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Symbolism in the catcher in the rye
The catcher in the rye about
Character analysis of catcher in the rye
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In the book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger involves many symbols and motifs that help understand more about Holden, the main character in the book, and who he is. The motif that stands out the most in the book are the ducks in central park. The ducks help us understand that Holden doesn't want to grow up, he wants to stay a little innocent child. There are more than one example of symbols that show the innocent side of Holden. Holden is a little kid at heart and he wants to keep it that way. One thing that children do is ask questions like ‘why is the skye blue?’ Holden says to the cab driver “You know those ducks in that lagoon…. By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over?”(60). This is showing how innocent Holden is while in the book he usually acts like a crotchety old man. Holden talks about the ducks leaving. Every year they leave but, they always return. Holden has an issue with abandonment, this is why when ducks disappear he feels like he they left and are not returning. He is curious to know by saying “The ducks. Do y...
Salinger uses specific motifs and symbols to illustrate Holden’s naive and unrealistic view of the world. A great example of this is when he believes he can be the catcher in the rye. By doing so he imagines he is able to maintain all the innocence within society. Holden
At several points during the course of the novel, Holden asks as to what happens to the ducks who are normally on a pond in Central Park, when winter comes and the water freezes. On page 60, Holden asks, "You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over?
The Catcher in the Rye Essay Through Salinger's use of symbolism, as a society, he depicts the importance of preserving innocence. We want to save our innocence. In court, people try to plead not guilty, meaning that they are innocent. Holden Caulfield tries to protect kids from becoming guilty. He wants to make people never become guilty.
Holden is a very disturbed individual. Every since the death of his little brother, Allie, he has been going crazy. Holden even describes himself as a madman. Holden talked about being a madman while he was talking to the cab driver. Holden asked where the ducks went when the weather got cold. The cab driver thought this was a strange question and turned around to look at Holden like he was “a madman” (60). The cabby thought that it was an absurd question because everyone knew that the ducks went south for the winter. That is why the cab drive turned around to look at Holden like he was crazy. Another instance where Holden mentioned the madman was while talking to
At various points during the course of the novel, Holden inquires as to what happens to the ducks who are normally on a pond in Central Park, when winter comes and the water freezes. As he inquires, the answers he receives range from as farfetched answers as the idea that the ducks still remain there under the ice, just as the fish do, to uncaring answers such as a simple "What a stupid question!" remark. Despite the answer he gets, Holden is never satisfied with the reply. Holden doesn’t consciously realize that the ducks relate to him. Whether he will admit it or not, Holden is scared. He has been kicked out of numerous schools, he can’t get good grades, his parents are angry with him, and he spends his days wandering through New York City. He doesn’t know where he is going to go, reflecting his question about the ducks. Perhaps if he knew where the ducks went, he could follow their example.
...ing stays frozen and everyone belongs in society. Therefore, during the winter time, the ducks are isolated as once, but they still belong together. Holden is isolated from the people around him and he is more protected within himself. Holden doesn’t know how he is going to make it through his own winter, just like he doesn’t where the ducks will end up during winter.
Before Holden’s younger brother, Allie’s death his older brother D.B. would write stories for his younger siblings. However, after Allie died, D.B. went to Hollywood to write movie scripts. Furthermore, Allie’s death was D.B.’s winter. D.B. is like the ducks flying away from the lagoon to escape winter. However, in the eyes of Holden, D.B is “out in Hollywood, D.B, being a prostitute.” (Page 2) Holden does not realize that D.B is also dealing with Allie’s death. Moreover, the ducks and the fish represent Holden and D.B along with Allie’s death being the winter. The ducks are able to leave the pond in Central Park during the winter. The fish cannot leave because, according to Horwitz, the fish “get frozen right in one position for the whole winter.” (Page 82) Holden the fish cannot let go of Allie’s death, so he is always trapped in his own winter--frozen in the ice of his
It is evident that Holden Caufield has specific moments where he can recall and apply them wherever he is in life. His unleashing of children and their ability to explore the world without assistance has helped him transition to the real adult world. His fascination with ducks has made him realize that nothing is ever permanent and no one can always be there for when ever one falls. Lastly, the passing of a loved one can be times of despair but learning to grow and fight the internal struggle can help bring ease. Holden has really transformed from an egoistic individual to a genuine gentleman, he has grown from his experiences and is able to tolerate more pain. The reality has struck Holden no matter how distorted the outside world is to him, maturing is inevitable and using these moments will always be something for him to live for.
The novel The Catcher in the Rye follows Holden Caulfield for a weekend. The story begins in Agerstown, PA at Pencey Prep school with Holden standing on top of the Thomson Hill on his way to Mr. Spencer’s, his history teacher, to say good bye because Holden was expelled for not following rules. On his way to Spencer’s, Holden “felt like [he] was sort of disappearing”. (Salinger 5) The sense of symbolism with the word “disappearing” is that he feels alone and almost invisible. When Mr. Spencer starts to read Holden’s failed paper, Holden starts to daydream about “wondering where ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over” (13) in Central Park in New York. The symbolic significance in this comment is that Holden is frozen in adolescence.
The ducks in Central Park help develop the theme of the painfulness of becoming an adult by showing us how difficult it is for Holden to make adult decisions. Holden is using the ducks in Central Park as a metaphor for himself. During the winter time ducks migrate to South when the winter season in New York City is too harsh for them. In this transition period where Holden is alone in New York he has no direction, and no parent or adult to tell him where to go or be. He is, for the first time, needing to make decisions on where to go in this adult world. Holden is in the winter of his life, and his old school Pencey Prep is the frozen over lake, but unlike the duck Holden has no destination. Holden “wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if [the ducks] just flew away.” (13) This is Holden calling out for direction and hoping someone will taking him away. When he arrives in New York Holden asks his cab driver, "You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South?...By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over?" (61) Despite its unconventional nature, this is Holden’s way of asking for directions. The cab driver job is to drive others people to where they are supposed to be, and Holden hopes he can tell him where he is supposed to go. His world
good and got all the girls but in fact he was a slob. His razor that made him
Often times in literature objects hold significance that helps the reader deepen their understanding of the underlying themes that tie the piece together. In The Catcher in the Rye Salinger uses symbolism such as Holden’s hunting hat, the ducks in central park, and Allie’s baseball mitt all through the novel in order to display important themes like isolation, loss of innocence, and struggling through childhood. Salinger shows the reader about teens journey from childhood and adulthood and their difficulty communicating their feelings and needs.
A big trait in Holden’s character is the stubbornness. Holden is not willing to accept his problems in addition to let others help him. It is equally important to realize that Holden’s stubbornness is fatal to changing, otherwise growing up. One of the first symbols introduced is Holden’s red hunting hat. “This is a people shooting hat. I shoot people in this hat. (3.31)” gives signs that this hat is a way to alienate himself from the world. When Holden articulates it is for shooting people; shooting really means calling them phonies to only stubbornly protect himself from the outer world. Proceeding to Holden’s visit to Phoebe’s school, the f**k you signs on the wall are a way of representing the negative influences on kids. Holden’s stubbornness is shown when he attempts to erase them off the wall, although states “you couldn’t rub out even half the ‘F**k You’ signs in the world.(25.18)” The symbol’s meaning towards the story is understood that it’d be pointless to erase even all of the negative influences in the world because they’d just re-appear, except the protagonist cannot accept the reality of the situation. Jumping right to the end of the novel, when Phoebe ...
Symbolism is prominent throughout both works, representing many aspects of Holden and Charlie’s personalities. Holden frequently mentions the ducks in the pond and wonders where they go in winter. The ducks represent Holden and the freezing of the pond represents adulthood, symbolising him questioning where he will belong as an adult. However, the ducks always return, which he interprets as the ducks always make it through their winter so he can too. Furthermore, the red hunting hat worn by Holden in The Catcher in the Rye is a unique symbol of his individuality, with his tendency to wear it only when he is alone suggesting an outward appearance of conformity. Symbols in The Perks of Being a Wallflower further allude to the idea of individuality, with Charlie and his friends performing The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This musical is an ultimate symbol of individuality, and performing it allows Charlie and his friends to feel as if they belong. The other symbol representing Charlie’s passage into adulthood is the tunnel he drives through with his friends, causing him live in the moment and ‘feel infinite’. These stylistic features illustrate aspects of coming of age for both
In the book, Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger depicts the theme of difficulty when facing adulthood and moving on from childhood through Holden's thoughts about the pond’s frozen state. After meeting up with an old friend, Holden leaves a bar drunk to go find the pond that holds the ducks in Central Park. He wondered about this pond before, but this is the first time Salinger portrays him actually seeing it. Salinger writes, “Then, finally, I found it. What it was, it was partly frozen and partly not frozen. But I didn’t see any ducks around”(171). Holden has asked questions about the pond and how the ducks in it futures relate to his own. After searching for a long time, Holden wants answers to guide his future. Holden describes the pond to