Holden’s interest in the ducks represents his curiosity about what will happen to him as he grows up. Holden wonders what will happen to the ducks when the pond freezes in the winter. Holden starts to think about this question when he begins talking to Mr. Spencer about how he flunked out of Pencey. When Holden gets to Manhattan, he immediately asks his cab driver where the ducks go in the winter. Holden tells Horowitz [cab driver] “they can’t just ignore the ice. They can’t just ignore it” (82). They can’t just ignore the ice because they will freeze. The primary reason that Holden importunes Horowitz about the ducks because Holden truly believes that what happens to the ducks will happen to him. Horowitz tells Holden about the fish, “Their bodies take in nutrition and all, that’s their nature for chrissake” (82). Horowitz wants Holden to realize that the fish will naturally survive this way. Even though the fish are surrounded with ice, they let Mother Nature take its course by waiting it out and knowing they are going to survive. Horowitz goes on to say “if you was a fish, mother nature take care of you, wouldn’t she? You don’t think them fish just die when it gets winter, do ya?” (84). Holden is afraid that he isn’t going to survive because they are in their natural habitat, and so will he since he is in his natural habitat. Horowitz talks about how tough it is for the fish to live because they are stuck in a dangerous situation. Holden connects the living situation of
