Research Paper Outline For The Catcher In The Rye

Another thought Holden receives as he is speaking to his old and sick history teacher pops up: “I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away” (16). If the ducks “fly away” they have to find new paths and places to live. Flying away displays their freedom and unpredictable travel. If “some guy came in a truck and took them to the zoo”, the ducks at the zoo’s life would be the same day in and day out like a child going to each class in the same order everyday. As Holden was getting a ride in the cab to a club called Ernie’s, he asked the driver a question: “You know the ducks that swim around in the pond? In the springtime and all? (91) The springtime is when Holden is home. In the winter, Holden is always starting a new start in a new school, so naturally Holden wonders about these ducks. The springtime and winter refers to the cycle of Holden’s life. After having a long talk with an old friend, Holden stopped by the pond again at night time: “I figured I’d go by that little lake and see what the hell the ducks were doing, see if they were around or not. I still don’t know if they were around or not.” (170). Holden can’t picture how the ducks leave so abruptly once winter starts like he can’t see where his own childhood went. He is

He's having a conversation with his sister and she asks him what he plans to do with his life and he respond with "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—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all." this quote here shows a lot about how holden feels about childhood and that he will play the role as the protecter of their inocence.

In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger uses a variety of symbols to support the thematic idea that maturation and the loss of innocence are an inescapable rite of passage for all of humanity. Three significant symbols that signify the importance of alteration and losing one’s purity to become more suited to live in the real world are the ducks in the lagoon of Central Park, the “Catcher in the Rye”, and the carousel and the gold ring. Furthermore, these three symbols hold a significant meaning for the main protagonist, Holden Caulfield as well.

Many novels cannot be fully understood and appreciated if only read for face value, and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is no exception. The abundant use of symbolism in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is of such significance that it “proclaims itself in the very title of the novel” (Trowbridge par. 1). If the symbolism in this novel is studied closely, there should be no astonishment in learning that The Catcher in the Rye took approximately ten years to write and was originally twice its present length. J.D. Salinger uses copious amounts

Where do the ducks go during the Winter when the water is frozen? In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the character, Holden Caulfield, has an underlying mental condition. He failed out of four schools; he saw his friend commit suicide; and his younger brother died of cancer. These life-changing experiences paved the way for Holden’s insecure and unstable life. By his narration, Holden hints at his disorder throughout the book without fully explaining his condition. Holden’s many insecurities, his teetering on the edge of childhood and adulthood, and his irrational ideas help the reader realize that Holden has a mental problem.

Often in a novel, symbols and motifs are used to give major characters an identity and a complex personality, while letting us in on their thoughts. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger uses symbols to create Holden's intricate character and to let us understand him. This essay will talk about how Salinger uses symbols in order to depict Holden's character and his thoughts.

Holden is very inquisitive about where the ducks in Central Park go in the winter. His questioning the cab drivers of this shows a youthful willingness in him to discover what he is curious about. “You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you happen to know, by any chance?” (60) The cab drivers give mostly thoughtless

After riding in a cab for a while, Holden and Horwitz the cab driver begin talking. Horwitz being a cab driver and all, Holden assumed that he knew about the ducks. So Holden decides to ask him if he ever passed the lagoon in Central Park, where the ducks were. When Horwitz says he knows about the lake, Holden questioned further if he knew where the ducks goes during the winter. Horwitz response was harsh and he was becoming irritated by Holden’s tedious and silly questions. Holden decided to drop it and then Horwitz spoke up. He notifies to Holden that the fish stays in the lake, but Holden tells him that they are different from the ducks, but Horwitz tells him that there is no difference, which causes Holden to hesitate. Holden, “...didn’t

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.

When Holden arrives New York, he tried to call several people but for various reasons he decided against it. Holden doesn’t seem to know what to do in New York since he is three days earlier as expected by his parents. So he rode a cab and he asked the cab driver where the ducks in Central Park go when the lagoon freezes, but his question annoys the driver.

Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help develop and inform the text's major themes. One of the recurring themes in the novel The Catcher in the Rye is the omnipresent theme of death. It could be argued that the novel is not only full of references to death in the literal sense, physical disappearance, but also in the metaphorical, taking the form of spiritual disappearance, something which Holden often focuses on, along with the actual theme of mortality. It is possible that this occurs because of his reluctance to interact with the living world. As his means of escaping from the reality he despises, his mundane thoughts and the “phoniness” that he is surrounded by. Holden becomes increasingly attracted

For instance, when Holden receives a lecture from Mr. Spencer, his mind wanders and begins thinking of the ducks in Central Park, Holden thinks, “The funny thing is, though, I sort of thinking of something else while I shot the bull... I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away (16).

- In the novel, Holden keeps asking about where the ducks go when the pond freezes at the lagoon. He asks the taxi driver Mr. Horwitz “do you happen to know what happens to the ducks when the lake freezes’? The taxi driver answers by saying “How the hell do I know a stupid thing like that?” (82). The question about ducks reveals that Holden is very adventurous as well as curious about what really happens.

In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the ducks from the lagoon in Central Park symbolize the fact that Holden is still searching for a direction in life. Holden mentions the ducks to many people, wondering about where they go during winter. When he was in a cab, he questioned the driver, “The ducks. Do you know, by any chance? I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves-go south or something?”(91). Holden does not a have clue as to where the ducks go during the winter. This is similar to his own life because he does not have an established direction. He always gets kicked out of the schools he attends and relies on his parents to find him a new school. Therefore, Holden needs to act like the ducks and find his own path on which he is willing to take in life. He needs to be independent and figure out what he wants to achieve. In conclusion, the ducks from Central Park represent the fact that Holden needs to learn to find his own path in life

The young man skidded to a stop as he came to the big building. "Yes! No one else is her-," he stopped mid-sentence as he looked behind him, to see hundreds running behind him. "Shit, I should've woken up earlier!", he said while speeding into the building.