In JD Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is a rather negative teenager who has been kicked out of another boarding school. Set in the late 1940s, he decides to leave his school, Pencey Prep, early and take a trip to New York City. As Holden ventures through New York City, he seems to have a fixation on the death of his brother Allie. Allie dies a few years before the novel and this tragedy seems to have left a lasting negative impact on Holden. Because he saw the harsh realities of adulthood too early, Holden tried not only to not grow up himself, but also to prevent others from having to face the sadness that comes with maturity. the death had a particularly strong and devastating impact on Holden. Allie died on July 18, 1946 from leukemia and the significance her death had on Holden was immediate. On the night of Allie's death, Holden reacted violently: “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the damn windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break the windows of the station wagon...” (Salinger 39). This outburst was simply the beginning of the problems Holden has due to Allie's death. Holden, most noticeably, has taken on an overall negative outlook on life resulting from bad luck, including a general distrust of people. After Allie's death, Holden doesn't know who he can trust because this event was so catastrophic for him. Referring to being annoyed by his brother's friend, Lillian Simmons, Holden says, "People always ruin things for you" (87). Regarding Holden's general depression, he talks about his sadness while preparing the Christmas present, “Almost everything… middle of paper… protector of youth and innocence. He explains his vision to his little sister Phoebe, someone he has treasured since Allie died. He wants to take on this role as a catcher so he can fulfill his goal of helping young people maintain their innocence and be protected from the ugliness that is a part of life. Despite the many experiences Holden has, Allie's death will stay with him for the rest. of his life. Because of his young age, he hasn't been able to fully process what happened, and he still isn't able to process it, so he carries with him the stigma associated with the tragedy. Holden realizes that adulthood is full of harsh truths that are a part of life. Because of this, he prevents himself from aging and tries to prevent others from aging as well. Works Cited Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991. Print.