Which description best captures the book's treatment of coming-of-age?

• A. It promotes a smooth path to adulthood.
• B. It depicts maturity as simply a function of external adventures.
• C. It critiques coming-of-age by showing Holden's resistance to adulthood and innocence protection.
• D. It avoids any discussion of growing up.

Answer: (C)

The main idea this description captures is a critical view of growing up, filtered through Holden’s stubborn resistance to adulthood and his urge to shield innocence. Throughout the novel, Holden doubts the value of the adult world, calling it all too often “phony,” and he clings to a fantasy where he can literally protect children from falling into that world. That protective instinct—imagining himself as the catcher in the rye who saves kids from losing their innocence—signals that coming-of-age isn’t celebrated here; it’s something to question and resist.

This isn’t about a smooth or straightforward path into adulthood, nor is maturation just about external adventures. Holden’s adventures tend to highlight his fear, confusion, and rejection of grown-up norms, rather than a simple progression toward maturity. While the book does engage with growing up, it presents that process as fraught and contested, not as a neat, positive transition.