Holden’s Impossible Dream
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           In J.D
Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the
protagonist, Holden Caulfield, aspires to be a savior who keeps those passing
from childhood to adulthood from losing their innocence, but later gives up his
role. When he witnesses people falling off the cliff of innocence, which is a
metaphor for them growing up and maturing, he assumes the role of a protector
and attempts to catch them before they fall. However, he accepts reality and
accedes that it is impossible to catch everyone in need.
