A Character Sketch of Holden CaulfieldIn the novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is the main character around whom the book revolves. He is a seventeen-year-old boy who sometimes shows himself to be immature: “Sometimes I act as if I were thirteen” (13). He is six feet two and a half tall. Even though he is young, one side of his head is "full of millions of gray hairs" (13). This gray look seems unusual and atypical because he has had it since he was a child! Most people who know him say he acts like he's twelve, including his father. Caulfield admits that he sometimes behaves like a teenager, but not all the time. As he states: “Sometimes I act a lot older than I am – I really am – but people never notice. People never notice anything” (13). This shows that he is trying hard to act his age, but sometimes he gets out of control. Throughout the book he acts like he is mature, but some of his actions are way beyond his years. One example is when he goes to a hotel for a prostitute, although he ultimately decides to part ways with her. Indeed, this action shows his immaturity. Additionally, another major problem he has is that of an alcoholic; he can't control himself to stop drinking. He continues to drink until he is drunk. As Caulfield describes it: “One thing I have is a tremendous ability. I can drink all night without even showing it, if I’m in the mood” (118). Not only does this show that he is immature, but also that he lacks self-regulation and self-pity. Another serious problem he faces is that he is a very heavy smoker for his age. He still smokes more than a pack a day and gets out of control with his cigarettes. Again, this shows his lack of self-control due to...... middle of paper ......rdian to prevent the children from losing their innocence by not letting them fall off the cliff. This is what Holden really wants to do, and he tells Phoebe, "I know it's crazy, but it's the one thing I'd really like to be" (225). This is all Holden wants to do because he wants to prevent other children from losing their innocence because he doesn't want them to go through what he had to go through. He doesn't want all the children to go through the difficult times he faced in his youth, because they need to enjoy their childhood. He wants to protect all children by being their guardian and enjoying innocence. Ultimately, Holden's dream job, that of a rye catcher, is a job he dreamed about because he wants to be a flavor of innocence to children. Works Cited Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.