Holden Caulfield Symbolism Analysis
In Westport, Connecticut, in 1951, The catcher in the rye was written by J.D. Salinger. This story revolves around a teenage boy who is deeply afraid of change. Holden Caulfield is a 16-year-old boy, recently expelled from his fourth school. Salinger uses symbolism and motifs to display Holden's thoughts and emotions throughout the story. Salinger does this because of Holden's lack of stability and immature nature. In the story, Holden is going through tough times, amplified by his decision to go to New York City alone. While many symbolic presences recur in the story, Holden's fascination with animals transcends any existing symbols. Holdens contemplation of where ducks go during migration highlights the uncertainty of his future that …show more content…
While in New York City, Holden takes a taxi when he asks the driver about what fish do in the winter. The driver responds with the simple answer of hibernation:" The fish don't go no place. They stay right where they are, the fish. Right in the goddam lake." (Salinger 45). Because of Holden's inability to fit in with social norms, he often feels excluded from society. He can easily relate to fish because he often feels stuck with nowhere to go. It also symbolizes him being stuck in childhood, often using exterior appearances to make himself feel like an adult. Rather than maturing and realizing one's appearance does not make them an adult. Later in the story, Holden takes his younger sister, Phoebe, to a carousel in Central park. After arriving, Holden made one very close observation: "Anyway, we kept getting closer and closer to the carousel and you could start to hear that nutty music it always plays. It was playing "Oh, Marie!" It played that song about fifty years ago when I was a little kid. That's one nice thing about carrousels; they always play the same songs." (Salinger 210). Holden's keen observation of the carousel's song choice shows the timelessness of the carousel. Viewing how changeless the horses of the carousel have stayed for over 15 years, allowing kids to live uninterrupted in their adolescent world. The carousel acts as a physical object. Holden can see its stillness and reflect that not all stillness is
Analyzing The Conscious Mind Of Holden Caulfield
808 Words | 4 PagesThe loss of his older brother and the absent parents have really affected Holden’s behavior. He lives a life without any care but with exception of younger children. Holden has a fascination with younger children and their innocence possibly because he wasn’t able to enjoy his adolescent years and nor did his brother. Holden mentions “‘Every time I'd get to the end of a block I'd make believe I was talking to my brother Allie. I'd say to him, "Allie, don't let me disappear.
Similarities Between Catcher In The Rye And It's Kind Of A Funny Story
1077 Words | 5 PagesI was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over"( ). This is symbolism for Holden, the ducks representing his desperate attempt to cling to childhood. He, just like Craig struggles with this depression that he can't let go. This idea of fear can be related to
Holden Caulfield Controversy
648 Words | 3 PagesHaley O’Neal English I 3/12/18 Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Sallinger, 1951 Catcher in the Rye is a fictional story by J.D. Sallinger that tells the story of sixteen year old Holden Caufield during the 1950s. It wasn’t clear as to where exactly the story took place, but it is inferred that Holden was narrating it from a mental hospital. Holden begins his story talking about how he is about to be expelled from Pencey Prep. He was failing four-out-of-five classes, and was not putting forth any effort.
Holden Caulfield Setting
644 Words | 3 PagesHolden being sent out in an unfamiliar world, without help, is like having to play a board game without knowing how to play. His name relates to him being a player in this game called life because to field means to send a player out into the game. IN this case, Holden is the player, and life is the game. When Holden arrives home to talk with Phoebe, he brings up how he wants to be the “catcher in the rye,” and do nothing but that all day (p. 93).Through this entire story, Holden has been struggling to transitions from a child to an adult and wonders how ducks know to leave the lagoon in the winter and fly south.
Holden Caulfield Characterization
1701 Words | 7 PagesThis question foreshadows Holden Caulfield needing a place to go, since he randomly decided to run away from home without previous plans. Although he is no longer in Pencey, he does not seem to be satisfied wherever he goes and does not find a place desirable to stay in long term. The ducks that he brings up in his conversation are a symbol of himself in a way because no one seems to know where the ducks are going next, but the ducks don’t stay where they are. This is like Caulfield’s situation because he can’t seem to answer the question of where he is going to next, but is sure he is not going to remain in New York for very much longer. For the ducks, it becomes too cold for them to stay there, but for Holden the city isn’t what he was looking for.
Characterization Of Holden Caulfield
942 Words | 4 PagesSo he gives up. After talking to several adults about this book, this moment became a huge wake up call for me as a reader. I was reminded that Holden is lost because he refuses to see the world for what it is, choosing to live in the fantasy that somewhere life is greater. He seeks a place where life is easy, where everyone sees the world through his eyes, where he must put forth no effort. This is immature and shows that as much as Holden views himself as a grown up, he has not reached maturity.
Examples Of A Rough Draft For Catcher In The Rye
606 Words | 3 Pages(60). Holden’s desperation over the ducks shows that he is also desperate for freedom and guidance. He wants to find the ducks in order for him to know where he will go after he attains freedom. This behavior also shows that Holden
How Does Holden Change Throughout The Catcher In The Rye
858 Words | 4 PagesThis symbolizes Holden’s fearfulness about what he will do when he is his own. Entering adulthood is a substantial change and is approaching Holden rapidly; however, Holden is not ready for this change. Additionally, Holden is troubled when he discovers that to survive the ducks have to alter their lives. Judging by his reaction, he is disturbed by the fact that--similar to the ducks-- Holden will have to change his life to survive. Furthermore, when Holden watches his sister Phoebe ride on a carousel, he feels “so damn happy all of a sudden” (Salinger 234).
How Does Holden Caulfield Change Throughout The Novel
638 Words | 3 PagesThen I started doing something else. Every time I’d get to the end of a block I’d make believe I was talking to my brother Allie. I’d say to him, ‘Allie, please don’t let me disapper’” (Salinger 108)... These flashbacks and fastforwards show how scrambled Holden’s mind is, it makes the reader think that the story is taking place over the span of a few weeks but instead it starts on a Thursday and ends on a Sunday morning.
Holden Is A Playlist For The Catcher In The Rye
2662 Words | 11 PagesConsequently, Holden is finally able to find joy in life, and to look past other people and societal expectations. He does not stay in New York because of society and what people will think of him, but because Phoebe asks him to and he promises her. The song describes how a person needs to persevere and that “when I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe.” Holden has to persevere in order for Phoebe’s words about how he loves nothing to truly take effect.
How Is Holden Caulfield A Modern Teenager
1108 Words | 5 PagesUnlike past generations teens today find it hard to relate to someone who is the same age as them. The Catcher in the Rye is a book written by J. D. Salinger with a boy named Holden as the main character. Holden is a 17 year old who got kicked out of Pencey. Holden through the book becomes more depressing and doesn’t take care of himself, he goes days without sleeping and eating and get’s suicidal thoughts. Holden has a little sister named Phoebe, Holden loves Phoebe, Holden wants to protect Phoebe's innocence and every child’s innocence.
Holden Caulfield Symbolism
724 Words | 3 PagesHe doesn’t want his sister and her friends to live the life that he had to because it was so miserable. He didn’t want their innocence to be washed away at such a young age like him, but one kid is all it takes to ruin it for somebody. This shows that Holden really does care about his role as the catcher in the rye and that preserving innocence is what truly makes him
Examples Of Holden Being Depressed In Catcher In The Rye
728 Words | 3 PagesHe talks to his brother as if he 's there searching for help from him. This novel is about him moving through New York and witnessing this and not wanting to be a part of it, yet knowing he has to fit in there somewhere. Holden grows a very dangerous drinking problem. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, Holden is a lost and depressed boy looking for a purpose in life. Holden believes that growing up is going to cause him to lose all innocence in himself.
Holden Caulfield Grief
809 Words | 4 PagesStricken Catcher in the rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger about boy named Holden Caulfield. Holden over the course of days He goes from completely unethical person to downright unbearable. He starts out at Pencey the school that he was currently frequenting until they gave him the axe. He then left Pencey”sleep tight, ya morons!” with about three days left of down time (he left Pencey early.).
Catcher In The Rye Loneliness Analysis
1305 Words | 6 PagesHe sees himself as the useless member of the family, and states that he’s “the only dumb one in the family” (67). The most heartbreaking cause of Holden’s loneliness is the death of his young brother, Allie, to leukemia. The brothers’ connection is shown through the symbol of Allie’s red hair, which Holden could have a “hunch” for even if Allie was sitting “a hundred and fifty yards” away (38). The cut of a bond this deep devastates Holden. Unfortunately, because of his inactive parents, he deals with it through anger and isolation that is symbolized by the red hunting hat he wears.
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