The Catcher in the Rye Comin Thro the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye - Comin Thro the RyeThesis: The “poor body,” Jenny, mentioned in Robert Burns’ poem, “Comin Thro the Rye,” is Holden.
Where does the title come from in the novel by J.D Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye ? The title comes from Holden’s explanation to his sister, Phoebe, on his preferred profession. Thus the profession he describes is related to a poem by Robert Burns’ “Comin Thro’ the Rye.” Holden makes an error when quoting from the song, which makes it questionable whether Burn’s poem has a direct link with The Catcher in the Rye. Through out the poem, Jenny, is used by Burns as the main character. The “poor body,” Jenny, mentioned in Robert Burns’ poem, “Comin Thro the Rye,” is Holden.
Salinger’s uses Burn’s poem by changing one single word from” meet” to “catch” to make his novel’s title. and what does its impacts to Holden, the main character of the nove?
“coming through the rye, poor body, coming through the rye”
When a child is singing Robert Burns’ song, Holden, the main character in Salinger’s novel, must have put himself into the image that the poem describes, a poor body, coming through the rye. He must think the poor body is tired, lonely, lost, and confused. It has been such a hardship for Holden. He was kicked out of three schools, runs away from school, has difficulties in school, cannot communication with anybody, and cannot relate to his peers. Nobody understands what he’s trying to say. Adults won’t listen to him. His father is going to kill him. The dishonest, unfair, ugly relationship that he see in people, elevator boy, tax driver and etc. disturb him, he is getting drunk at 16. He lies and is perpetually lonely throughout the entire novel. He even hired a prostitute whom he doesn’t know and get beat up. He is as miserable as that poor body in the poem.
“She draigled her petticaotie”
It is heavy, wet, gloomy and depressing. The sentence sense exactly how Holden felt about himself and people around himself. He is depressed and cannot barely walk through the ryn (real world).
“Oh Jenny’s seldom dry”
Holden never be able to be popular in school, get the good grade in school (except English) or go to Hollywood as his brother does. “seldom dry” mean that he cannot be like them and Holden feel his unfit in the real world.
“if a body meet a body, coming through the rye ”
Holden change “meet” to “catch” and picture himself standing the edge of the cliff and cache thousands of children running in the rye field. This is what Holden like to do when his sister asked him to choose one thing he like to do. He likes to save the children who get lost in the real world. When he is answering the question, his mind is going though the death of the James Castle, his lending turtle neck sweater and the death of young brother. He wants to save the children, especially his sister. He adore his sister. This theme becomes the title of the novel, Catcher of the Rye, Holden.
“if a body kiss a body, need a body cry”
This is the key sentence that make Holden change “meet” in the above sentence to “cache”. “kiss” is so of love or save. “cry” mean to Holden is “action”. This sentence inspires Holden if he loves his sister or the other children, he need to take an action (cry). Because of this sentence, Holden decide to be a catcher of the rye (savior of lost children in the real world)
.”if a body kiss a body, need the warld ken
This sentence tells Holden that even with Phrobe’s warning of “Father is going to kill you”. Being the catcher of the rye is even more holly then any professional. If a person loves or saves a person, he need to get the whole world know about it.
Conclusion
This poem is the center piece of the whole novel. That poor body is Holden, wet and draggled. If there is any chance that Holden can survive in this confusing, biased, and unfair real world, I would like to say the poem save his life, by telling him to save the other poor body is more important and can save himself too.
Catch vs. meet. In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield and his sister phoebe mention a poem. The poem is Robert Burns’, “Coming thro’ the Rye” which Holden makes a mistake in quoting it; Holden quotes it as “if a body catch a body comin’ through the rye” and it should be “If a body meet a body coming through the rye’. When Phoebe asked Holden one thing he likes. He recalled a little child singing the poem and he answered that he likes to catch the “kids” if they start to go over the hill, even though he knows he has made a mistake. The title of the novel continue using the word “catch”, instead of “meet”, because it is the main point of the novel, Holden wants to catch (help) the boy coming through the rye (unfair, dishonest and violent adulthood) and he is also the one who need the help. The image represented by the poem by changing one single word perfectly matches what is in Holden mind and explain why he is running away from (The death of James Castle and Allie, his own brother). Through out the novel, there are other parallels between Robert Burn’s “Coming thro’ the Rye” and J.D. Slinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. “Poor body (hardships),” “She draigit a’ her petticoatie(depression),” “Jenny’s seldom dry,” and “Ilka body has a body, ne’er a ane hae I (things he never accomplishes),” are items that described, and depicted Holden.
Holden is definitely described in the poem through a character named Jenny.
Poor boby vs. hardships. In the first stanza and throughout the poem (or chorus), “poor body,” as Jenny describes, which is similar to Holden in many different levels. Holden had to struggle with his brother’s death. “I broke all the windows in the garage the night he [Allie] died.” Furthermore, Holden never got to get closure with Jean Gallagher. “’Jean Gallagher. Jesus.’ I couldn’t get her off my mind.” Also, Holden keeps thinking about “buzzing” Jane and puts it off because “you have to be in the right mood.” P????
Not only does Holden have much hardship, he also possesses negativity with many different items in the book. Negativity is one of the symptoms of depression. In “Coming thro’ the Rye,” Jenny is described as “she draigl’t (draggle) a’ her petticoatie.” This shows that Jenny is sad or depressed. Examples: “if a body meet a body”