In literature, Peter Pan is used to symbolize a boy that does not want to grow up. Peter Pan is very similar to J.D. Salinger’s main character Holden in his 1951 novel, The Catcher in the Rye. [Sentence deleted]. Salinger’s story The Catcher in the Rye is about a sarcastic teenage boy, named Holden, who internally struggles with himself. During this period in his life, Holden finds himself attending multiple different boarding schools in the New York area. After flunking out of Pencey Prep, he grounds himself in New York City living off cheap hotels and supportive friends. Symbols in the form of objects, people, and places help the reader obtain insights into Holden’s reasons for not growing up. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger alludes to “The Catcher in the Rye” poem, his sister Phoebe, and the Natural History Museum to symbolize Holden’s wish to not grow up.
First, the poem, “The Catcher in the Rye” by Robert Burns which Salinger utilizes to represent Holden's dream occupation of saving children against falling over the edge into adulthood. Phoebe, Holden's younger sister, asks Holden what his true aspirations in life are. Holden answers her with an image from Burn's poem "The Catcher in
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the Rye." Holden envisions a patch of grain rested above a cliff, complete with girls and boys frolicking and sporting. Holden declares he wishes he could guard the children against toppling over the side of the cliff by “catching” them. Phoebe reveals that Holden has misidentified the true lyric. Holden remembers the line as “if a body catch a body comin’ thro’ the rye,” but the actual verse is “if a body meets a body, comin’ thro’ the rye” (Salinger 173). For instance, Holden admires the nameless young boy whistling the tune on the edge of the road because he simply has no care in the world, unlike Holden's teenage angst lifestyle. This seemingly unimportant moment displays Holden's desire to return to when he was a young boy when he did not have to worry about mature responsibilities such as school, money, and sex. From these illustrations, it is clear that the poem is representative of Holden's desire for childhood innocence. Time does not stand still for Phoebe. J.D. Salinger's utilization of Phoebe, who symbolizes an individual in Holden’s life who is moving on toward adulthood at a normal rate. Rather than pitying Holden’s unwillingness to grow up, Phoebe becomes bitter with him. Being six years younger than her sibling, Phoebe realizes that getting older is an inevitable matter, a fact Holden does not wish to embrace. Phoebe finds Holden’s inhibited emotional state and unreasonable viewpoints less attractive and further absurd. Phoebe views Holden’s description of the kids frolicking as an oversimplified, romanticized vision. However, Holden's view of childlike innocence is questioned through Salinger's character, Phoebe, who is youthful and undoubtedly intelligent. While Phoebe never says it, she appears to understand that Holden’s hostility to the rest of the world is surprisingly resentment to himself. Phoebe very wisely recognizes that Holden is genuinely unhappy and vulnerable, requiring affection and comfort. While Holden is holding on to his childhood, Phoebe selects a mature pen name of “Phoebe Weatherfield” (Salinger 161) for her written work. This could also represent Phoebe’s ambition in becoming a better writer, like her brother. The reader is capable of inferring that Holden’s adolescent sibling is contradicting his campaign toward childhood innocence. Lastly, the Natural History Museum, which J.D. Salinger's uses to symbolize the unchanging displays of past time that Holden admires. Holden often appreciates them more when he realizes that only he changes when he returns to the museum displays, finding that they always stay precisely the same. Holden supports his statement through the quote: “certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that's impossible, but it's too bad anyway” (Salinger 122). Holden's fantasy world of the "The Catcher in the Rye" also factors in the museum where nothing changes, and everything is manageable, reasonable, and absolute. Holden wishes he could remain unchanged, just like the displays at the Museum of Natural History. [Sentence deleted] In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, symbolism is shown in “The Catcher in the Rye” poem, Phoebe, and The Museum of Natural History.
The first symbol shows Holden’s desire for children to embrace their childhood innocence just as he would like to. The second symbol, Phoebe, displays the maturity which Holden refuses to grasp onto. The last symbol, The Museum of Natural History, represents how Holden would like to freeze time. J.D. Salinger's use of symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye develops Holden's character and provides insight as to why he does not want to grow up. The three models, the poem, Phoebe and the Museum of Natural History individually provide the reader an impression of what operates within of Holden's head, yet even when it is not openly
communicated.
Salinger went through many of the experiences Holden went though. Salinger much like Holden had a sister that he loved very much, in the novel Phoebe is the only person that Holden speaks highly of; both men also spent time in a mental institution; Holden is telling the story from inside a institution; they were both kicked out of prep school and most importantly they were both a recluse from society. This is why Salinger uses Holden as his persona all though out the book. The ‘catcher in they Rye’ is almost like an autobiography for Salinger. He is using Holden as his persona to let us, the reader, dive into his thought pattern and find out some of the thoughts that he kept locked up in there.
Symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye", published in 1951, is his best piece of work. The story is about a sixteen-year-old young man by the name of Holden Caulfield. Holden is being expelled from Pency Prep and decides to leave three days early. He chooses not to go home, enabling his parents to receive the letter that his headmaster at Pency Prep wrote to his parents about his expulsion. He chooses to hang around in New York until Wednesday, when he is going to be able to return home.
Salinger’s symbols in the novel help the reader understand that growing up is a necessary part of human’s and should not be ignored. Holden is forced to accept that just as he had to grow up so does every other child in the world. Holden represents the hard years between adulthood and childhood and how they affect a teenager. Through Holden we learn not to make his mistakes and instead to enjoy every period of life.
J. D. Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye explores the ambiguity of the adult world Holden must eventually learn to accept. Throughout the novel, Holden resists the society grownups represent, coloring his childlike dreams with innocence and naivety. He only wants to protect those he loves, but he cannot do it the way he desires. As he watches Phoebe on the carousel, he begins to understand certain aspects of truth. He writes:
The novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” revolves around the protagonist Holden Caulfield as the story is told from his perspective. J.D. Salinger constructed Holden Caulfield as a cynical person who cannot accept to grow up. Throughout “The Catcher in the Rye,” J.D. Salinger uses symbolism to reveal and reinforce critical aspects of the protagonist Holden Caulfield. Three important aspects Holden acquired through Salinger’s use of symbolism are: his stubborn, uncompromising mentality; his softer, more caring respectful side; Holden’s cowardly way of acting and thinking.
The Catcher in the Rye is a story about a teenage rebel who is exploring the world on his own. The author, Salinger, uses many tools to deepen the impression on the reader such as linking the title to the story in an intricate way or creating a complex name for the protagonist. The symbols used in The Catcher in the Rye are there for a just reason, an example being how the author used the title, which is also a poem, as a symbol. Salinger uses the geographical locations, such as the Museum of Natural History, as symbols as well.
Catcher in the Rye is one of the most famous books in American literature. Written by J. D. Salinger, it captures the epitome of adolescence through Salinger’s infamous anti-hero, Holden Caulfield. Holden Caulfield learns about himself and his negative tendencies, and realizes that if he does not do something to change his perspective, he may end up like his acquaintance James Castle whom he met at Elkton Hills. Holden tries to find help to mend his outlook on life through Mr. Antolini so he does not end up like James, who did not want to face the problems he created for himself. This is proven by the similarities between James Castle and Holden, Mr. Antolini’s willingness to try and help Holden, and Holden’s future being forecasted by James.
good and got all the girls but in fact he was a slob. His razor that made him
“I was crying and all, I don’t know why, but I guess it was because I was feeling so damn depressed and lonesome” (53), Holden says. As humans, we have a hard time belonging in society. This is the same case for Holden Caulfield, the main character from the Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the rye, a novel by J.D Salinger, is about Holden, a lost boy in desperate need of help. Throughout the novel, Holden seems to be excluded by the world around him. He continually attempts to try and belong in a world in which he is isolating from. In this novel, Salinger uses symbols such as the red hunting hat, the ducks and Allie’s glove to support the theme, belonging and isolation.
Protected by a cocoon of naiveté, Holden Caulfield, the principal character in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, therapeutically relates his lonely 24 hour stay in downtown New York city, experiencing the "phony" adult world while dealing with the death of his innocent younger brother. Through this well-developed teenage character, JD Salinger, uses simple language and dialogue to outline many of the complex underlying problems haunting adolescents. With a unique beginning and ending, and an original look at our new society, The Catcher in the Rye is understood and appreciated on multiple levels of comprehension. The book provides new insights and a fresh view of the world in which adolescents live.
Which is the kind of world he wants to live in. Holden expresses his desire to preserve the innocence of others when his sister Phoebe tells Holden that he doesn't like anything, and that he has no ambitions of what he wants to be when he is older. Holden then explains that he wants to be the catcher in the rye. He says that he imagines little children playing on top of a hill and that his job is to protect children from falling of the hill. This symbolizes catching children from losing their innocence and falling into the adult world. Holden tells Phoebe, “I know it crazy, but that is the only thing I’d like to be” (172). This unrealistic desire is contributes to why Holden is struggling to transition from adolescence to adulthood. Critics of the novel have said Holden would like to suspend time stating, “Holden's desire to protect children shows his desire for suspending time, for inhabiting a space of young people conserved endlessly” (Yahya 3). Not letting go of childhood memories or accepting the harsh realities of adulthood are damaging when transitioning from
J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye exposes the main character, Holden Caulfield, to the adult world; a world in which Holden does not want to believe in. Faced with many obstacles, Holden is forced to enter into an adult-like state of mind, something in which he can not manage on his own. Holden’s many failures, including, his relationships with others and getting kicked out of multiple prep schools greatly contribute to his longing to remain a child. Holden states once on a museum trip that, “Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that’s impossible but its too bad anyway.” He loves the displays, because they never change, they are reliably permanent (Barlow). Salinger develops Holden into a teenage boy on the brink of adulthood who despises the thought of growing up.
We approach the world of adulthood in many ways. Graduating from high school, heading to college, attaining your dream job, buying a new house to later call home, or even getting married. We move on from our childhood because that is the way of life. As human beings we change for the better. As we reach adulthood, we can still cherish the memories we had as children but we no longer are fully attached to them. However, the main character Holden Caulfield from the novel The Catcher in the Rye, struggles with facing reality and maturity. He fears change and wants to remain in his childhood bubble forever. Throughout the novel, multiple symbols are used to convey Holden’s fear of moving on and losing his innocence. Both the author J.D. Salinger and critics Dennis McCort and S. N. Behrman offer evidence from “Hyakujo’s Geese” and “S. N. Behrman on Holden’s Innocence” to show Holden’s doubts about progressing into the adult world. Throughout J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden shows a fear of maturity therefore grasping onto his innocence and dreading entering the phony adult world.
Some people feel all alone in this world, with no direction to follow but their empty loneliness. The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger, follows a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who despises society and calls everyone a “phony.” Holden can be seen as a delinquent who smokes tobacco, drinks alcohol, and gets expelled from a prestigious boarding school. This coming-of-age book follows the themes of isolation, innocence, and corrupted maturity which is influenced from the author's life and modernism, and is shown through the setting, symbolism, and diction.
D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye", Holden Caulfield describes his lucid imagination to his younger sister, Phoebe. Holden describes a song he had heard as he walked through the streets of New York and tells Phoebe what he thinks the song is telling him. This quote implies what Holden believes to be his true purpose in life. Holden uses descriptive language in order to help Phoebe, as well as the reader, visualize his imagination. Holden states," ...all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye... I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff." Holden uses imagery in order to illustrate the situation of his fantasy. Along with this imagery, Holden states what he believes his role is in this field of rye. Holden describes," I have to catch everybody [little kids] if they start to go over the cliff.. That's all I'd do all day." Holden uses his fantasy as a huge metaphor for his life. He implies that the catcher in the rye is the savior of these little kids, who will never grow up because they are not allowed to "go over the cliff." Holden describes himself as the catcher, and believes his true purpose in life is to save the little kids from going over "the edge of some crazy cliff" because he believes the adult world is phony and that innocence must be kept for as long as possible. He believes in this metaphor so strongly that he could "do [it] all