Re: Who is the Catcher...?
Matthew_Stevenson@baylor.edu
Mon, 01 Dec 1997 22:31:11 -0600
ok--holden's not the catcher, but he knows enough to want to be. thanks for
the insight brendan. it seems obvious now, but i never thought of it myself.
my earlier post was mainly to say that phoebe wasn't the catcher more than
that holden was. i just couldn't say phoebe wasn't without saying someone
was. so i picked holden by default more than thought. i now hang my head in
shame and stand in support of the allie...matt
On Sun, 30 Nov 1997 22:00:04 -0700 the.tourist@mailexcite.com (Brendan
McKennedy) wrote:
>I've thought about this extensively, whether or not Holden is the Catcher in
>the
>Rye.
>
>Of course it's not Holden. Holden knows he's going to fall with everyone
>else. He
>realizes it at the end of the book, when he decides he can't run away from
>it.
>
>It's not Phoebe. Holden knows Phoebe is going to fall, but he doesn't keep
>her from
>reaching for the ring, because she needs to be young while she still can...
>
>The Catcher is someone who doesn't ever get off the merry-go-round. Phoebe
>has to
>get off at some point, but Holden wants her to ride as long as she can.
>
>Who doesn't have to get off the merry-go-round? Who will never fall?
>
>Allie is the Catcher in the Rye. Allie is the eternal child.
>
>Toward the end of the novel, Holden feels like he's going to fall everytime
>he steps
>off the sidewalk--but he talks to Allie the entire time, talks to a young
>Allie,
>an eternally-young Allie--and Allie guides Holden, doesn't let Holden fall.
>Allie
>cathces Holden.
>
>And don't forget:
>The Catcher's mitt in the novel belonged to Allie.
>
>It's just my thought. Let me know what you think.
>
>
>p.s.--if I were ever to equate the Glasses with the Caulfields, I would say
>that
>Seymour is the parallel of Allie.
>
>They both died.
>
>And another thought:
>I don't think J.D. tried to write Seymour as his own alter-ego. If anyone
>was J.D.'s
>alter-ego, it is Buddy. Salinger even said so on the sleeve of F&Z
>
>Oh well.
>Thanks.
>
>Brendan
>
>
>
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