How Does Holden Characterize

Edna St. Vincent Millay once said, “Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age. The child is grown, and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.” Holden Caulfield, the narrator of J.D. Salinger’s the Catcher in the Rye, struggles with his loss of innocence and fear of adulthood throughout the span of the novel. Salinger uses various symbols and motifs to characterize Holden. From the beginning of the novel the reader becomes aware of the fact that Holden isn’t a reliable narrator, but the whole truth of Holden as a character can be found through Salinger’s use of symbolism. Holden’s outward appearances and actions tend to paint him as a bitter, hateful individual, when deep down he’s truly

a fearful, sensitive child. Salinger’s use of symbolism such as the hunting cap, the museum, and the carousel serve to give the reader deeper insight into the events of the Catcher in the Rye as well as Holden Caulfield as a character.
Throughout the novel, Holden repeatedly sports his red hunting cap that he purchased in New York after losing the fencing team’s foils on the subway and being ridiculed.

The timing of the purchase directly relates to its symbolism. At the time he bought it, Holden was very vulnerable, not that he’d admit it. He describes that “the way I wore it, it swung the old peak way around to the back - very corny, I’ll admit, but I liked it that way.” (Pgs 17 & 18) At first, the reader may question why Holden would wear a hat that looked so foolish to him, but it becomes apparent that the hat is a source of comfort for him. It’s in the moments of Holden’s vulnerability or insecurity that he dons the cap. It can, therefore, be inferred that the hunting cap represents a hard exterior or shield for Holden to mask himself behind. When he wears the cap, he’s virtually impenetrable. Not to mention, it mimics the red hair that his siblings all have, but he doesn’t possess; he can finally be a part of the family instead of being the

failure.
“The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was.” (Pg 121) Holden Caulfield, the narrator and main character of J.D.

Salinger’s the Catcher in the Rye, writes the above quote in reference to the Museum of Natural History that he used to visit as a child. Here, Holden describes that he enjoyed the museum because it never changes, which can be directly related to his fear of adulthood and losing his childhood innocence. In this passage, Holden references how the people who visit the museum always seem to change, maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Specifically, he’s talking about the transition into adulthood. As reference in St. Vincent Millay’s quote, this transition does not have a specific start or end time; adulthood comes when the world sees fit. The Museum of Natural History serves simultaneously as a preservation of Holden’s childhood innocence and a reminder that Holden is no longer the innocent child of his

past.
Holden, having seemed so coarse and angered by the world around him, finally reveals to the reader the one place that truly makes him happy: the carousel. Yet again, the carousel is a representation of Holden’s innocence and childhood memories, but it also serves as a place that sparks Holden’s catharsis. As Holden watches his younger sister, Phoebe, ride the carousel, he can’t help but begin to cry and be overcome by his emotions. In particular, when Phoebe reaches out for a gold ring on the edge of the carousel - an act that could result in her falling off the ride, or, more specifically falling into adulthood - Holden writes that “the thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them.” (Pg 211) Here, the reader gets the sense that Holden is slowly coming to terms with adulthood, or that it can’t be helped, at least. For this reason, the carousel represents the experience of childhood; the gold ring, conversely, represents the desire to have the seeming freedom of adulthood without fully realizing the trials, tribulations, and pitfalls that may occur in the journey to attain it.
Salinger’s masterful use of symbols and motifs throughout the Catcher in the Rye allows the reader to look past Holden’s exaggerations and harsh exterior to realize the depth of his character. In reality, Holden is deeply compassionate and thoughtful; traits which, he fears, appear to be a sign of weakness. The narration is true to Holden’s character, specifically his guarded personality, but the novel’s symbols, such as those mentioned above, expose the dexterity of the story itself and its troubled, opaque main character. Salinger depicts the struggles of adulthood and the loss of childhood innocence in an intricately woven combination of narration and symbolism.