Blog #5 The Significance of the Title

I really had no idea why this book would possible be called "The Catcher in the Rye" until later on in the story. The thoughts of why the book would be named this made me keep reading on and kept my interest throughout the story. The reasoning for this title all came together towards the end of the book to me. The significance of this title is when he is talking to Phoebe one night when he went into her room, she asked him what she liked and what he wanted to be. He said he liked Phoebe and Allie but thats about it. He later said that he wanted to be the catcher in the rye. He said that the catcher in the rye would be someone who stands in the rye and there is a giant cliff. When the kids are about to run off the cliff he runs out and catches and saves them. He tells Phoebe that he would like to do that. The true meaning behind his reference of the catcher in the rye is that the catcher in the rye symbolizes all of the younger kids turning into adults and teens. He wants to catch them and keep them young forever. He wants to keep them from the dangers that these kids will encounter when they are older and the people they will meet. This relates to Allie and Phoebe by he wants to catch them to from growing up. Well technically he can't catch Allie, because she is dead, but he wants to save Phoebe from the dangers and the things he has encountered from being a teen. Later in the book when he sees Phoebe riding the carousel he makes a reference to how he can't stop her from growing up and he begins to cry. This title truly had a strong meaning to this great book.