Innocence resides within each of us at least at one time in our lives, but as reality consumes them, that purity begins to slowly fade as they learn new experiences. In the coming-of-age novel set in the 1940s, J.D. Salinger writes about a sixteen-year-old boy named Holden Caulfield who finds himself caught between childhood and adulthood and is confused about which path to take. During a three-day trip to New York, away from his family and classmates, Holden encounters many situations that make him think twice about who he wants to become and how he wants to lead others who find themselves in the same situation as him. it's inside. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses symbolism, vivid imagery, and slang diction to expose Holden's struggle to preserve the innocence of the people he loves while alienating himself from the adult world he calls "fake." throughout the novel illustrates Holden's isolation from the adult world. At the beginning of chapter three, Holden returns to his dorm room where he finds his annoying roommate, Ackley. After seeing Holden's red hunting hat, which he purchased in New York, Ackley becomes fascinated by it and tells Holden that "At home [he] wears a hat like that for shooting deer," (22) Holden then takes the red hunting hat off Ackley's head and closes one eye as if he's trying to shoot it. “This is a shooting hat,” he says (22). It is obvious from the beginning of the novel that Holden's red hat symbolizes his sign of individuality and independence. In this scene, the audience sees how his desire for independence is connected to the feeling of alienation and bitterness that Holden feels towards people in society. Of course, Holden won't actually shit... half of the paper... When Holden concludes that you just have to let a child go for what he wants to do, even if he might get hurt doing it, he might be saying that admitting that growing up is actually meaningful for Phoebe and for himself. He learns that he can't protect a child from doing what he wants, so he realizes that he should let him do it. Ultimately, Holden Caulfield's decisions were incredibly based on his desire for innocence in life when he is slowly fading from the world. . The audience feels sympathy for Holden because they know that Holden's past years were traumatizing with the death of his brother and the transfer of schools. The audience now knows that Holden's alienation is due to the fact that he does not want to lose his innocence or anyone else's. Therefore, the general lesson is that you cannot stop another person from doing what he wants, and if he falls, let him do it.