Holden Caulfield Sacrifice

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The Mind Behind Caulfield of His Ducks and its Habitats The narrator of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield fails to acknowledge his identity. Born to a wealthy family, Caulfield feels lonesome and depress after his younger brother, Allie’s death. Caulfield eventually becomes confuse of what he wants for himself. He constantly longs to maintains his innocence self, yet some other times he wishes to be view and respects as an adult. Caulfield’s addiction towards alcohol and cigarettes, as well as his desires for intimacy relationships demonstrates Caulfield’s attempts to be a grownup. In addition, throughout the novel, Salinger mentions the recurring idea of the ducks in the Central Park. The ducks and its habitat illustrates …show more content…

The Icy lagoon and the ducks in the Central Park conveys a more deeper meaning to Caulfield. Not only because he has wonderful childhood memories there, but oddly for his eagerness to understands life from the icy lagoon, and the ducks perspective. Caulfield first came across the idea of the ducks and the lagoon when he zones out during Mr. Spencer’s lectures session, “I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over” (Salinger 13). Right off the bat, Caulfield’s lacks of maturity is shown; all ducks migrate to the south during winter. Caulfield’s curiosity grows larger when he asks the same question about the ducks to taxi driver who is taking him to the hotel “by any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over” (Salinger)? Caulfield still could not find any luck, instead the taxi driver ask where his destination is. Despite, Caulfield foolish query, he grasps the …show more content…

Horwitz tells Caulfield more understanding on the fishes’ life, “‘if you was a fish, Mother Nature’d take care of you, wouldn’t she”(Salinger 83)? As refers to the previous paragraph, Caulfield’s relationships with his parents are not a great one. Here, Horwitz assuring how the mother nature would nurtures him. Caulfield technically has been independently, in a boarding school. His own mother is still dealing with Allie’s death. There is no way Caulfield’s circumstances is any way near close to the fishes’. Nearly when he reaches his breaking point, drunken and lonesome Caulfield visits the lagoon, “‘I knew right where it was--it was right near Central Park South and all--but I still couldn't find it’”(Salinger 154). Not only is the lagoon a safe haven for the fish, but it is also for the ducks; at least for some time it is. Like the ducks, he is not able to live in the protected environment for the rest of his life. The reason that Caulfield is having a difficult time finding the lagoon because the lagoon is no longer for Caulfield. He has toughen up, no more playing around in the lagoon with the other duckling. He has to migrates from his childhood into the

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