Holden Caulfield Symbolism

Catcher and the Rye

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger investigates the story of a 16 year old boy named Holden Caulfield who struggles to understand what his purpose in life is. The book is set in either 1948 or 1949 and takes place at Pencey Prep High School and New York. Holden Caulfield is the main character in the book; the other characters such as Stradlater, Jane Gallagher, Sally Hayes, and Phoebe Caulfield are all supporting characters. Sad and depressing components set the tone for the reader of Catcher in the Rye. There are four main symbols in Catcher in the Rye. These four main symbols include, the catcher in the rye, his red hunting hat, the ducks in central park, and the Museum of Natural History. Every one of these symbols exemplify that Holden does not want to grow up and that he wants to stay a kid where there are no problems. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger includes a colloquial and slangy diction whereas the tone is sad and depressing.

Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye talks in a colloquial and slangy way throughout the book.

Colloquial is an ordinary or everyday language; it can be referred to has vernacular. J.D. Salinger also uses an abundance of slang throughout Catcher in the Rye. Holden talks like a true teenager which makes the book very easy to relate to for teenage readers. He uses words such as “like”, “you know?”, “corny”, and “phony”. Over the course of the book Holden gives the illusion that he is constantly talking right to the reader. One example of Colloquialism in Catcher in the Rye is, “All morons hate it when you call them a moron.” This quote from the book is an example of how Holden constantly uses colloquialism. The way that Holden continuously uses slang and colloquialism helps the reader stay connected to the character in the

book.
Throughout the book Holden Caulfield speaks in a sad and depressing tone. Holden states multiple times that he feels depressed especially when he was by himself. He would ponder the idea of calling multiple people but could never bring himself to call anyone. One quote in Catcher in the Rye illustrated the tone extremely well. This quote was, “What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of good-by. I mean I've left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I don't care if it's a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I'm leaving it. If you don't, you feel even worse.” The quote displays how Holden constantly seemed to feel lonely and forgotten. Holden Caulfield always found a way to over think things which resulted in making him feel sad and depressed. The tone used throughout Catcher in the Rye makes the reader feel bad for Holden and enriches the reader’s understanding of Holden Caulfield’s past.
Holden Caulfield uses a tremendous amount of literary devises in Catcher in the Rye. Symbolism and sarcasm are the two literary devices that Holden Caulfield uses the most. One example of sarcasm is, “He said he talked to Jesus all the time. Even when he was driving in his car. That killed me. I can just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs.” The sarcasm used here in this quote is quite evident because Holden mocks this character by envisioning something that is most likely not true. The other big literary device is symbolism. The biggest symbol of the book is actually in the title. Holden states that when he grows up he wants to “stand on the edge of a cliff in a rye field catching children before they fall.” The picture that Holden paints symbolizes his want to save himself and the children of the world from becoming adults. These symbols tie the book together and make the reader dive deeper into the book.