Original artwork, not a still
The Catcher in the Rye • 1951
I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. I'd just be the catcher in the rye.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
This is the book's title explained and the heart of Holden: a boy who cannot save himself imagining he can save children from growing up. That he has misheard Burns hardly matters, since the mistake is his wish. The red hunting cap and the catcher image have been on T-shirts, tattoos and album covers ever since.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Catcher in the RyeShow the scene
In Chapter 22, Holden sneaks into his family's apartment in New York and talks with his younger sister Phoebe, who chastises him for getting expelled and asks if he cares about anything. He shares a fantasy: thousands of little kids playing in a big field of rye with nobody big around but him, standing at the edge of a cliff and catching anyone who starts to go over. Phoebe points out that the poem says 'when a body meet a body', and Holden breaks down in tears.
Sources (2)
- The Catcher in the Rye, WikiquoteChapters 1, 3 and 22Reference checked
- The Catcher in the Rye, WikipediaPlotReference checked
Context reviewed
