Holden Caulfield Symbolism

Catcher and the Rye

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger investigates the story of a 16 year old boy named Holden Caulfield who struggles to understand what his purpose in life is. The book is set in either 1948 or 1949 and takes place at Pencey Prep High School and New York. Holden Caulfield is the main character in the book; the other characters such as Stradlater, Jane Gallagher, Sally Hayes, and Phoebe Caulfield are all supporting characters. Sad and depressing components set the tone for the reader of Catcher in the Rye. There are four main symbols in Catcher in the Rye. These four main symbols include, the catcher in the rye, his red hunting hat, the ducks in central park, and the Museum of Natural History. Every one of these symbols exemplify that Holden does not want to grow up and that he wants to stay a kid where there are no problems. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger includes a colloquial and slangy diction whereas the tone is sad and depressing.

Colloquial is an ordinary or everyday language; it can be referred to has vernacular. J.D. Salinger also uses an abundance of slang throughout Catcher in the Rye. Holden talks like a true teenager which makes the book very easy to relate to for teenage readers. He uses words such as “like”, “you know?”, “corny”, and “phony”. Over the course of the book Holden gives the illusion that he is constantly talking right to the reader. One example of Colloquialism in Catcher in the Rye is, “All morons hate it when you call them a moron.” This quote from the book is an example of how Holden constantly uses colloquialism. The way that Holden continuously uses slang and colloquialism helps the reader stay connected to the character in the