Symbolism in The Catcher In The Rye Essay

In J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfield is fearful of change and growing into adulthood. This fact is quite obvious due to his attitudes towards the following symbols. Each of them represents a different perspective or feeling Holden has towards people or usually a customary or phony way of living. Throughout the novel the narrator refers back to the certain symbols on multiple occasions. Among other symbols, Salinger makes it obvious that the museum, the ducks and Allie all have made a big impact on Holdens life. The novel takes place in New York City during the 1950s as one could assume by the various outdated slang words in Holdens vocabulary.

Allie, Holden's young brother who died several years beforehand is a major symbol throughout the novel. When Holden remembers incidents from his past involving him, his attitude changes, such as when he writes the composition about Allie's baseball glove or when Holden remembers breaking his hand after punching all of the windows after Allies passing. "I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddamn windows with my fist, just for the hell of it, (Salinger 39). He feels that Allie was one of the few people who was normal in a world full of phonies. More importantly, Allie represents the innocence and childhood that Holden strives to find throughout his three-day journey. In his opinion, Allie stands for the purity that Holden looks for in the world. Holden admits that he admires Allie more than he admires Jesus and even prays to Allie at one point, rather than to him. Thus, Allie is Holden's role model, whom he judges the rest of the world against. When he dies, this event nearly wrecks Holden's life. Now as a depressed and lonely teenager, Holden expresses his grief by showing constant anger towards his friends, especially when he goes on a date with Sally Hayes in chapter 17.

At several points during the course of the novel, Holden asks what happens to the ducks who are usually on a pond in Central Park. When winter comes, and the water freezes. On page 60, there is his conversation with a taxi driver: "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? Do you happen to know, by any chance?" 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're ya tryna do, bud? Kid me?" (Salinger 60) Despite being embarrassed by strangers, Holden is never satisfied. He doesn't consciously realize that the ducks relate to him. Whether he admits it or not, Holden is scared. He has been kicked out of a number of schools, he can't get good grades, his parents are angry with him, and he spends his days wandering through New York City. Holden doesn't know where he is going to go, reflecting his question about the whereabouts of the ducks. Perhaps if he knew where the ducks went, he could follow their example by finding out where he wants to go and act on it.

While walking through New York City, Holden arrives at the Museum of Natural History. He talks about the museum and his appreciation of the glass cases that the officials place all of their exhibits in. He wishes he could place parts of his life in glass cases because they won't change. In the end, he decides not to go into the museum. Though he admires it because he used to go there in his younger years every Saturday with his teacher, Miss Aigletinger. Since the glass cases inside the museum don't allow anyone to change anything, it would be the one place for Holden to go if he wanted everything to be as it was during his childhood. However, he decides to stay outside because he is afraid that there is a chance the museum might have changed. Even Jane (one of Holdens closest friends) has changed since his childhood and Holden thinks that is unbelievable; so, if Jane could change, perhaps the museum could change as well. When they would play checkers, she would never move her back row kings for some odd reason. Holden thinks it is because she wants to take as little risk as possible, and uses this as a life lesson to prevent from committing to change. In the back of his mind he knows that if the museum changes, he could end up getting hurt again. So he makes a well thought out decision not to enter, even if his reasons are subconscious.

Thus, these symbols play a major role in showing how unwilling Holden is to grow out of childhood and how reluctant he is to accept change. In conclusion, the ducks, the museum and Allie remind the reader of Holdens strong and somewhat mistaken way of thinking.