Symbolism In Cather And The Rye Essay, Research Paper

Symbols of catcher and The Rye

In the book Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, there are many symbols. A symbol is something that represents something else by association or resemblance.

An example of a symbol that was reoccurring throughout the book is the hunting cap. This is a symbol for searching. Holden, the main character in the book, buys a hunting cap. This is a symbol for hunting for Holden “hunting” for a meaning in his life. Holden always criticizing about how everyone is fake and he never really pays attention to his life. When he buys the hunting cap, it is as if he is searching for the purpose in his life. Also him wearing the hat backward is like when a catcher wears his helmet backwards and Holden wants to be a “catcher in the rye.”

The second example of a symbol is the ducks. J.D Salinger refers to the ducks though out the story. Holden is always checking for where the ducks went. The ducks are a symbol for Holden’s life. Whenever the ducks leave and move on Holden does the same thing. There is an indirect connection between the ducks and Holden’s life.

The carousel could also be an example of a symbol. When his younger sister Phoebe is riding the carousel Holden wants to stop her from trying to grab a golden ring in the top because he is afraid she is going to fall. Then he stops himself because he realizes that people have to learn from their mistakes so they never do it again. Another way the carousel is a symbol is that it symbolizes Holden’s life because the carousel goes around and around and it is like the never-ending cycle of life. The horses move up and down and that would symbolize the ups and downs or good times and bad times in life.

The foils are also a good example of symbolism. When Holden left the foils on the subway, it shows that Holden is irresponsible. It also showed that he has no defense or protection in life. The foils are weapons and are used for protection and now that they are lost it symbolizes how Holden has to defend him self all alone and there is no one to help him.

The final example of a symbol in Catcher in the Rye is the baseball mitt. It symbolizes Holden’s feelings toward Allie. When he wrote the essay for Stradlater, he wrote about how much he loves/ misses his brother.

There are many symbols in the book Catcher in the Rye. Many of them had to do with Holden’s life and the way he feels. The symbols were stated up above.