Holden Caulfield, the main character of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, strives to protect children from the world, and maintain their innocence. Being on the verge of becoming an adult, Holden has lost his own innocence when he learned about the darker side of the world that children are normally shielded from. After realizing how much better the world seemed when he was little, Holden tries to preserve this outlook in younger children and yearns for his own innocence to be returned to him.
<Tab/>This desire is expressed very clearly when he attempts to have sex wi…
