from a poem he read. He thought of this after Pheobe asked him if he even knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. I think that Holden knows, deep down inside that he needs someone to catch him from "falling off his cliff". When Mr. Antolini gave Holden a very long "speech" he told him that he was in a case, in which he was "falling" but would not stop. In order to stop he needed to "catch himself from falling off his cliff". His "cliff" is his main problem which keeps building into more problems if he doesn't stop it. Holden said he wants to be "the catcher in the rye" because he said that he would stand in front of the cliff all day catching kids so they would not fall. He needs to do this himself. The kids represent his immature self. Or it could represent him wanting to help others who are goin through what he is going through. Holden is caught in the middle of being an insider and outsider. The outsider is a phony and the insider is the non-phony. For him a phony is a immature person. Holden doesn't think that Allie, Pheobe, and Jane are phonies. The are/were mature. He always talks about how mature Pheobe is for her age and the same with Jane and Allie. All the other people are immature. Holden hates phonies even though he sort of is himself. Now he is starting to realize that the only way to catch himself from "falling of his cliff" is to become mature. In order to become mature he has to face his problems instead of running away. Holden is starting to change his "Mind patterns". (this is katherina)
In chapter 22 Holden talks about how he wants to be standing on the edge of a cliff and there are a bunch of children around in a field of rye and he wants to be the person who if any of the children are running and now looking where they are going he wants to be the person to catch them before they fall of the cliff. What it means to be a catcher in the rye is to be the person who is always helping people. If Holden were to run around helping the children to not fall of the cliff he would be helping people. The title relates to Holden by the way that he seems to always be picking on the things that people do, but I don't think when he is picking on them he realizes that hes being rude or mean and I think hes sort of trying to help them. In chapter 22 Phoebe is telling Holden that he never likes anything and is always picking on people and things and I think that is when Holden realizes that he is always picking on people. SummerGrace
The only thing that Holden wants to do is be a “catcher in the rye”. He wants to be the person who watches over children playing in a rye field, and catches them when they are about to fall off the cliff. He wants to protect children, because the only people he feels are innocent or at least not phony are children. The “catcher in the rye” is a metaphor. He has the job of protecting the innocent—he wants to stop children from falling of the cliff. Holden wants to catch them before they stop being innocent and become one of the “phonies” in the “real” world. He wants to do this because he wants to stop the things like the “ fuck you” signs in the school from turning the children into phony people who are no longer innocent.
He experiences children as the only good thing in the world. They are the only people that don’t do things for profit or for fame. Only children can judge things based on how valid and right they are, not just on the possible gains and losses that can come about from the experiences they are going through. But, when they see things like the graffiti in the school they can take a slip and Holden thinks the only just thing in the world to do as a job is to help them when they make that slip. Being a “catcher in the rye” is a way of saving children from the world, and then hopefully creating the possibility that the “saved children” will grow up to be better than the other phonies.
for holden, to be a catcher in the rye is to be the person who keeps kids from falling of cliffs. I think holden truely wants to help people with his life even if he doesn't realize it. to be a catcher in the rye is to keep people on their feet and away from death and dispair. I think the field of rye that the children play in symbolizes joy, hope, love, and ignorance. the cliff symbolizes the dawning of reality and all the problems in the world. falling over it means that you have succumbed to the worlds problems and died in the fall from happyness.
For holden, I think this meens that what he wants in life is to keep others from ever experiencing the worlds problems. He wants to do what he does best and lie to keep people happy.
In chapter 22, Holden describes a dream that he has had of him becoming a catcher in the rye. A field of rye would be a large area in which the rye plant would grow in. Holden imagines many children running and playing around. He envisions them having fun and playing. But then he also sees a large cliff in which it is hazardous if they fall over. Holden sees it as his job to protect these children from falling by catching them. I agree with other when they think that this relates to Holden because he is serving as a guardian, one that he has never had in his life. One that he has never asked for or seemed to need until his lonely journey into New York City, I also believe that being a Catcher in the rye could mean that Holden is finally taking responsibility into his actions. That he is finding some independence and learning that responsibility comes with it. I also believe that maybe this may not be his responsibility but Holden thinks it may be his “calling” because he doesn’t really know what it s that he wants to be. He really doesn’t know who he is just yet. In a way I think that Holden may want to give back to the community. He wants to do well, and by saving these children’s lives, he will do so. I believe that Holden feels the need to do something right because he feels that he hasn’t really done much in his life in the previous years. This cliff may also represent the dangers in his life, and the children could represent who he is right now, young and immature. And what Holden’s position as this “catcher” is who he thinks he should really be someone older and more reliable, one who would catcher some one if they fall.
in Holden's opinion to be a catcher in the rye is to be standing in a large field with children playing and if any one of them starts heading toward the big cliff at the end of the field. Holdens job would be to "catch" the kids before they fell off of the rye. i think that the rye is symbolizing a child's mind, open and free. the cliff is almost symbolizing that everyone has to grow up and there will never be someone protecting all the kids from the terrors of growing up but this catcher is like what holden wished there was in his life. because maybe then he wouldn't be flunking out of school, his mom wouldn't be sick and Allie wouldn't be dead. this catcher would prevent bad stuff from happening to kids, because that is basically what's going on in this scene. holden is protecting all the kids and always trying to watch over because as we have seen throughout this book he rally loves children and he would do anything for them.
"If a body meet a body coming though the rye." A poem by Robert Burns. In chapter 22, Holden imagines millions of little kids in a big field of rye and only one adult which is him. He imagines himself standing at the edge of a cliff and helping them. He would catch them if they were falling. He would be "the catcher in the rye." This is the only thing he would like to do in life. I think this relates to Holden because he feels that he wants to help these kids because he too, wants help. He is a lonely man that needs the help he would be giving. He may feel that he wants this person to help him and guide him now or as a kid. He may also connect it to Allie. He feels that if Allie had a catcher, he would be alive. Holden does not want other kids to die so he feels by being the catcher in the rye would protect them and protect the people that care about the children. *ANA*
In chapter 22, Phoebe and Holden have a conversation about a poem. Holden describes the catcher being the person who catches all of the kids that fall off the cliff. He describes the catcher being big and the one that stands out. I think he wants to be the catcher when he grows up because he has a great amount of respect for children. I think he has alot of respect for them because of Allies death. Which also leads to maybe the reason why he wants to be a catcher. I say this because when he lost Allie it seems like he lost everything to him. So I think in a way Allie is represented as all of these children that are playing in the rye field, and he doesn't want to loose a child because he feels like those children are Allie so he doesn't want to loose another one.
Holden describes the catcher in the rye as being in the middle of thousands of children playing in a field of rye. They are too caught up in playing a crazy game and they might fall off the cliff at the edge of the rye field. Holden wants to be able to catch them and save them before they fall over the edge of the cliff because they are not looking where they are running. Holden wants to save the children, like he wanted to save James Castle, who jumped out of the window, and he wanted to save Allie who died of cancer, because he feels they died because nobody cared enough about them. The children in the field just want to play but they are endangered and they might die. James Castle died instead of the mean kids who ganged up on him, who were barely punished. Holden wants to be able to save the innocent, out of control, children. He says that there would be thousands of children and one of him and he wants to catch them all- by that he is saying that he wants to catch the thousands of pieces of himself that are just falling apart over the cliff and dying.
The book is called The Catcher in the Rye because Holden says that he wanted to be a field guard and prevent little kids from falling off a cliff when Phoebe asks him what he wants to be. This shows that Holden shows respect not just towards his younger siblings, but also towards all little kids. It also may be relative to Allie’s death. He probably sees the little kids this way because they are the future of the world. They can prevent the world from becoming like how Holden sees the world or how he would prefer it to be. They could choose to end those types of experiences with people. They can also choose to make the world a place that doesn’t have as many “phonies”.
To be a "catcher in the rye" is to be someone that catches kids from falling off a cliff. This is assuming that the kids are playing in the rye. They might be having to much fun to be paying attention that they don't look where they are going. The catcher makes sure the kids don't fall and saves their lives. Holden wants that to be his job. Holden did say that he would do that all day every day. This is one of the first times we here Holden interested in something or wants to do something that doesn't have anything with Jane or loves. This is one of the first times Holden is ready to take responsibility or take a job to support himself.
Being a "catcher in the rye" is saving lives from the kids who are getting to close to the cliff Holden is watching for. I think he wants to be a "catcher in the rye" because it shows that he is more interested in kids than other people and just wants to hang around with them and keep them save and stuff. He never really thought about having a job until Phoebe asked him about it and thinking it over, I think that he really choose this job to getting more social, or something like that, with people and kids. -Brianna(:<3
What Holden says to be a "catcher in the rye" would to be catching the kids that fell off the cliff. I think this symbolizes that Holden wants to help kids who are purer and innocent before they turn into phonies. Holden hates the world because its full of people that don't meet his personal standards. Holden wants to influence the young and change the world and make it a better place with no phonies.
To Holden catcher in the rye is what he wants to be when he grow up. He is standing almost on the edge of a cliff, and watching children play in a field of rye. When a child doesn't see where he/she is running and are about to run over the cliff it's Holden's job to catch them before they are running over it. Holden doesn't really like people a lot. They are "phoney". I think he wants this job because it gives him responsibility.
To be a catcher in the rye is to be someone who deals with children and helping them. This shows that holden really like to be with children. Holden already loves phoebe who is a young child and this shows that if he like her then he could like other children. The title relates to holden because one, he uses this line "catcher in the rye" in this chapter and that is the title of the book, two, holden loves children and being a catcher in the rye means to deal with children and three, holden wants to make a good impression of himself and not be a phony and by helping others such as helping these kids not fall of the cliff in his story makes him not a phony.
To be a catcher in the rye, according to Holden means to catch the children who are about to fall off the cliff. I think that Holden is comparing it to his life. He is almost saying that he is the one who is responsible for catching Phoebe, whenever she falls, or is in trouble. ♥ Emma Francesca ♥
Holden wanting to be "the catcher in the rye" he wants to protect the next generation. he wants to stand at the bottom of a cliff and catch kids when they fall of the edge. This seems like an extremely random thing to want to do, but really there more to it then we can expect. I think that he is really saying that once you fall off the cliff, you become a phoney. He is at the bottom of the cliff among the phonies but instead of just letting the kids fall like the rest of the phonies down there he is catching them and keeping and take care of their innocence. that way they wont become phonies like everyone else.
To be a “catcher in the rye” is to catch the kids in the rye running off the cliff. Holden seems to identify with children more than adults (shown through his intense disliking of adults, he doesn’t seem to like his parents much either). Being a “catcher in the rye” could also mean being the person that stops the kids on the verge of becoming “phonies” (which is symbolic as the death of childhood in Holden’s eyes). Not completely sure, just a thought.
39 comments:
Ok. In this chapter, the book speaks about being a catcher in the rye. Holden keeps picturing in his brain a setting of lots of kids playing on a rye patch on the edge of a cliff. Holden's job is to catch the kids if they get too close to the brink. He says it is the only thing that he would like to do in life. All day every day. It seems that the thing(s) that Holden likes bes has to do with childhood and resposibility.
To Holden being a "catcher in the rye" means being in a field of rye right near a cliff with a bunch of kids. If any on the kids start to go over the cliff it is Holden's job to catch them. I think Holden wants to be a "catcher in the rye" because he doesn't seem to like people who are like him. He likes women and children the best and seems to think all men besides his brothers are "phonies". I think he also likes feeling like he has an important role. He likes feeling like people depend on him to save the children.
I agree with Brandon. Holden says that ge pictures that children are playing in a field of rye and that if they're not looking where they are going and if they come close to the cliff and they almost fall off, he's supposed to save they and keep them from falling off. It kind of shows some of his friendly soft side. I think that the picture of kids playing on a field of rye and them being kids and playing shows that maybe he misses being a kid a little bit.
It's kind of like when your a young kid, all of the things that Holden does might be a little more acceptable when he's 16/17. He lies a log which is something very immature to be doing. He starts to unravel some part in the book though. It seems that maybe he's starting to realize that he maybe has to grow up a little bit and stop being his childish self. Maybe catching the children if they fall is a responsibility, a responsibility that he might have to grow up. It seems that Holden doesn't want to have to grow up, though.
( I was finally in the top 3 to post!!!)
In the chapter of the book where the "Catcher In the Rye" is mentioned. It shows how Holden feels he is obligated to protect the children from falling off the cliff. I think this is a metaphor for stopping kids from falling into the trap of being phony. We seems to have stumbled on Holden's weak side, he has a soft spot for kids. For example, he adores Phoebe and loves Allie even though he is dead. Now look at Stradlater, he hates him, and he is no longer a child.
Being the catcher in the rye would be like a protector of all the born and unborn form slipping into the state that holden is in. It's like when your parents tell you they want a better life for you than they had, so they do everything and their power to stop you from falling off the cliff into the trap of wrongness or adulthood.
In chapter 22 Holden states that his desire in life is to be a “catcher in the rye”, to Holden this means catching children at the edge of a cliff when they come to close to falling. Holden hates phonies, big-shots, and all of the above, he’s made that very clear so far. If Holden were to be his concept of what a “catcher in the rye” was he would never have to deal with phonies or big-shots just children like his siblings. Holden longs for a life of simplicity and being a “catcher in the rye” would provide that for him.
According to Holden, to be a 'catcher in the rye' is to be this guy who catches the kids who are playing in a rye field if they get to close to falling. They're all very small, but he's this bigger figure compared to them. It's almost like he's guardian, in a way. The 'catcher' is this person who's always there for the kids, and is always ready to catch them.
I feel like this relates to holden because i feel like he's never quite had his 'catcher'. Throughout the book, we've seen holden have to be his own catcher, and sort of take care of himself when he almost 'falls of a cliff', or kind of gets himself into crazy things. I think this job that he dreams of is this job that he's kind of mastered. This 'catcher' figure, seems to have this big-brotherly role, that i think holden has experienced little of, making this imaginary job seem so appealing, and the thing that he sort of wishes that he had.
Holden imagines a gigantic field of rye and full of children playing and he wants to stand at the edge and catch the children when they come close to falling off. His sister asks of him what he does like in life after he told her he had failed school, and he thinks for a while and this is the thing that comes up in his mind. It shows that Holden really wants to be a child again and play, and have freedom. He is depressed and he wants to work with children.
When Holden expresses his desire to be a “catcher in the rye” he is showing how he wishes to be
a guide for others but yet be apart from others. Holden expresses no desire to be with the children, rather he wishes to be amongst the rye. The rye is the crossing of the world of the
phonies and the world of the pure. Holden is in this mix, he does not side with one, rather he
stays hovering over the edge of the cliff and the grassy plains. Holden wishes to stop those who
are lost in the rye like himself. In this instance Holden is the children’s guide, without which
they can never come through the rye.
When Holden goes to visit his younger sister, Phoebe, she asks him what he likes. Holden responds by saying that he would really like to be a "catcher in the rye." By Holden's standards this entails being there to catch an assortment of children playing a game: "Anyway, I kept picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobodys around-nobody big, I mean-except me." pg 173
I thought KJ's analyzing was quite insightful. Because, in a way, it does seem as if Holden is attempting to protect the children from something, whether falling off the cliff symbolizes becoming a phony, or something else. It seems quite hypocritical that Holden would like to protect the children from bad things, while his own life is such a mess.
I think this represents Holden's character majorly. He is always focusing on others, mostly in a negative way, instead of dealing with himself. If Holden was to be a "catcher in the rye," Holden would assume responsibility over these children, and it seems quite ironic, considering Holden has done a poor job of taking care of himself.
holden sees the catcher in the rye as a field of kids playing near a cliff edge and he has to catch them when they fall off. i think that holden wants to do this for the rest of his life, he finds this a very simple yet important job. holden is going through all of these events just to find what he wants to do what makes him feel important so that he can live on.
A "catcher in the rye" is a person who stands at the edge of a cliff and stops the children from falling off. I agree with kira in saying that Holden never had a "catcher" growing up. His whole life was basically going downhill; or in this scenario falling off the cliff. He started off as a happy child and started to fall once Allie died and was then sent to boarding school where his life became a mess. Growing up, Holden had nobody there for him and nobody to love and trust other than his siblings. The people he trusted or cared for in a way betrayed or left him. When he was in New York he went to his old teacher's house who he felt that he trusted. He then had to leave when he woke up and found the teacher stroking his head. Although this may have been a friendly gesture, Holden took it as if the teacher was taking a homosexual advance toward him. Allie, also left him in a way by dying. Everything that he loved or trusted has left him and this makes him want to be somebody's "catcher"
Being the Catcher In the Rye meant to stand under a cliff and do nothing all day except for catching kids that fall down from the cliff. I think that this is a typical thing that Holden would want to do because he gets to be alone with no people bothering him and no troubles or changes.
A "Catcher in the rye" is someone who will protect little children that are playing around in big fields. There is a big cliff edge next to where they're playing and if a child roams too far and doesn't see this edge the catcher in the rye's job is to catch the child before they fall and protect them.
I think when Holden says what he wants to do for the rest of his life, he's really opening up but it's sad how Phoebe doesn't pay attention to that really important detail of his opinion in what he wants to do with his life. It's feels messed up, heroic, sad, and lonely how Holden wants this feeling of saving little children as the children are running towards a big cliff edge to fall and die. He wants this important role of saving people from death and falling, to feel good and needed. It almost seems like he is opening up and saying he's trying to replace that empty hole in him because he couldn't save his brother alli or James Castle. He also wants to be the only one doing this job and only for little kids. I think Holden and the job of being a catcher in the rye also connects with how the little kids don't know that there's a cliff there. It shows that life is always unpredictable and there are always people who will get hurt and die even if they don't deserve it and Holden is really feeling that that is very unfair and just wants to save everyones lives but at the same time only certain people since he says the catcher in the rye would only save children. So Holden seems to have this standard that only certain people should be saved that deserve to be saved, like the ones that aren't phonies or hot-shots.
Being the Catcher In the Rye meant to stand under a cliff and do nothing all day except for catching kids that fall down from the cliff. I think that this is a typical thing that Holden would want to do because he gets to be alone with no people bothering him and no troubles or changes.
In chapter 22 Holden and his sister phoebe begin discussing this poem " If a body meet a body coming through the rye." This discussion came about when Phoebe asked Holden what he wanted to be when he grew up. And at that moment Holden was imagining him at the edge of a cliff trying to save the lives of all these kids that were running towards the cliff. This profession was called " catcher in the rye ". This was a significant moment for Holden because he's the type of person who doesn't like being helped or rescued, he likes to figure things out himself. And when he said he wanted to be that profession showed that he isn't as stubborn as he seemed, that he does care and want to help others. That he does have a soft side for people other then his family.
When Holden is asked by Phoebe what he wants to be when he grows up he says that he wants to be the catcher in the rye. He keeps picturing that if a child was to fall of the cliff he would be there to catch them. I agree with KJ and Maite that it seems like Holden is trying to protect them from something like being a phony, but i think that there is more to it then protecting them from being a phony, but helping the kids life not fall apart.
The children falling of the cliff symbolizes Holden's life falling apart. In the last couple of chapters he stops trying to hide his life from himself. He is now willing to look back at the past and see that his life has fallen apart a bit. Now that he noticed it he is trying to protect other kids from going through the same thing as him.
In this segment of the book Holden talks about the "profession" of being a Catcher in the Rye. This profession entails saving kids from falling off of this imaginary cliff whilst they play in the Rye. It is sort of bizarre but Holden claims he would do it all day, every day. When he says this to Pheobe she does not respond to him because she has no idea what he is talking about. It is sort of sad in a way. Holden's profession is a made up one and he truly is aimless. I think the reason he wants to be a Catcher in the Rye is because of how much he cares for simplicity. He hates phonies who are so very complicated in life. He thinks these children who run through the Rye all day are simple folk who Holden cares for. This is why he wants to save them. And this is why he cares for the museum. It is all so simple.
-Pablo
P.S
I don't know why it says David haha.
To be a catcher in the rye is to catch children in a rye patch at the edge of the cliff if they get to close to the edge and are about to fall off. Holden has to catch the kids in his mind as his job. In a way this makes him a savior and honored, like a main character. His previous dreams such as his guts falling out while shooting Maurice where he is the main character of the monologued "play." As a hero he is actually treating himself as a part of the crowd or "somebody" and others would as well.
The catcher in the rye means to be free. It means to be free from the New York City life, the life full of phonies. What he really wants is to get away from all these people, the people that are playing the game day after day. He doesn't want to play the game and that's what the rye is, an escape from the game. He sees things all the time in day to day life, and these things make him feel like he is going to puke, make him feel depressed and hatful. The rye is to be free, be with people like Phoebe and Allie, kids that understand him. He wants to be with these kids, play with them, make sure they are safe. He wants to protect Phoebe and wished that he could have protected Allie.
When Holden said he wanted his profession to be a "catcher in the rye" he meant that he wanted to save kids from falling off a cliff. He got this idea from a poem he read. He thought of this after Pheobe asked him if he even knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. I think that Holden knows, deep down inside that he needs someone to catch him from "falling off his cliff". When Mr. Antolini gave Holden a very long "speech" he told him that he was in a case, in which he was "falling" but would not stop. In order to stop he needed to "catch himself from falling off his cliff". His "cliff" is his main problem which keeps building into more problems if he doesn't stop it. Holden said he wants to be "the catcher in the rye" because he said that he would stand in front of the cliff all day catching kids so they would not fall. He needs to do this himself. The kids represent his immature self. Or it could represent him wanting to help others who are goin through what he is going through. Holden is caught in the middle of being an insider and outsider. The outsider is a phony and the insider is the non-phony. For him a phony is a immature person. Holden doesn't think that Allie, Pheobe, and Jane are phonies. The are/were mature. He always talks about how mature Pheobe is for her age and the same with Jane and Allie. All the other people are immature. Holden hates phonies even though he sort of is himself. Now he is starting to realize that the only way to catch himself from "falling of his cliff" is to become mature. In order to become mature he has to face his problems instead of running away. Holden is starting to change his "Mind patterns".
(this is katherina)
In chapter 22 Holden talks about how he wants to be standing on the edge of a cliff and there are a bunch of children around in a field of rye and he wants to be the person who if any of the children are running and now looking where they are going he wants to be the person to catch them before they fall of the cliff.
What it means to be a catcher in the rye is to be the person who is always helping people. If Holden were to run around helping the children to not fall of the cliff he would be helping people.
The title relates to Holden by the way that he seems to always be picking on the things that people do, but I don't think when he is picking on them he realizes that hes being rude or mean and I think hes sort of trying to help them. In chapter 22 Phoebe is telling Holden that he never likes anything and is always picking on people and things and I think that is when Holden realizes that he is always picking on people.
SummerGrace
The only thing that Holden wants to do is be a “catcher in the rye”. He wants to be the person who watches over children playing in a rye field, and catches them when they are about to fall off the cliff. He wants to protect children, because the only people he feels are innocent or at least not phony are children. The “catcher in the rye” is a metaphor. He has the job of protecting the innocent—he wants to stop children from falling of the cliff. Holden wants to catch them before they stop being innocent and become one of the “phonies” in the “real” world. He wants to do this because he wants to stop the things like the “ fuck you” signs in the school from turning the children into phony people who are no longer innocent.
He experiences children as the only good thing in the world. They are the only people that don’t do things for profit or for fame. Only children can judge things based on how valid and right they are, not just on the possible gains and losses that can come about from the experiences they are going through. But, when they see things like the graffiti in the school they can take a slip and Holden thinks the only just thing in the world to do as a job is to help them when they make that slip. Being a “catcher in the rye” is a way of saving children from the world, and then hopefully creating the possibility that the “saved children” will grow up to be better than the other phonies.
for holden, to be a catcher in the rye is to be the person who keeps kids from falling of cliffs. I think holden truely wants to help people with his life even if he doesn't realize it. to be a catcher in the rye is to keep people on their feet and away from death and dispair. I think the field of rye that the children play in symbolizes joy, hope, love, and ignorance. the cliff symbolizes the dawning of reality and all the problems in the world. falling over it means that you have succumbed to the worlds problems and died in the fall from happyness.
For holden, I think this meens that what he wants in life is to keep others from ever experiencing the worlds problems. He wants to do what he does best and lie to keep people happy.
In chapter 22, Holden describes a dream that he has had of him becoming a catcher in the rye. A field of rye would be a large area in which the rye plant would grow in. Holden imagines many children running and playing around. He envisions them having fun and playing. But then he also sees a large cliff in which it is hazardous if they fall over. Holden sees it as his job to protect these children from falling by catching them. I agree with other when they think that this relates to Holden because he is serving as a guardian, one that he has never had in his life. One that he has never asked for or seemed to need until his lonely journey into New York City, I also believe that being a Catcher in the rye could mean that Holden is finally taking responsibility into his actions. That he is finding some independence and learning that responsibility comes with it. I also believe that maybe this may not be his responsibility but Holden thinks it may be his “calling” because he doesn’t really know what it s that he wants to be. He really doesn’t know who he is just yet. In a way I think that Holden may want to give back to the community. He wants to do well, and by saving these children’s lives, he will do so. I believe that Holden feels the need to do something right because he feels that he hasn’t really done much in his life in the previous years. This cliff may also represent the dangers in his life, and the children could represent who he is right now, young and immature. And what Holden’s position as this “catcher” is who he thinks he should really be someone older and more reliable, one who would catcher some one if they fall.
in Holden's opinion to be a catcher in the rye is to be standing in a large field with children playing and if any one of them starts heading toward the big cliff at the end of the field. Holdens job would be to "catch" the kids before they fell off of the rye. i think that the rye is symbolizing a child's mind, open and free. the cliff is almost symbolizing that everyone has to grow up and there will never be someone protecting all the kids from the terrors of growing up but this catcher is like what holden wished there was in his life. because maybe then he wouldn't be flunking out of school, his mom wouldn't be sick and Allie wouldn't be dead. this catcher would prevent bad stuff from happening to kids, because that is basically what's going on in this scene. holden is protecting all the kids and always trying to watch over because as we have seen throughout this book he rally loves children and he would do anything for them.
"If a body meet a body coming though the rye." A poem by Robert Burns. In chapter 22, Holden imagines millions of little kids in a big field of rye and only one adult which is him. He imagines himself standing at the edge of a cliff and helping them. He would catch them if they were falling. He would be "the catcher in the rye." This is the only thing he would like to do in life. I think this relates to Holden because he feels that he wants to help these kids because he too, wants help. He is a lonely man that needs the help he would be giving. He may feel that he wants this person to help him and guide him now or as a kid. He may also connect it to Allie. He feels that if Allie had a catcher, he would be alive. Holden does not want other kids to die so he feels by being the catcher in the rye would protect them and protect the people that care about the children.
*ANA*
In chapter 22, Phoebe and Holden have a conversation about a poem. Holden describes the catcher being the person who catches all of the kids that fall off the cliff. He describes the catcher being big and the one that stands out. I think he wants to be the catcher when he grows up because he has a great amount of respect for children. I think he has alot of respect for them because of Allies death. Which also leads to maybe the reason why he wants to be a catcher. I say this because when he lost Allie it seems like he lost everything to him. So I think in a way Allie is represented as all of these children that are playing in the rye field, and he doesn't want to loose a child because he feels like those children are Allie so he doesn't want to loose another one.
Holden describes the catcher in the rye as being in the middle of thousands of children playing in a field of rye. They are too caught up in playing a crazy game and they might fall off the cliff at the edge of the rye field. Holden wants to be able to catch them and save them before they fall over the edge of the cliff because they are not looking where they are running. Holden wants to save the children, like he wanted to save James Castle, who jumped out of the window, and he wanted to save Allie who died of cancer, because he feels they died because nobody cared enough about them. The children in the field just want to play but they are endangered and they might die. James Castle died instead of the mean kids who ganged up on him, who were barely punished. Holden wants to be able to save the innocent, out of control, children. He says that there would be thousands of children and one of him and he wants to catch them all- by that he is saying that he wants to catch the thousands of pieces of himself that are just falling apart over the cliff and dying.
The book is called The Catcher in the Rye because Holden says that he wanted to be a field guard and prevent little kids from falling off a cliff when Phoebe asks him what he wants to be. This shows that Holden shows respect not just towards his younger siblings, but also towards all little kids. It also may be relative to Allie’s death. He probably sees the little kids this way because they are the future of the world. They can prevent the world from becoming like how Holden sees the world or how he would prefer it to be. They could choose to end those types of experiences with people. They can also choose to make the world a place that doesn’t have as many “phonies”.
To be a "catcher in the rye" is to be someone that catches kids from falling off a cliff. This is assuming that the kids are playing in the rye. They might be having to much fun to be paying attention that they don't look where they are going. The catcher makes sure the kids don't fall and saves their lives. Holden wants that to be his job. Holden did say that he would do that all day every day. This is one of the first times we here Holden interested in something or wants to do something that doesn't have anything with Jane or loves. This is one of the first times Holden is ready to take responsibility or take a job to support himself.
Being a "catcher in the rye" is saving lives from the kids who are getting to close to the cliff Holden is watching for. I think he wants to be a "catcher in the rye" because it shows that he is more interested in kids than other people and just wants to hang around with them and keep them save and stuff. He never really thought about having a job until Phoebe asked him about it and thinking it over, I think that he really choose this job to getting more social, or something like that, with people and kids.
-Brianna(:<3
What Holden says to be a "catcher in the rye" would to be catching the kids that fell off the cliff. I think this symbolizes that Holden wants to help kids who are purer and innocent before they turn into phonies. Holden hates the world because its full of people that don't meet his personal standards. Holden wants to influence the young and change the world and make it a better place with no phonies.
To Holden catcher in the rye is what he wants to be when he grow up. He is standing almost on the edge of a cliff, and watching children play in a field of rye. When a child doesn't see where he/she is running and are about to run over the cliff it's Holden's job to catch them before they are running over it. Holden doesn't really like people a lot. They are "phoney". I think he wants this job because it gives him responsibility.
To be a catcher in the rye is to be someone who deals with children and helping them. This shows that holden really like to be with children. Holden already loves phoebe who is a young child and this shows that if he like her then he could like other children. The title relates to holden because one, he uses this line "catcher in the rye" in this chapter and that is the title of the book, two, holden loves children and being a catcher in the rye means to deal with children and three, holden wants to make a good impression of himself and not be a phony and by helping others such as helping these kids not fall of the cliff in his story makes him not a phony.
To be a catcher in the rye, according to Holden means to catch the children who are about to fall off the cliff. I think that Holden is comparing it to his life. He is almost saying that he is the one who is responsible for catching Phoebe, whenever she falls, or is in trouble.
♥ Emma Francesca ♥
Holden wanting to be "the catcher in the rye" he wants to protect the next generation. he wants to stand at the bottom of a cliff and catch kids when they fall of the edge. This seems like an extremely random thing to want to do, but really there more to it then we can expect. I think that he is really saying that once you fall off the cliff, you become a phoney. He is at the bottom of the cliff among the phonies but instead of just letting the kids fall like the rest of the phonies down there he is catching them and keeping and take care of their innocence. that way they wont become phonies like everyone else.
To be a “catcher in the rye” is to catch the kids in the rye running off the cliff. Holden seems to identify with children more than adults (shown through his intense disliking of adults, he doesn’t seem to like his parents much either). Being a “catcher in the rye” could also mean being the person that stops the kids on the verge of becoming “phonies” (which is symbolic as the death of childhood in Holden’s eyes). Not completely sure, just a thought.
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