Free Catcher in the Rye Essays: Symbols and Symbolism :: Catcher Rye Essays

Symbolism in The catcher in the Rye J. D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951, is his best piece of work. The report card is about a sixteen-year old young man by the nurture of Holden Caulfield. Holden is being expelled from Pency Prep and decides to leave triplet days early. He chooses to non go home, enabling his parents to receive the letter that his head master at Pency Prep wrote to his parents about his expulsion. He chooses to hang around in tender York until Wednesday, when he is going to be able to return home. passim the three days, Holden is having a difficult time lifting out who he is. Throughout the novel, the reader is presented with many different symbols. The symbols are clearly seen by Holdens unvaried repetition of their importance. The symbols are so important and their symbolism is directly cogitate to the study themes of the novel. Allie, Holdens young brother who died some(prenominal) years earlier, was a major symbol throughout the story. When Holden remembers incidents from his past involving Allie, his attitude changes, such as when he writes the composition about Allies baseb tout ensemble glove or when Holden broke his softwood after punching all of the windows after Allie died. I slept in the garage the wickedness he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hellhole of it. (39) He feels that Allie was one of the few people who were not phony in a world full of phonies. More importantly, Allie represents the innocence and childhood that Holden strives to find throughout his three-day journey. In Holdens opinion, Allie represents the purity that Holden looks for in the world. Holden admits that he admires Allie more than he admires Jesus, and even prays to Allie at one point, rather than Jesus. Allie is Holdens role model, whom he adjudicate the rest of the world according to. When Allie dies, it creates turbulence in Holdens life. At several points during the course of the no vel, Holden asks as to what happens to the ducks who are normally on a pool in Central Park, when winter comes and the water freezes. On page 60, Holden asks, You get those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park southern? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over?