In what ways is Holden preoccupied with children and their innocence? What do you think this says about him?

There are several ways in which Holden, the protagonist of the book The Catcher in the Rye, shows that he is preoccupied with the possibility of adulthood. We learn that Holden seems very concerned with his two siblings, Allie and Phoebe. He seems to idolize the children because of their youth. Another example occurs when he wants to erase the swear words that are written on the bathroom wall of the bathroom in an elementary school. Holden wants to erase these in order to preserve the innocence of the children.

Holden's preoccupation with children and their innocence expresses the idea that he does not want to grow up. As Holden develops into an adult, he is faced with increasing responsibilities, and he begins to idolize a world in which everything is simple and he is loved by everyone.