Crazy Old Holden

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Crazy Old Holden

If you really want to hear about it, there is alot of symbolism in Catcher in the Rye. This novel, written by J.D. Salinger, utilizes symbols to portray different themes. Of these symbols there are three that are strongly related to Holden. The operation, being a madman, and stepping of a curb all play a vital role in the novel by J.D. Salinger.

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

Sunny, the prostitute. Sunny came to Holden’s place because he wanted to have sex with

her. Instead, Holden didn’t want to have sex, but he wanted to talk. Sunny thought that

this was very odd of Holden to want to talk to a prostitute, rather than have sex, so she

looked at him as if he were “a madman” (95).

Going along with the madman theme is the operation that Holden talks about. The

operation he is always talking about i...

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