Child to Adult in The Catcher in the RyeJD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is a story about growing up. It explores the obstacles we all face as we transition from childhood to adulthood. The tragedies and triumphs, breakthroughs and setbacks, happiness and heartbreak. As you follow the book's protagonist, Holden, through his journey to adulthood, you'll learn more about his life, but more importantly, you'll learn more about yours. You begin to sympathize with the young rebel and you begin to see traces of yourself in him. This book appeals to the child in all of us as we can all remember a time we would like to return to; a time when making our beds was our greatest responsibility and life was something we took for granted. Unfortunately, growing up means letting go and leaving the past behind. This means that not only things change, but also the way you perceive them. No matter how much you wish you could stop it, time moves forward and the world keeps turning. This is no exception for Holden. Looking back on his childhood memories of class trips to the museum, he remarks: “But the best thing about this museum was that everything always stayed where it was. Nobody moved. You could go there a hundred thousand times... .No one would be any different. The only thing that would be different would be you" (121). There have been times in each of our lives when we wished we had a little closet of memories, all kept in little jars labeled with an era, a person or a place we hope to never forget Sometimes one of the happiest and yet saddest parts of life is looking back on the part we have already experienced, no matter how big or small it may be. It's something Holden learns about life and about himself as he transitions... middle of paper ...... American teenager He tests his limits and learns what he's dealing with. comfortable and what he is not comfortable with. He has many opinions about the world. He quickly learns that life is not a fairy tale full of sweets and sweets. The real world is a difficult place to be. living, and growing up there, is not always easy The book ends abruptly, leaving Holden's future up in the air. We can only imagine what awaits him and where his travels will take him. But more importantly, we have come to understand and sympathize with Holden's struggles, and we are sad to learn that we have reached the point where our paths diverge. As he leaves, one can only hope that he is on the right path and that destiny will take its course. But really, isn’t that all we can hope for for ourselves? Work Cited Salinger, JD The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Bantam Books, 1951.