Symbols
Red Hunting Cap
-The red hunting cap symbolizes protection from society and growing up. When he wears it backwards, it is like him saying "screw you" society. When Phoebe wears it she opens Holden's eyes. When Holden sees Phoebe with his hat and a suitcase, he realizes he is her role model. There he decides he will stay. The red hunting cap starts off as the thing that protects him from society and growing up, and ends up being what helps him realize its time to grow. The Catcher in the Rye -The Catcher in the Rye is a symbol because Holden wants to be it. He wants to "protect" Phoebe and kids from growing up. Throughout the novel, he is always worrying for other kids. He even tries to talk to a little girl that he did not even know, making him seem like a weird person. Truth is, he is just trying to help. He feels like he needs to help. At the end, he realizes he cannot be the catcher in the rye, but that he can help by guiding, not stopping them from growing. |
The Ducks
-Holden has asked several times to taxi drivers "do you happen to know where the ducks go when the lake is frozen..." and he never gets an answer. The cab drivers always say that they don't know or that they do not really care. When he gets these answers, he feels let down by adults. The symbolism of the ducks is his concern of where do they go when the lake freezes. It shows how he does not know what to do when he grows up, or when his winter is over. He has no idea of what to do as his life progresses. Phoebe's Notebook -Holden is always saying how he hates phonies. He is always hating on people for that. When he read Phoebe's notebook, he says he could read it forever if he could. Funny thing is that the book just has scribbles and thoughts Phoebe wrote down. It has many things with no sense. Holden loves it because it has not a single phony thing, it is just Phoebe writing down anything she thought about. |