Symbolism Synthesis Page

Synthesis Page for The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Thesis- There are many symbols in this book that shape Holden's personality.

Holden's Red Hunting Hat- Holden's hat symbolizes his uniqueness and individuality throughout the book. In the beginning of the book, you could tell that Holden describes this hat as queer and outlandish, but he wears it anyway because it was better than being '' a stuck up depressing goddamn phony''. In the book it says, ''I took my red hunting hat out of my pocket and put it on- I didn't give damn how I looked.'' (page 99).This shows that Holden likes being himself, despite of what others may think about him.

The Museum of Natural History- The museum in this book represents change. When Holden visited the Museum of Natural History while he was in New York, he realized that it wasn't possible for people to be the same person they were a five years ago. Even if it was a physical, mental, or a small change, you still changed. In the book he said, ''You could go there a thousand times, and that Eskimo would still be finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way South, and the deers would still be drinking out of the water hole, with their pretty antlers, and their pretty skinny legs. Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.'' (page 135)  And Holden was right, in the book, he mentions that he changed too.

The Ducks in the Central Park Lagoon- In the very beginning of the book, Holden was eager to know the answer to a specific question; ''Where do all the ducks go when the lake freezes over? I mean . . . does some guy go over there every winter and gets them, or  . . .'' This would symbolize curiosity. Holden doesn't seem to stop wondering about this. When Holden got in a cab, he even asked the driver if he knew what happens to them. But the since the driver seemed to be ''touchy'', Holden let it slide. But when Holden got into another cab, he asked the same question. It seemed that his curiosity revealed a more genuine and youthful side in him. Almost like how little kids would usually ask these types of questions.

Ernie the Piano Player- Ernie is a piano player at this bar. He seems to symbolize ''phonies and wasteful people.''  He is an example of someone who wastes his talent to show off instead of using it for real art and potential.  At the setting of the bar, Holden says that Ernie wouldn't talk to you unless you were some big hot-shot. In fact, he said, ''I'm not too sure what the name of the song was that he was playing when I came in, but whatever it was, he was really stinking it up. He was putting all these dumb, show-offy ripples in the high notes, and alot of other tricky stuff that gives me a pain in the ass''. (page 84). This also contributes to the fact that Holden really doesn't like phonies.

Allie's Baseball Glove- Allie was Holden's younger brother, and he died of leukemia. His baseball glove seems to symbolize Holden's never-ending love for him. Allie had written poems on glove in green ink so he had something to read during baseball practice so he wouldn't be bored. Holden really liked Allie because, first of all, he wasn't a phony. In fact, Holden states that he was really kind and thoughtful too, he idealizes him. And after Holden found out that Allie had died, he broke all the windows in the garage and had to hospitalized. This proves that Allie meant alot to Holden. But also, Holden never exactly shows his love for these things. The only person he showed this glove to was Jane Gallagher, his extremely reliable friend.