Catcher In The Rye Natural History Museum Analysis

759 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Portrayal of childhood in Catcher in the Rye

Holden is drawn to the consistency of the Natural History Museum because of the feeling of stability and security that it provides for him. For most of his life he has lacked a definite place where he felt like he belonged. In his life Holden has gone to 4 different schools and has lost his little brother to cancer which had fostered feelings of distrust and had made him feel like there is nothing in his life to rely on. A majority of the place and people Holden has encountered as well as the experiences he has had have only depressed him. So far, everything Holden has ever describe has made him angry or sad, but after an encounter with a little girl reminds him of the Natural History Museum, Holden reminisces about the elementary school …show more content…

By using the word cosy to describe the Natural History Museum Holden conveys the comfort of it and how well he fits in. However “the best thing, through, in that museum was that...Nobody’d move. You could go there a hundred thousand times. And that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish...the deer would still be drinking out of that water hole”(157-158). Holden’s favorite part of the Natural History Museum, as briefly stated before was the reliability of it. Holden’s life has been unstable understandably since the death of his brother. From then on, nothing in his life was constant especially the school he attended. The saying one want what they don't have ring true here where Holden is attracted to the stability of the Natural History Museum because it is the only source of it in his life. The language is this quote is interesting especially how Holden uses “would still be” as opposed to could still be. Using could leaves room for the possibility that they museun could change. Would ensure Holden that no matter how old he got he could return and find the same Eskimo and deer in the same spot they were in when he left them. “Still” also implies that time would pass and everything would remain the same,

Show More
Related

  • The Influence Of Adulthood In The Catcher On The Rye

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    After his younger brother Allie passed away and Holden was exposed to the harsh realities of the real world, he constantly tries to pretend like nothing ever happened and attempts to run away from his new life as an adult. During Holden’s visit to the park while he is trying to find Phoebe, he begins to reminisce about the museum that he used to visit with his class and says, “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was” (121). The museum is a very special place to Holden because it offers him an escape from the tedious responsibilities, as well as the tragedies of the adult world, because unlike reality, nothing in the museum ever changes and nothing bad can ever happen. Later on in the day, while Holden watched Phoebe ride the carrousel, he thought to himself, “I felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around” (213). Similar to the museum, Holden appreciates how the carrousel will ne...

    Read More

  • The Color Red in Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

    501 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main character, Holden Caulfield, has always loved the museum. It gave him reassurance t...

    Read More

  • Holden's Depression In Catcher In The Rye

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e simplistic, idealistic and perfect vision of life that Holden wishes he could live. “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.”

    Read More

  • How Does Holden Present Trauma In Catcher In The Rye

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holden’s childhood was far from ideal, with Allie dying, his dysfunctional parents and the revelation that he had some “perverty” stuff happen to him when he was a kid. Due to this, he isn't ready to step into adulthood and leave his childhood behind. This is why Holden is mostly alienated from adults and connects more to the innocence of children like the girl at the park and his sister, Phoebe. However, Holden is disillusioned with both adulthood and childhood. He already knows how it feels to be an adult; drinking alcohol, being independent, living by himself and caring for Phoebe, but isn’t ready to immerse himself in it.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Maturity In Catcher In The Rye

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden’s preference of a simplistic lifestyle is evident throughout the novel, but stands out especially when he visits the Museum of Natural History. He explains that. Holden loves this museum because it is still, silent, and always the same, which is a version of life he likes and understands. He fears dealing with conflict, uncertainty, and change, which he thinks comes with being an adult. It

    Read More

  • Use Of Symbolism In The Catcher In The Rye and The Great Gatsby

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Museum of Natural History is used to signify Holden’s fear of change. Holden enjoys looking at the mummies and the exhibits at the museum because they never change and are frozen in time. Holden realizes that he changes every time he goes back and sees the exhibits, but the exhibits do not change. He wishes that his childhood world would last forever like his exhibits.

    Read More

  • Depression In Catcher In The Rye By J. D Salinger

    1504 Words  | 4 Pages

    This explains his obsession with innocence and childhood which are destroyed by the waves of change. He expresses this with his description of his favorite part about the museum. “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you” (Salinger 121). Here Holden uses the word “you” to make it seem as if he does not change, everyone else does. Holden idealizes this stagnant scene in which everything remains constant. He enjoys this simplified view of the world because life transform into a stable concept instead of the hurricane of disaster he has witnessed with both people’s corruptness and losing his brother. His inability to change perhaps is also linked with his depression from his younger brother’s demise- the inescapable whisper that whistles through his mind. Holden views all of

    Read More

  • Holden in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden hates that the world around him is constantly changing, and that people keep leaving, because he knows that the places and people he was once comfortable with are most likely very different from when he was younger. While Holden is in New York, he decides to pay a visit to the Museum of Natural History where he often used to go as a kid. When looking at an Eskimo in a display case, Holden comes to the conclusion that “certain things they should stay the way they are. You should be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone” (122). Holden wants to be able to depend on people and places he knows will always be the same, especially as the world is changing around him. Therefore, living in a time where everything revolves around the use of technology which enables the world to change at a very fast pace, would only intensify Holden’s fe...

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Holden's Death Analysis

    636 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden feels as if he is stuck in his 13 year old self. Although he is aging he isn’t necessarily maturing the way his classmates and other people are around him. This is due to the fact that he never received closure when Allie died. When he starts picturing his own funeral because he might get pneumonia and die, he remembers D.B. telling him about his brother's funeral. He stated, “I wasn’t there. I was still in the hospital. I had to go to the hospital and all after I hurt my hand” (Salinger 171). Since he never attended the funeral he never got to say his final goodbyes to the one person he truly loved. Holden feels as if he can’t connect with anyone else in the world like he did with Allie. If he did then he would most likely push them away, so he wouldn’t have to experience the trauma of loss again, because it greatly impacted his life the first time. The trauma Holden experienced when he was younger resulted in him not being able to form stronger relationships with people which made him more depressed and

    Read More

  • Explain The Glass Moment In Catcher In The Rye

    409 Words  | 1 Pages

    When Holden enters the museum he notices all the glasses cases and he comes to a moment of realization. The structures inside the glass case represent what he wants from his life. He doesn't want time progress he would just like to be frozen in time living in his best moments. If he could, he wouldn't be so depressed and his life would be flawless. He might be wanting to put a moment when he was younger and he was happy with his family and want to keep it in there. This was when his brother was still alive and he hadn't learned the term phony. He wouldn't want that to progress, but he notices that as time goes by his dream will never be accomplished.

    Read More

  • Examples Of An Immature Man In Catcher In The Rye

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the book Holden admits he doesn't like change. Holden fear of growing up , becoming an adult and thinking of of it disgust him. For example the museum, Holden like it because the exterior of it did not change and says the only thing that would change would be you.In the text Luce says “Same old Caulfield.When are you going to grow up already?”(144). Holden wants things to stay how they are and how his life is. Holden considers adults phonies and he doesn’t want to be consider phony as well. When he describes the museum he says the best part about it is that it never changes, only you do.Holden bonds with his sister taking her to the zoo, museum and the carousel.He wants to Phoebe to experience what he did and to get the memories alive. “What I have to do, I would have to catch everyone if they start to go over the cliff- what I have to do, I mean if they are running and they don't look where they are going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That is all I have to do. I would just be the catcher in the rye”(173). This quote show how by holden is catching them from falling down the cliff which symbolizes stopping them from adulthood. “Thousand of little kids and nobody’s around- nobody big , I mean except me”(173). This quotes implies how young innocent kids won't be exerted by adults

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Museum Analysis

    286 Words  | 1 Pages

    The scene of Catcher in the Rye that stands out the most to me was when Holden returns to the museum. This scene stands out because it shows the reader a little insight on Holden’s character as a person. Change is something the troubles Holden, the main change that Holden struggles the most with is maturing into the adult world. This is why he finds comfort in a museum exhibit he has been to since he was a young child. Holden describes “the best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was” (Salinger 135). This shows why Holden enjoyed the museum so much, the world outside might still be spinning and changing but in the museum everything stayed the same, “You could go there a hundred thousand times. Nobody’d

    Read More

  • Nature Vs Nurture In Catcher In The Rye

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    The negative light that Holden views the world under is a key contribution to his unhappiness. He is unable to see even a glint of sincerity in people’s actions which allows him to experience feelings of severe despondency and dejection. “People never give your message to anybody,” (pg. 166) shows how Holden no longer feels let down by people but instead expects the worst from them instead. He struggles to find genuinity in people’s actions, and in turn feels “lousy and depressed,” by nearly everything. Holden is constantly seen bringing down the adult world. It is shown he has an inner conflict between his adult and child self, leading him to feeling lost and without a place. He is disgusted by the adult world describing it as a place filled with “phonies” but, views adolescence as a source of happiness. He shows a direct fear of change by stating, “The best thing...was that everything always stayed right where it was.” (pg. 135). As Holden is being pushed out of his childhood and into an area where he feels out of place, it is only inevitable that this would be a source of his depression. Both of these internal conflicts add to Holden Caulfield’s

    Read More

  • Explain Why Holden Appreciate The Museum Of Natural History

    118 Words  | 1 Pages

    \This Quotation explains why Holden appreciates the Museum of Natural History. While walking from Central Park to the Museum Of Natural History, he begins to remember all of his school trips to the museum. Holden has already indicated that he panics and does not know how to deal with struggle, distraction, and diversity. The museum shows him with a perception of life he can accept; it is frozen, mute, and consistently the same. Holden can critic the Eskimo, but the Eskimo will never critic him. It bothers him that he has changed each time he visits, while the museum’s displays remain entirely the same. They serve as the optimistic vision of life that Holden hopes he could

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden Caulfield can be analyzed through his thoughts, actions and circumstances which surround his everyday life. Holden acts like a careless teenager. Holden has been to several prep-schools, all of which he got kicked out of for failing classes. After being kicked out of the latest, Pency Prep, he went off to New York on his own. Holden seems to have a motivation problem which apparently affects his reasoning. The basis of his reasoning comes from his thoughts. Holden thinks the world is full of a bunch of phonies. All his toughs about people he meets are negative. The only good thoughts he has are about his sister Phoebe and his dead brother Alley. Holden, perhaps, wishes that everyone, including himself, should be like his brother and sister. That is to be intelligent, real and loving. Holden’s problem is with his heart. It was broken when his brother died. Now Holden goes around the world as his fake self, wearing his mask. Holden is looking for love, peace and understanding. He is scared to love because he is afraid he might lose it like he did with his brother. That is the reason for Holden's love of the museum, he feels safe because it never changes it always stays the same. Holden is troubled with the pain of death, it effects every aspect of his life causing him to not care about the future, himself or anyone, except Phoebe and Alley.

    Read More

More about Catcher In The Rye Natural History Museum Analysis

Open Document