Holden Caulfield Symbolism

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“... And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff…” In J.D. Salinger's well-written novel, a sixteen-year-old boy named Holden Caulfield experiences a unique type of fall affecting how he values life. This specific quote explains Holden's motives as he values childhood innocence to protect and watch over children. Reason being is due to Holden experiencing the phoniness of adulthood. Overall, J.D. Salinger’s theme was that no matter how long a teenager may try to protect their childhood innocence, the fact is inevitable that one will have to dive into adulthood. J.D. Salinger did a fantastic job expressing his many symbolic figures in the novel. The most fitting figures relating to the theme consist of Allie’s baseball mitt, a museum, and a carrousel very precious to Holden’s childhood memories. To begin with, J.D. Salinger incorporated a setback for Holden, as he added the …show more content…
Salinger incorporated was a kids ride, the carrousel. The carrousel symbolized a safe haven for Holden, his brother Allie, and his sister Phoebe Caulfield. As kids, when the three of them went to the carrousel, they could never get Phoebe off of the ride. Moreover, this symbolic figure relates to the theme by addressing childhood innocence. Holden remarks, “I didn’t care, though, I felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around.” This moment reminisces how much Holden misses being a child, how ecstatic he was, and that he misses how pure and entertaining everything was. Not only that, this scene represented turning over a new leaf, as Holden finally decided to grow up, and stop being the “The Catcher In The Rye.” He figured out that children need to learn and fall for themselves. Therefore, Salinger cleverly wrote how Holden would start his new change, how he’d start his new life adapting to the world of

Holden Caulfield Symbolism

Holden Caulfield which is the main character in J.D. Salinger’s “the Catcher in the Rye.” Holden is a sixteen year old who is expelled for academic failure as a junior from Pencey Prep. Holden is seen as an intelligent yet sensitive boy, who narrates the book. After a fight with Stradlater Holden’s roommate over an old friend named Jane that Holden had feelings for, he leaves school and explores New York for two days before returning home. Having interactions with many people before returning, during…

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Holden Caulfield Symbolism Essay

For most children growing up is a painful process but this is especially true for Holden Caulfield. Growing up for Holden was especially difficult because he lost his brother, Allie Caulfield, when Allie was only eleven years old. Holden’s childhood is not seen as anywhere close to ideal due to the emotional trauma of losing a loved one at such a young age, and as he ages into adolescence, the reader can see that he also had trouble academically. He failed out of numerous schools and currently has…

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Holden Caulfield Symbolism

From the first page of the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, the story of Holden Caulfield is incredibly similar to Salinger’s life. Upon further investigation Salinger went from boarding school to boarding school eventually ending up at Valley Forge Military School, just as Holden ends up at Pencey Prep School. Where as Holden is constantly threatened with military school if he doesn’t get better grades, J.D. Salinger was actually sent to one. The author has said that he knew an older…

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Essay about Symbolism and Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye

IN THE RYE: SYMBOLISM AND HOLDEN CAULFIELD By Luka Vukovic Mr. M. Dempsey ENG2DE-04tygh December 18, 2013 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…

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Catcher In The Rye Essay

Hinnant Leiknes 1 January 13, 2013 Holden Caulfield: Smart or Stupid? Many people, after reading The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, may think that Holden Caulfield is not a very bright person. They may be right in thinking that, but the author was trying to show throughout the book that he actually was very intelligent, just maybe not scholarly way. This novel gives investigates the ideas of many different themes to help show what life was like for Holden Caulfield over the period of a few days…

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Holden Caulfield Symbols

boarding school, seventeen year old Holden Caulfield explores the city of New York in search of finding his purpose in life. The novel uses symbolism many times, three significant symbols are Holden's dream job of being the Catcher in The Rye, the ducks in the Central Park Lagoon and the Museum of Natural History. The duck's disappearance from the central park lagoon symbolizes Allie disappearing from Holden's life. While he’s riding a cab in New York, Holden asks the driver, “well you know the ducks…

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Theme Of Maturity In Catcher In The Rye

essence of maturity. Salinger’s character Holden Caulfield is an immature adolescent who lacks in aspirations. Throughout the novel, readers witness Holden evolve into a mature young man and finally find his true calling. Holden reaches a pivotal moment where he finally matures morally. Holden’s moment of maturity occurred when he realized he wanted to be a catcher in the rye. Salinger’s use of symbolism plays a monumental role in his novel. When Holden realized he wanted to be a catcher in the…

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Beowulf Analysis Essays

Tim Walsh J.D. Salinger’s bildungsroman novel, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is narrated by Holden Caulfield, the 16 year old protagonist and is deeply confused, dissatisfied and a self-declared loner. The novel focuses on a two day period following Holden’s most recent expulsion, from Pencey Prep, and it tracks his actions in New York City. ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is a frame story, in flashback form, as Holden addresses readers directly, from a sanatorium after an emotional crash, stemming from his…

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Rain Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

examples described by Foster. In this novel, irony and symbolism through the use of seasons and rain prove Foster’s points in literature. As Thomas C. Foster states multiple times in his novel, “irony trumps everything” (Foster 252).…

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Essay Student: Character and Holden

“Catcher of the Rye”, the main protagonist of the novel, Holden Caulfield, tries to embrace the adult world with the eyes and fantasy of a child. Regardless of the consequences, he ventures off into the city alone, and tries to communicate his loneliness upon other characters within the novel; however he fails to do so. This helps contributes to the longing of communication between others and coming of age the novel presents. It is evident that Holden is indeed, alone; or rather he feels alone. Throughout…

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