Interpretation of Catcher in the Rye: Analyzing Symbolism
The Catcher in the Rye, a novel by J.D. Salinger, is generally perceived as an ordinary story of Holden Caulfield, a teenage boy, who is expelled from yet another school and spends two days aimlessly wandering through the wintertime New York City. The story can be satisfying enough after the first reading, however many readers often tend to criticize the novel for the lack of plot, development, its episodic nature or first-person narrator motivation, and others. Nevertheless, we have to keep in mind that it is a journey of a confused young man who goes through significant changes and has a difficult time accepting that growing up is an inevitable part of one’s life. There is a reason and meaning behind Holden’s hunting hat and its wearing style, questions about the ducks, fondness for the nuns and the Museum of the Natural History, or going to the movies, which ironically, he hates as much as anything that is or seems to be phony.
In other words, all of the seemingly random events hold some symbolic meaning. That is the beauty of the novel and Salinger’s writing - it enables you to gain more understanding upon its repeated revision, and discover an intriguing web of symbols and hints that support the novel’s main themes and motifs and constitute the entire work as a whole. Reading the novel's episodes, characters, setting, and figures for symbolic meaning promises better insight, although still some critics simply deny the novel's symbolic value or analyze symbols out of the context of the novel as a whole. This is why we will research the topic of symbolism in this book in 'Catcher in the Rye Symbolism Essay'.
In this thesis, one can see that these symbols need to be read in relation to the novel's central symbol of the 'catcher in the rye'. Therefore, this thesis aims to re-examine the use of symbols and symbolic elements in The Catcher in the Rye in relation to the overall meaning of the novel and especially to the novel's central metaphor. First, it is thus necessary to thoroughly focus on Holden’s catcher fantasy and its attributes. Consequently, we need to explore how the symbolic elements are used to convey meaning through the conflicts set out by the central metaphor and examine their influence on the pattern of the symbolic structure of the entire novel. This examination would provide a clear picture of the real 'plot' of the novel: the structure of Holden's emotional decline. Finally, one will carry out a full analysis of the novel through the stages of Holden’s emotional decline.
The primary image is the duck lake One of the most deafening photos of the story is Holden's notable and decided requests on what occurs for the ducks in the Central Park lagoon when the lake freezes over. Regardless, they are likely the most capable model that speaks to moving in control most decisively. Salinger makes this symbolic parallel among Holden's and the Central Park ducks' experiences as Holden perceives himself as a forlorn duck on the lake over the range of the novel. A comparable course as the lake continuously freezes over towards within, until there is no remarkable space left and the ducks need to continue forward and conform to their condition, Holden himself feels the loads encompassing him Holden needs to encounter his journey in periods of separation through relentless getting away and changing of his condition. Their symbolic significance shifts with each logically recognizable return as Holden's powerlessness, despair, and persistently growing instinctive awareness of his issues raise. Holden's interruption with the ducks is a projection of his apprehension about his very own perseverance on the planet he feels offended from, which is revealed through his examinations, and questions at the conclusion of his visit to Central Park. Holden first coordinates his fixation toward ducks straightforwardly close to the beginning of his journey, in the wake of being removed from one more school, Pency Prep. While chatting with his history educator, Mr. Spencer, his mind glides off and in his standard style of depiction as he strays to the unpredictable examinations.
“I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was contemplating whether it would be hardened over when I came back, and if it was, the spot did the ducks go. I was contemplating where the ducks went when the lagoon got all bone-chilling and hardened over. I contemplated whether some individuals landed in a truck and were expelled them to a zoo or something. Or of course, if they just took off”. It shows Holden's instinctive pressure about his future and at the same time his repudiation of perceiving the obvious issue of obligation when he incorporates: 'I'm blessed in any case, I mean I could shoot the old bull to old Spencer and consider the ducks all the while yet then abandons the idea.
The third image is the notorious noteworthiness of the red chasing cap has been referenced a few times. It additionally experiences the move in power and change in an undertone of its different implications. It repeats all through the whole novel and it turns into a mark trademark thing for Holden. Even though endless implications have been doled out to this one basic piece of attire and paying little respect to the assortment of its importance, '... you could see that cap around ten miles away'. The brilliant red shading stands out from the customary grayness and the traditional methods for his friends and the overall population.
A few unique thoughts are associated with the wearing style Holden receives as he continually returns now and again. The cap becomes in sense his familiar object and he, as a rule, wears it amid hardship. Initially, Holden purchases the cap after he overlooked the fencing hardware in the metro. It speaks to resistance to being unique to other people, yet additionally his method for isolating himself from the remainder of his colleagues since he feels the fault for his weakness. It makes a position of solace, a private space while he winds up in the threatening condition. Generally, this is found in the primary segment of the novel when Holden is still in his quarters at Pencey Prep. The cap causes him to separate himself from others, in particular, his two flatmates Ackley and Stradlater, both speaking to unfortunate representations of men Holden wouldn't like to turn into. Holden always takes off and returns it on when he is feeling apprehensive or happens to be in a questionable position. He needs to peruse without being upset so he puts on his chasing cap, clearly questionable expansion to his nightwear. When getting beat up by Stradlater, the cap again gives solace and certainty.
Through the cap, we can likewise see the polarity in Holden's disposition. Now and then he says he wears it 'for no reason except maybe for fun' and he guarantees the peruser that 'he didn't care at all what he looked like ...'. Although Holden regularly wears his cap openly, before his flatmates or on New York's roads, he once in a while includes that he can keep it on because no one is near or he would not meet anyone he knows. On different occasions, he even admits: 'I took it off ...I would not like to resemble a screwball'. He acts hesitantly; on one hand, he builds up how far expelled he is from the assessments of others, once more, he shows his profound uncertainty with his personality. Additionally, Holden here and there remarks, that he will in general act like a youngster and yet, he regularly specifies that the demonstrations developed for his age. This is an unmistakable portrayal of the typical perplexity of growing up and the battle between youth and adulthood.
As we have gained from the focal representation, Holden wouldn't like to grow up and is hesitant to move further. In this record, Vanderbilt clarifies how the cap speaks to not just a method for standing separated and isolating himself from others yet, by and large, his 'latent propensities', respecting youth over adulthood. In a similar way Holden switches the situation of the cap he additionally switches his attitude between the untainted characteristics of youthfulness and developed – up characteristics of obligation and in this manner the cap, it might be said, turns into the image of puberty.
The visit event concerning Holden's conduct is the way Holden wears the cap on his head. He regularly flips its pinnacle in reverse or advances to his brow. A few unique thoughts are associated with this wearing style. On certain events, generally in trouble or when he feels apprehensive, he wears the cap advances and will in general act increasingly like a grown-up. The cap is flipped in reverse ordinarily on the occasions that Holden calls 'horsing around', implying that he carries on like a kid, acting thoughtlessly or with intensity. He specifies a few times that he prefers it the best as such. The retrogressive flipped top, for instance, demonstrates to Alsen that Holden shows 'his qualities are the invert of what every other people are', and as indicated by a few pundits it demonstrates his craving to relapse into youth. Additionally, the regressive flipped pinnacle of the cap may likewise look like the baseball catcher's cap who wears it the top incomparable style. The baseball symbolism is given for the most part through Holden's perished sibling Allie who played the game himself and is the model of the revered adolescence. The red shade of the cap can be likewise related to both Allie and Phoebe who have red hair. In this manner, on another level, this catcher affiliation alludes to the focal allegory, Holden's dream of turning into the catcher in the rye, a defender of guiltlessness.
As it was called attention to, because of its baseball-related symbolism, both of these images are associated with the topic of getting. The cap, besides, becomes a kind of a token that Holden provides for Phoebe as a goodbye when he chooses to escape toward the West, likewise as he cherishes the baseball glove that had a place with Allie. The emblematic importance of the cap significantly moves, when Phoebe gets it from Holden. Phoebe needs to go with Holden on his getaway. Holden, frightened by this solicitation, will not let her go with him just because he needs to accept accountability and reconsider his concept of consistent escaping. Relating this to the focal allegory and his dream of getting youngsters, he specifically calls his cap 'a person shooting cap'. On the principal look, the conceivable significance behind this naming brings out Holden's obvious antagonistic vibe towards fake individuals and society when all is said in done. As Takeuchi clarifies in his investigation, it is presumably more along these lines, that this naming focuses to the chase, a demonstration of getting, and subsequently, the move in the images happens when he trades the cap, image of chase/getting, with Phoebe. Phoebe, a kid Holden needs to ensure, turns into a catcher, as such, it is the motivation behind why he reevaluates his current procedure of escaping as opposed to confronting the truth. Further pushing his breakdown from society. But one could ask is holden ready for the real world or did the change. In short yes he changed he went from being a kid and being immature to wanting to catch children as they played in the rye this shows how Holden wants to be an adult. Holden says that he wants to be a deaf-mute and have a wife and kids he likes the responsibility but hates leaving behind this childhood.
Catcher in the Rye, a novel by J.D. Salinger, is generally perceived as an ordinary story of Holden Caulfield, a teenage boy, who is expelled from yet another school and spends two days aimlessly wandering through the wintertime New York City. In other words, all of the seemingly random events hold some symbolic meaning. In this thesis, one can see that these symbols need to be read in relation to the novel's central symbol of the 'catcher in the rye'. Their symbolic significance shifts with each logically recognizable return as Holden's powerlessness, despair, and persistently growing instinctive awareness of his issues raise. Spencer, his mind glides off and in his standard style of depiction as he strays to the unpredictable examinations. “I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was contemplating whether it would be hardened over when I came back, and if it was, the spot did the ducks go. The third image is the notorious noteworthiness of the red chasing cap has been referenced a few times. The brilliant red shading stands out from the customary grayness and the traditional methods for his friends and the overall population. A few unique thoughts are associated with the wearing style Holden receives as he continually returns now and again. Now and then he says he wears it 'for no reason except maybe for fun' and he guarantees the peruser that 'he didn't care at all what he looked like ...' On different occasions, he even admits: 'I took it off ...I would not like to resemble a screwball'. As we have gained from the focal representation, Holden wouldn't like to grow up and is hesitant to move further. by and large, his respects youth over adulthood. In a similar way Holden switches the situation of the cap he additionally switches his attitude between the untainted characteristics of youthfulness and developed – up characteristics of obligation and in this manner the cap, it might be said, turns into the image of puberty. On certain events, generally in trouble or when he feels apprehensive, he wears the cap advances and will in general act increasingly like a grown-up. Additionally, the regressive flipped pinnacle of the cap may likewise look like the baseball catcher's cap who wears it the top incomparable style. As it was called attention to, because of its baseball-related symbolism, both of these images are associated with the topic of getting. the motivation behind why he reevaluates his current procedure of escaping as opposed to confronting the truth.
