The novel The Catcher in the Rye takes place in New York during the 1950's. The main character is a fifteen-year-old boy Holden, he takes the reader through a story depicting the loss of innocence. Holden believes everyone is innocent, but they inevitably loose it somehow by the time they are adolescent. Holden believes innocence is lost in childhood. Holden is extremely concerned about this and believes he can stop the loss of innocence by …showed first 75 words of 771 total…

…showed last 75 words of 771 total…welfare. This was the case when Holden decided not to run away out west. He realized saving Phoebe was more important than his own hopes and dreams. Innocence is perhaps the most difficult quality to retain during one's lifetime. Society tries to slowly peel it from you layer by layer. Although Holden's innocence has been taken from him, he tries his best to help others retain their innocence and be the "Catcher in the Rye."