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Ian Kuo
Ms. Smit
12 AP English
14 October 2014
Oil and Water
As people grow up, many of them look back to their childhood with nostalgia and
fondness. They see their innocence and worry free lifestyle of that time. However, in the novel
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield shows the audience that he feels that his
own childhood was stolen away from him. Yet, there were two people that challenge this feeling
and give Holden some fond memories of his childhood: Jane and Allie. When thinking about
these two people, Holden sees his childhood in a different light than his own adulthood. During
Holdens fight with Stradlater about Jane and Allie, Salinger uses hostile dialogue and volatile
characterization to reveal Holdens comparison of his bereft adulthood and nostalgic childhood.
In Holdens childhood, Jane was the girl next door. During a summer in Maine, Holden
spent quite a bit of time with Jane. He developed a sense of respect and appreciation for her.
However, after that summer concluded, Holden didnt see Jane as much. So, when Holden finds
out that his roommate at Pencey, Stradlater, is going out on a date with Jane, all of Holdens
memories of that picturesque summer flood back to him. Jane seems to show the readers one of
the only childhood memories that Holden holds close to himself. Just as Jane can represent
Holdens childhood, Stradlater can signify Holdens present day at Pencey. As Stradlater cuts his
toenails, Holden voices his opinion to the audience that at Pencey you were always watching
someone cut their toenails or squeeze their pimples giving off a negative connotative tone
towards Pencey (42). Holdens connection between the specific event of Stradlater cutting his
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toenails and the general negative characteristics that Holden sees during his life at Pencey attests
to the Stradlaters representation of Holdens adult life. Holdens dialogue displays his want to
keep his only nostalgic childhood memories separate from his own adulthood. Holden shows that
he especially does not want Stradlater to be with a girl like Jane that Holden holds with such high
respect and regard. His dialogue, as a result of that want, turns into this inquisitive and
interrogative interview about Stradlaters night out with Jane. This inquisition of Stradlater about
why they are back so goddam late if [Jane] only signed out for nine-thirty displays his
desperation to know that nothing happened between Jane and Stradlater (41). He does not want
his memories of Stradlater and his despised adulthood to further steal and taint his memories of
his sentimental childhood especially about Jane. Additionally, Holden has yearning for Jane to
remember that summer she had with him. However, Stradlater not asking Jane about those
kings in the back row adds to the hatred that Holden feels about his adulthood that blocks him
from re-experiencing these childhood memories (42). In the end, he does not want his unpleasant
adulthood to affect his only nostalgic memories of his childhood.
Similar to Jane, Allie can represent one of the only other parts of Holdens childhood that
he can look back on with fond memories. Furthermore, one of the most notable symbols of Allie
is the poetic baseball glove which Holden holds so close to himself that he even had it with
[him], in [his] suitcase in order to keep connections with Allie (39). As well, Holden holds Allie
with such high regard and the upmost respect, just like Jane. However, all these wistful feelings
that are illuminated when Holden writes this descriptive narrative about the glove are dashed
when Stradlater begins to insult Holden and his writing. As Stradlater yells at Holden, Holdens
dialogic responses create a hostile tone towards Stradlater and Holdens own adult life because
of the insult and condescension that Stradlater directs towards both Holden and especially Allie.
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Holden becomes hostile towards Stradlater because of the insult towards Holdens pure and
innocent image of Allie. But also, Holden becomes hostile towards Pencey and his adult life
because, according to Stradlater, it is not acceptable for the description not to be of a goddam
room or a house tainting the feelings Holden has toward Allie as it is not socially accepted to
have this close, personal description used(41). How Holden responds to Stradlaters
condescension characterizes Holden. As the anger comes to the surface, his tone goes from
Cold as hell to livid quickly (41). Holden then rips the baseball glove description right out of
[Stradlaters] goddam hand and tears it up (41). Holdens volatile characterization, caused by
his hatred towards his adulthood, is exposed by Holden act of ripping up a piece of his
childhood, a piece so close to him, to his past, and especially to Allie. As well, this
characterization comes from his thoughts of hating the bastard (42).
In both cases of Jane and Allie, Holden feels that he has been disrespected by his
Stradlater. Jane, Allie, and Stradlater all hold important representations in Holdens life.
Holdens dialogue and characterization show the resentment that Holden expresses towards his
current life in contrast to his childhood. At the same time, his volatile personality and dialogic
responses prove his desperation to keep both lives separate. He has such good feelings about
these two parts of his younger self that he feels that letting these two distinct lives come in
contact is a mistake as he can lose these unspoiled childhood memories and innocence and purity
of Jane and Allie in Holdens eyes. Just like Holden, no one wants to lose that innocence they
remember from childhood, but with Holden it becomes a different story.

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Work Cited
Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1991. Print.