The Patron

What would you do if you were forced to grow up at such a young age? Holden lost his classmate due to and on top of that he lost his younger brother to cancer suddenly. Moreover, he dealt with his internal pressures of having sex and how the world around him seems to be nothing but phony. Not only do these obstacles chop Holden down, they also help him to become a stronger person. Salinger uses these dilemmas of Holden's in Catcher in the Rye to show his loss of innocence during his childhood in which he was forced to grow up quicker than most people his age. Salinger uses Holden's loss of innocence experience through his growing up with his younger brother's death, experimenting with alcohol and sex, and phoniness in society.

Not many people have to deal with a loss of a close family member at such a young age, but Holden experiences the loss of his brother Allie which makes him more perceptible to life. This is the start to Holden not wanting to lose his innocence and tries to withhold the upcoming adulthood. With Allie's death, Holden sees the importance of staying a child for that Allie's childhood was cut quite short by cancer. Holden can't seem to understand that not everything goes right when you're younger and so that makes him optimistic about adulthood. Holden can't seem to make up his mind about adulthood yet he is interested but also scared at the same time. Allie's mitt is Holden's prized possession with it symbolizing Allie's loss of innocence