Essay on Meaningful Symbols in the Rye by J.D Salinger

     In “The Catcher In The Rye”, J.D. Salinger uses Holden’s red hunting cap, the exhibits at the Museum of Natural History and “kings in the back row” as symbols whose meanings help tell the story. Holden’s red hunting hat stands for Holden’s disapproval of adult society and phonies. Although, Holden and his hat are out of place

The first symbols that Salinger uses to convey his message is the red hunting hat. The main character of the novel Holden Caulfield has an iconic and important red and black hunting hat which he frequently wears in different situations for more than just its obvious use as a hat. Holden is a very secluded character and is very critical of the individualistic society that he lives in, often criticizing others for not being themselves and being “phonies”. Even the way that Holden acquired the hat is special and symbolic of Holden and the theme of the novel. While giving the reader some background on his

Connection: In The Catcher in the Rye, there are many symbols that have endless meanings. Like the chapter said, the symbol in this text is a secondary meaning that provides depth to the work. The Museum of Natural History is very symbolic in terms of how it is viewed by Holden. Holden wishes for an unchanging world, where he never grows up, and the museum provides that because whenever he goes there everything is the same as it was before. To him, the museum is a much simpler place that he finds comfort in. This symbol of the museum provides texture because it describes the protagonist in a new way not seen by the primary meaning. Now we see that Holden is scared of change and wishes for a life like the

The four moments Holden considers the ducks at Central Park- the two taxi rides, when he goes to Central Park, and at Mr. Spencer’s exhibit the specific stages and development of Holden towards maturity.

The ducks are first brought to the reader’s attention while Holden is visiting his teacher, Mr. Spencer, regarding his removal from Pencey. While conversing with Mr. Spencer, however, Holden’s mind drifts elsewhere. His mind drifts back to New York as he wonders to himself if the lagoon in Central Park is frozen over, and if so, where do the ducks go? A direct parallel can be drawn from the ducks in the lagoon to Holden’s present situation. He is mandated to leave Pencey, but has no idea where he belongs after leaving. Just like the ducks in the lagoon, “Holden is essentially homeless, frozen out” (Trowbridge par. 1). Holden’s life has not been filled with an abundance of stability and now what little he had is gone, albeit due to faults of his own, and he sees an unsure and hazy future. Holden inquires about the state of the ducks to the driver of the first cab he catches in New York, and the driver believes that he is kidding. Later on, he asks another cab driver if somebody came around “in a truck or something to take them away” or if they flew away “by themselves” (Salinger 81-82). Knowing what happens to these ducks, knowing that they are safe and secure even though the lagoon is frozen would provide Holden with a sense of comfort about his current state of affairs. What seems to be a ridiculous and meaningless question to the

The red hunting hat helps represent one of the themes in The Catcher in the Rye, alienation. Holden puts on his hat to feel protected. He wears his hat and looks in the mirror in chapter six. As he looks in the mirror, the red on the reflection in the mirror looks like blood to him and he believes it makes him look like a tough person. The author of The Catcher in the Rye really uses the red hunting hat as a symbol to represent Holden’s alienation and insecurity. He feels the need to wear an accessory, the hat, to feel accepted by him self

The ducks represents how Holden deals with maturity throughout his journey. The ducks also represent running away. and this is why Holden have questions whether stay at the pond meaning stay with his parents or fly to the neverland meaning escaping. Holden wonders where do the ducks go when the pond freezes, even though Holden wants to escape from his family he wants to see his little sister, Phoebe. Just like the ducks Holden runs away when problems get harder, in case of the ducks the freezing lagoon is the problem and when there is no problems he does not bother to do anything just like the ducks. Holden runs ways when things get difficult; therefore, he does not want to run away when everything is fine.

Salinger uses the red hunting hat as a very prominent and recurring symbol. Because of the hat’s distinct look, it serves as a way of showing that Holden is an independent and unusual person. He also wears it in a strange way “with the peak around to the back” (Salinger 27). The hat acts as protection for Holden. He wears it when it is raining while Phoebe is on the carousel, and he says, “My hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way, but I got soaked anyway” (213). The hat gives him a sense of protection from many things, from adulthood to phonies. The hat is also red, much like Allie and Phoebe’s hair. Salinger didn’t include this similarity on accident. This shows that the hat represents the genuinity and

Holden wants to stop time or maybe goes back in time. Outside of the museum, everyone and everything continue to grow without stopping. This development can either be bad or good. As for Holden, his life is not that great and so he wants to stop time and control his life for once.

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a novel published in 1951 that describes the struggle of the main character, Holden who is a teenage boy that is alienated from everyone around him and struggles to build connections with anyone that he meets. Readers can identify Holden as a lonely and complicated character, and are able to feel the pain that he is going through. Holden Caufiled represents an alienated adolescence who is unable to move on from a painful past and struggles to accept the reality of adulthood. Holden’s red hunting hat is a symbol of his alination that directly represents his attachment to both his past and his childhood.

Taylor Musselman Mr. Mathis English I 11/10/14 Salinger’s Symbolism The Catcher in the Rye is about a boy named Holden Caulfield. Holden is from a wealthy family that sends him off to boarding schools in which he gets kicked out of quite often. Holden has been through many hardships and gets depressed a lot.

Holden's hunting hat also shows symbolism of different moods and feelings he may be experiencing. First, the fact that it was a "hunting hat" symbolizes that he is searching for himself. And second, there is a pattern as to the way he wears he hat. When he is in a lost and depressed mood he would "turn peak around to the back" (Salinger 45), when he was in a good mood he would "pull the peak…around to the front" (Salinger 34). There is no specific sequence in these changes, his hat turns with his mood. It is as if the hat is directing him and comforting him in his quest to find himself.

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger discusses the ideas of alienation and isolation. He notes that if one is unable to keep up with society they lose touch. Salinger portrays alienation and isolation through literary devices such as symbolism. Some of the symbolic features use in the novel is Holden’s red hunting hat which shows Holden’s uncommon desire compared to society’s desires. Another significant symbolic feature is the catcher in the rye; this represents Holden’s idea of protecting children from maturing as adults and facing reality. Another literary device is tone, although Holden seems preoccupied, he constantly tries to seek companionship throughout the book. J.D. Salinger also portrays irony, it is ironic that Holden calls the people around him loners and phonies when he, himself is a loner and a phony that refuses to accept taking on responsibilities and growing up. The literary devices used in this novel, further support Salinger’s recurring theme of alienation and isolation.

He withal mentions that he is troubled by the fact that he has transmuted every time he returns to them. The museum represents the fantasy that Holden wishes he would live in: a world of his “catcher in the rye” fantasy, a world where nothing ever changes, where everything is simple, understandable, and illimitable(chapter 16). Holden is terrified by the capricious challenges of the world—he detests conflict, he is traumatized by Allie’s preposterous death, and he fears interaction with other people.

Throughout both novels, Salinger and Knowles both utilize similar literary devices to convey the overarching themes of their novels. One of the main literary devices used by both authors is symbolism. In The Catcher in the Rye, the Museum of Natural History of symbolizes the timelessness that Holden lives for, while the red hunting hat symbolizes his need for individuality. In A Separate Peace, the Summer Session symbolizes