Ramos 1

Mia Ramos
Hedgepeth
Honors English 5-6
August 20, 2014
Moral Depravity
As adolescence is reached, the barrier between innocence and impurity begin to
deteriorate because of corruption by society. The book The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger,
introduces Holden, a disillusioned, alienated, male adolescent, who questions the sinful
experiences and actions of individuals in society. He believes that society is at a loss of
innocence and struggles with an internal conflict, trying to view the essence of morality in an
already corrupted world. However, he himself is a victim of the corruption that is present.
Holden faces challenges involving profanity, alcoholism, and promiscuity, which are aspects to
societys deterioration of morals.
As individuals vocabulary accumulates, some words learned are viewed as profane and
adverse to innocence. Holdens encounter with profanity at his younger sisters school drove him
to react in exasperation, But while I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy.
Somebodys written Fuck you on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe
and all the other little kids would see it, and how theyd wonder what the hell it meant...theyd all
think about it and maybe worry about it for a couple of days...I hardly even had the guts to rub it
off the wall with my hand, if you want to know the truth...But I rubbed it out anyway, finally,
(Salinger 201). He was bothered by the idea of young children learning the meaning of the
phrase and decided to rub off the words to prevent the other children from seeing it. His concern
of the youths exposure to such unprofound language proves he cares about the innocence of the

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children, although he is at loss of his own. Regardless of age, demoralization continues to corrupt
the minds of humanity, even the youth.
Corruption causes an individual to change which, in Holdens case, affects the loss of his
innocence. While at local night club, he requests an alcoholic beverage, showing support of
underage drinking: I ordered a scotch and a soda, and told him not to mix it--I said it fast as
hell, because if you hem and haw, they think youre under twenty-one and wont sell you any
intoxicating liquor. I had trouble with him anyway, though, (Salinger 69). Desire for liquor is
not unnatural for an adolescent, but ideally, it isnt a thought a minor should have. Holden craves
for alcohol in some form and attempts to convince the server once again to quench his thirst,
Okay, okay, I said. I figured the hell with it. Bring me a Coke. He started to go away,
but I called him back. Cantcha stick a little rum in it or something?...I cant sit in a
corny place like this cold sober...
Im very sorry sir... he said, and beat it on me. I didnt hold it against him, though. They
lose their jobs if they get caught selling to a minor. Im a goddam minor, (Salinger 6970).
The need for alcohol is a characteristic meant to be shown by adults, however Holdens second
request reveals desperation, showing alcohol as a necessity to him. The fact that hes willing to
follow underage drinking proves that he himself is a victim of corruption. Alcoholism at a young
age demonstrates societys willingness for moral degradation.
As society grows older, promiscuous thoughts begin to penetrate the mind. Holden, being
a teenage boy, develops the want for sexual interaction, however struggles with fulfilling his
desire, I was a little nervous. I was starting to feel pretty sexy and all, but I was a little nervous
anyways. If you want to know the truth, Im a virgin. I really am. Ive had quite a few
opportunities to lose my virginity and all, but Ive never got around to it yet. Something always
happens, (Salinger 92). He creates an excuse for not following through with his urge. Although

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his mind pushes him to think hes prepared for the arousal of the opposite sex, his remaining
morals prevent him from doing so. His encounter with a prostitute still did not lessen those
values: ...she stood up and pulled her dress over her head. I certainly felt peculiar when she did
that. I mean she did it so sudden and all. I know youre supposed to feel pretty sexy when
somebody gets up and pulls their dress over their head, but I didnt. Sexy was about the last thing
I was feeling. I felt much more depressed than sexy, (Salinger 94-95). Even though Holden is
aware of how a person should feel about this kind of interaction, he did not engage in lust. By
being depressed instead of sexy, Holden questions why he doesnt feel ready. He is on the
border between innocence and corruption; thus he still retains a stronger devotion to morality in
comparison to his society. Despite the failure attempt of corruption towards Holden, immorality
still continues to instigate the destruction of innocence.
The effects of corruption can show changes in an individual. In many cases, it is the loss
of innocence. The novel The Catcher in the Rye provided examples of the effects of cursing,
drinking, and sexual interaction, and how they tempt individuals towards immorality. People like
Holden are on the border between sin and purity, constantly being tempted by outside forces and
experiences to turn towards the corrupt side of humanity. Society is losing its abidance to morals,
causing the barrier to crumble.