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Summary: The Symbols Of Holden Wright

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Recommended: How Salinger conveys the character of Holden in order to determine what sort of person Salinger is trying to create with these words and phrases

Zavion Fernandez Leigh English II 18 December 2017 The Symbols of Holden Wright In this world, symbols are everywhere. Whether it be a company logo, a crucifix, or a person, humans see symbols on a day to day basis. However, they often lack the understanding of the meaning behind these symbols. Throughout history, symbols such as a crucifix or religious text have sparked major conflict in groups. In a way, these symbols can represent conflict, and in some cases, even cause conflict. Much like many ideas in this world, wherever there is good, there is also a bad. Symbols work in the same way. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, The three symbols that explain Holden’s feelings and conflicts about growing up are Holden’s …show more content…

Holden had a younger brother named Allie who “died of leukemia when he was eleven” (Salinger 38). Allie was a major factor in Holden’s life and development as a person in general. In a way, Allie is still alive in Holden and his actions, and Holden constantly thinks about him. When Holden felt that he was going to disappear whenever he crossed the street, he says, “Every time I came 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. Please, Allie’” (Salinger 198). Here, Allie isn’t only a source of protection for Holden, but it also shows how much Holden loves and thinks about him. Holden attempts to find strength to overcome his fears through Allie, and is successful in this instance. When Holden first found out about Allie’s death, he recalls, “I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don't blame them. I really don't. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and everything by that time, and I couldn't do it. It was a very stupid thing to do, I'll admit, but I hardly didn't even know I was doing it, and you didn't know Allie. My hand still hurts me once …show more content…

Before he leaves Pencey, Holden mentions the ducks to his teacher, Mr. Spencer, for the first time. He says, “I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away” (Salinger 13) . Holden’s concern over the ducks is symbolic of his own situation. He, like the ducks, wants to know where to go; where to be lead. Holden feels lost in not only the world, but within himself as well. A few chapters later, Holden asks cab driver’s opinion about the ducks, but the cab driver gets annoyed with Holden and even asks, “How the [heck] would I know where the [darn] ducks go” (Salinger 60). Holden is very confused here, for the cab driver got irate with him. In a way, it shows Holden’s innocence and naiveness to adult situations. Later on in the book, Holden discusses the ducks with another cab driver (Salinger 81).These childish questions may seem odd coming from Holden, especially since he is a relatively smart man. These questions can be drawn back to the fact that Holden himself does not know where to

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Have you ever lost someone or felt utterly useless and helpless? Have you ever gone through a life-changing experience to reach a goal at the end. Well in J.D Salinger's Novel The Catcher in the Rye there there's a character named Holden that goes through these very things as in the big city of New York. There were many things that pushed him through this troubling experience and many symbols that helped us understand his life and past. There are three main symbols that hold meaning to the novel's overall theme which are the hunting hat, the Central Park ducks, and the Museum of Natural history.

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This scene is exceptionally important, as it sets the entire tone for how Holden perceives adults and their attitude towards death, as something insignificant that doesn’t deserve closer inspection. Holden feels that death is being cheapened by who he deems to be the “phonies”. Another allusion to death is Holden’s frequent thoughts about the ducks in central park. He wants to know what happens to them during winter, asking the cab drivers in chapters 9 and 12. When Holden locates the lagoon and realizes that the ducks aren’t there, he starts thinking about suicide.

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