Catcher in the Rye

Mery 1

Blake Mery

Mr. Davis

English I (7)

6 December 2010

The Reason There is a Catcher in the Rye

Phoebe Caulfield is the younger sister of a boy named Holden Caulfield who has his own immature look on the world. In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden acts too childish for his age and Phoebe acts too old for hers. Phoebe may approach as a sidekick character with no real importance until the end of the novel, but she is much more crucial to the story and to Holden than any other character. Phoebe Caulfield is the prime example of a kid-adult, she knows that growing up is a process of life, and she is the reason Holden dislikes phonies.

Phoebe Caulfield is a child as well as she is an adult. She is a child in the ways that she acts. When she concludes that Holden has gotten the ax, she responds by crying with a pillow over her head repeating that their dad will kill him. This is a normal child’s acting when they hear things that they do not want too. When Holden says no to her request to run away with him, she still follows him but pouts and makes it seem like she is not watching. Adults do not this type of thing. Both of these examples show that Phoebe has childish actions. However, Phoebe is an adult in the way that she thinks. She is better at proving points and coming to conclusions than

Mery 2

most children are at her age. She knows that Holden got the ax without him even telling her, she points out that he does not really like anything, and she resolves their conflict when they are next to the carousel by putting on Holden’s hunting hat. These are obviously not signs of a child’s thinking. She has a mature side in her that most children do not. Phoebe is the epitome of a kid-adult, and is mature about things that Holden is not.

Holden is resistant to the idea of kids growing up: however, Phoebe agrees with it. She understands that growing up is something that no person can avoid. She considers Holden’s future more than...