Immediately after Carl leaves him at the Wicker Bar, Holden stays on until one in the morning, getting drunk and flirting with other patrons. He even calls Sally, waking her up in the hopes of making amends for their date. Depressed and disconnected as ever, Holden leaves the bar and seeks refuge in Central Park.
Still drunk and unable to navigate in the dark night, Holden struggles to locate the lagoon. Holden has an elaborate fantasy about his own funeral. The post—World War II era of the late s and early s also plays a significant role in the story. Holden wears the red hunting hat as a symbol of individuality, youthfulness, and confidence. However, he often avoids wearing the hat in public, demonstrating his fear of being condemned for his individuality.
Jane never actually appears in the novel, but Holden repeatedly mentions her and clearly indicates how important she is to him. Holden and Jane met and spent a lot of time together when their families stayed in the same neighborhood for summer vacation, and, ever since, Holden has felt respect and adoration for Jane. You really were. However, Holden and Phoebe are very close, and Phoebe seems to know Holden better than anyone else and accepts him exactly as he is.
At the same time, even though Phoebe is six years younger than Holden, she seems to be the more mature one in their relationship as she recognizes that Holden is his own worst enemy. I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon. It was nauseating. The funny part was, they probably met each other just once , at some phony party.
Perhaps Holden has happy childhood memories of visiting the ducks or he remembers the ducks from a time before his brother died, but ultimately, from the very beginning of the novel, Holden thinks about where the ducks at the Central Park Lagoon go during the winter.
Then, finally, I found [the lagoon]. Holden compares death with the uncertainty of time. Holden is negative when it comes to his feelings towards death. In the following essay, the recurring motif of death will be explored. When Stabile heard what James had said about him, he and a few of his friends locked James in his room. James refused to take back what he had said and so they did unspeakable things to him.
James wanted to escape and this he jumped out of the window and died. This encounter that Holden had with death again, made it harder for him to accept death. Holden wants to catch protect the children that are playing in the rye from falling of the cliff of adulthood Death in Catcher in the Rye [sp]. The falling of James can be seen as two metaphors. The second metaphor is the basics of death, where we all will die.
The falling of James can then also be seen as literal, because he was unable to cope with the knowledge of sex, evil and death and therefor he committed suicide Hegelpoetry Get Access. Read More. It isn't just that society wants Holden to grow up; his own biological condition insists that he become an adult. When he resists change, Holden is fighting the biological clock that eventually will result in old age and death.
He also resists simply growing up. Although we may admire his candor and even sometimes identify with his adolescent wish, we are left to conclude that Holden's way leads to considerable frustration and, eventually, madness. Previous J. Salinger Biography. Next Major Themes. Removing book from your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title. Are you sure you want to remove bookConfirmation and any corresponding bookmarks?
My Preferences My Reading List. The Catcher in the Rye J. Antolini Character Map J. Critical Essays Major Themes.
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