Question Why does Holden cling to the innocence of children? Response Holden is looked at differently in society because he doesn’t communicate like a typical young person. Holden always talking about how adults are phonies. He believes that the only real innocent/pure people in the world are children. Holden’s enemy in life is the adult world. He doesn’t quite seem to understand the process of growing up. I don’t blame him though because he for sure has had a rough past growing up. His younger brother died of cancer, and he also hints that he has been sexually abused as a child. Which plays a big part on why he believes children are so innocent, they are the only people in the world that are truly living day to day life carefree and comfortable. The book The Catcher in the Rye’s main theme is innocence hence the title! Holden's secret goal is to be "the catcher in the rye." In this metaphor, he envisions a field of rye standing by a dangerous cliff. Children play in the field with joy and abandon. If they should come too close to the edge of the cliff, however, Holden is there to catch them. Holden does not at first understand that growing up can be a good thing, as it comes with experience. He fears for not only his life in the future but also for the children. Later on in the book he realizes that he has to let the children grow up and figure out the world for themselves. He cannot be the preacher for all children about how bad the adult world is, because like everybody on planet earth we all grow up! Holden’s relationship with Jane Gallagher is an innocent one. He doesn’t think of Jane as a sexual icon in his life, but rather someone who he enjoys spending time with. (I.e. playing checkers) when he gets the idea that her step father sexually abused her he gets sensitive because he felt the same. When he figures out that his former roommate Stradlater had sex with Jane he gets pretty flustered and t