The Catcher in the Rye: Title Meaning and Ending Explained
The title comes from a line Holden mishears in a song, Robert Burns's "Comin' Thro' the Rye." He imagines himself as a catcher who stops children from falling off a cliff at the edge of a rye field, and that image sums up his wish to protect innocence.
The ending shows him giving up that fantasy, at least a little.
| Part | Detail |
|---|---|
| Source | "Comin' Thro' the Rye," a song by Robert Burns |
| Real line | "If a body meet a body coming through the rye" |
| What Holden hears | "If a body catch a body" |
| Where it appears | Chapter 16 (the song) and chapter 22 (the explanation) |
Where does the title come from?
In chapter 16 Holden sees a small boy walking along the street, singing as he goes. Holden thinks the words are "if a body catch a body coming through the rye," and the sound of it cheers him up.
The line comes from an eighteenth-century song by the Scottish poet Robert Burns.
↑ Back to the topWhat is the catcher in the rye?
In chapter 22 Holden tells Phoebe the one thing he would want to be. He pictures thousands of small children playing in a big field of rye, with a cliff at the edge. He would stand there and catch anyone who came too close.
Phoebe then points out that he has it wrong: the line is "if a body meet a body," and it is a poem by Burns. Holden's version replaces a chance meeting with a rescue.
↑ Back to the topWhy does it matter?
The image shows Holden's fear of growing up and his wish to keep children from the corruption he sees in adults. It also shows that his idea is a misreading. He cannot actually protect anyone, and Phoebe, who knows the real line, is the one to say so.
↑ Back to the topHow does the book end?
Holden plans to run away, but Phoebe insists on coming along, and he gives up the plan. He takes her to the carousel in Central Park. She rides it and reaches for the gold ring, which might make her fall.
Holden watches and realizes he must let her take that risk, because trying to stop children from reaching for the ring would be wrong. It begins to rain, and he says he feels happy. The last chapter jumps ahead: Holden says he is now in a rest home, will go back to school in the autumn, and does not want to say more.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Catcher in the Rye
This guide covers the novel only. Details such as page counts vary by edition.