Preview

Symbolism Of Catcher In The Rye

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
321 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Symbolism Of Catcher In The Rye
Holden's love for children first shows itself in his description of his young sister, Phoebe. All of his thoughts up to those of his sister are dark and unsettling. Phoebe's description is so outrightly loving that the reader is shown an entirely new side to Holden, one that shows he is not entirely incapable of happiness. Phoebe's role as a minor character in the novel is to keep Holden anchored to reality; to prevent him from ruining his life completely and losing all hope in his future. It is because of his fear of what
Phoebe would do without him that keeps Holden from moving out west. When she tries to accompany him, Holden implicitly realizes that the trip west would destroy Phoebe's innocence, and that his erratic behavior would prove harmful to her. He makes the …show more content…
Phoebe is the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Salinger's Purposes for Allie, Phoebe, and Jane Gallagher (Catcher in the Rye Essay Example
    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Salinger's Purposes for Allie, Phoebe, and Jane Gallagher (Catcher in the Rye Essay Example

    Allie was a character he spoke about with such a diffident manner, almost as if he was tormented by the sound of his name. Allie was Holden’s younger brother who died of leukemia. As Allie was brought up it seems to be some of his depression was caused by his death. Holden seemed to love Allie deeply and cannot seem to get through his brothers death. Almost as if its killing him inside as well. Holden carries around Allies glove as his souvenir for remembrance. “But it wasn’t just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest in lots of ways.” (Salinger 38). He just went on and on about how much good Allie did and how many smiles he put on peoples faces. He couldn’t get over how many people liked him, and to see him go be such a devastation, it caused him to anger out, and get more depressed. Phoebe on the other hand is Holden’s sister, who is very much alive. She is six years younger than Holden, and sometimes acts more maturely than he does. She’s not afraid to point it out either. She thinks that Holden is to hard on himself, and can be “his own worst enemy”. Meaning he hates himself, and hates what he’s doing, but doesn’t quite know it yet. Phoebe looks up to Holden, and Holden loves his little sister. He includes her for the reason that she’s another main family member who he loves deeply like he did Allie, and doesn’t want to lose her too. I think Holden keeps a sharp eye out for her cause she’s…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Holden Caulfield Phoebe's Relationship
    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Holden Caulfield Phoebe's Relationship

    Holden Caulfield's relationship with his younger sister, Phoebe and his deceased brother, Allie impacted his identity the most. Throughout the book we quickly learn that Holden has a hard time connecting with adults, which makes it harder for him to develop a strong relationship with his parents, but this allows for him to focus on his current and past relationships with his younger siblings. Holden surprised Phoebe by coming to visit: “Holden! She said right away. She put her arms around my neck and all. She’s very affectionate” (Salinger 178). Her affectionate actions made Holden feel as if he is wanted and has someone he can talk to. This is important to his identity because instead of hiding all his lies from everyone he knows, he can tell…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of The Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger
    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Analysis Of The Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger

    Gene Kahane writes, “We all need to be Phoebe and look out for those around us, our friends and family and especially all the children everywhere. We all need to be that “catcher in the rye”” (The Real Meaning). Holden’s sister, Phoebe, teaches how to care for one another. When he begins to tell Phoebe his plan to run away and start his life over she never attempts to act with the cliche “consider the consequences”, she wants to pack her suitcase and go with him. After hearing this, Phoebe knew he needed support at the moment, not someone to bring him back to reality. All around the world, people need to learn from Phoebe because occasionally people need someone to join them in their irrational behavior, not someone to make them come back to…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Holden Caulfield Compare And Contrast
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Holden Caulfield Compare And Contrast

    Holden Caulfield is a very sophisticated character created by J.D. Salinger, not comparable to many characters in other novels. One character he relates strongly with is Phoebe Caulfield. As Holden superior in age to Phoebe, she is clearly the more mature person in state of mind. Phoebe tries to be the best that she can be in school, achieving A’s on almost everything she does, while Holden doesn’t apply himself in anything but English class. One thing that they have in common is the knowledge to have a good conversation, something that most people don’t have. With their many differences, Holden still admires Phoebe and wishes to talk to her whenever he can, because she is about the only person that is willing to talk to a crazy person.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Holden Caulfield Symbolism Essay
    • 1609 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Holden Caulfield Symbolism Essay

    He wants to protect his sister phoebe as he says what he like to be to phoebe “I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big filed of rye and all. Thousands of little kids and nobody’s around nobody big, I mean except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them I’d just be catcher in the rye and all.” This show that Holden doesn’t want the kids to fall of the cliff. The rye is life and falling off the cliff can mean dead. He doesn’t want all the kids to become like Allie he wants to help them. And he doesn’t realize that it’s okay, to fall that’s how life…

    • 1609 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Book Review Sheet For The Catcher In The Rye
    • 1300 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Book Review Sheet For The Catcher In The Rye

    He thought she was very phony. He goes out on a date with her, but his mannerisms make him insult her and then she decides she wants to be away from Holden.…

    • 1300 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Themes In Catcher In The Rye
    • 181 Words
    • 1 Page

    Themes In Catcher In The Rye

    Holden loses touch with reality when his younger brother Allie dies, he cannot comprehend why the essence of pure innocence had to suffer and die. Allie represented the good and truth in the world while everyone else represents the phony and evil aspects. After losing Allie, Holden believes that the only innocent people left are himself and his younger sister Phoebe. The death of Allie is the start of Holden’s…

    • 181 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Literary Analysis Of Catcher In The Rye
    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Literary Analysis Of Catcher In The Rye

    The genuine joy Holden gets from watching Phoebe is a striking image of his fantasies of innocence and his collapsing psyche. For a moment Holden sees the joy that he envisions all the children of his rye field are like. Within Phoebe’s happiness Holden is transfixed and distraught, because the sudden realization that he is transitioning to a world he does not feel equipped for triggers the end of his ambivalence. As the carousel spins so does Holden’s reality, he loses sense of even further sense of himself. The Catcher in the Rye is a bildungsroman, but it is unique in how Holden not only resists growing up, but also he ends the novel more unstable and lost than he started off as. A quest or journey is supposed to lead to a literal or metaphorical…

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Loneliness In Catcher In The Rye
    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Loneliness In Catcher In The Rye

    Holden expresses this apathetic trend in everything he does. His carelessness with money is displayed by the end of the book, when he is forced to ask his younger sister Phoebe for money, “You got any dough Peob? I’m practically broke.” He also shows some early signs regarding lack of motivation in school. Holden reveals that Pencey is not the first school he’s had trouble with, he references a couple other places like “Whooton School” and “Elton Hills”. As school is seen as the guiding pathway to young adults’ futures, Holden’s lack of application implies his nonchalant perspective on his forthcoming…

    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Catcher In The Rye Isolation Theme
    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Catcher In The Rye Isolation Theme

    Holden’s fear of being intimate and a part of a relationship makes him vulnerable to being hurt. This most likely hints at his fears of the unknown, change and complexity which explains his attachment to the Natural History Museum, where “the only thing that would be different would be you” (65). As a result, he completely detaches himself from people and through his pessimistic persona, he is constantly on the lookout for reasons to hate being an adult. However, when looking at his circle of “friends,” they’re privileged, rich and adults, like him. Hanging out with them gives him the opportunity of being directly judgemental towards them rather than himself because their perspectives and conflicts are similar. With Phoebe, he feels at peace and enjoys his time with her, but her physical image (a child) overpowers her personality of being unpredictable, complex and prone to change. The placement of a child mask on his monsters (fears) forces him to confront them, but in a more positive and relaxed manner. Through this, it becomes clear that the challenging innocent questions from Phoebe challenges Holden to question his self-confidence and self-worth which then leads to his fear of “phoniness.” Through Phoebe’s suggestion of being a lawyer, Holden considers the idea and immediately swarms towards “saving innocent [guys’] lives,” but rejects it after he thinks about what he has…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye
    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

    Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger a symbol that my group chose that we believe represents Holden is the ducks at Central park south. Holden repeatedly asks people where the ducks go because he likes the ducks staying where they are. Holden worries about the ducks at Central park south “But I didn’t see any ducks around . . . but I didn’t see a single duck. I thought maybe if they were any around, they might be asleep or something near the grass and all. That’s how I nearly fell in. but I couldn’t find any” (Salinger 154). Holden then asks the taxi cab driver who he doesn’t know where the ducks go. “You know those ducks in the lagoon right near Central park south? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you know by any chance?”(Salinger 90). “I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Catcher In The Rye Symbolism
    • 1569 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Catcher In The Rye Symbolism

    J.D Salinger uses the catcher in the rye as a main symbol because he wants teenagers to relate to his book by understanding that teenagers normally have the same hardships as Holden. To be the catcher in the rye means to save other people from depression, “‘ If a body catch a body comin through the rye’ It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed any more” (115). Holden felt depressed when he was at Pencey because he couldn’t figure out how to fit in and make friends. Instead of spending time at school events like football games, he would visit his teacher, Spencer, because he found it easier to talk to Spencer rather than people his age. If someone was Holden’s catcher in the rye, he probably would not have flunked out of school because he would have enjoyed…

    • 1569 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Theme Of Life In Catcher In The Rye
    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Theme Of Life In Catcher In The Rye

    Teenage life for Holden seems to be difficult because he truly believes that he has no connection with anyone. Due to that he alienates himself by not participating in school and that leads him into another hole due to the fact he's already been kicked out of other schools decides to try and take life by the hands and do whatever he wants. Teenage life hasn't really changed over the years. There are still a lot of things that are always going to be the same and Teenager hood is like that. People are always going to do stupid things that get them in trouble and make rash decisions. It’s a tenagers job to make mistake and then learn from those mistakes later on in life. Right from the beginning there are a lot of mistakes made by hoden. The very…

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Influence Of Catcher In The Rye
    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Influence Of Catcher In The Rye

    One night my brother Holden and I were watching lightning as it stormed. He started talking about the future and where he wants to be in four years when he graduates from college. Then he told me to always work hard and follow my dreams. He also told me to have a positive outlook on things. Holden has always had a positive influence on my life because he has showed me what reality is like, he has always supported me through things, and he’s a hard worker.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Catcher in the Rye Essay Characterization
    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Catcher in the Rye Essay Characterization

    Being different is difficult, especially when you’re a teenager. It’s not easy being singled out and feeling like the bad apple. Standing apart from others can be hard and takes courage. Society does not appreciate misfits, especially trouble makers who don’t make any effort to succeed. There is nothing wrong with being different and standing up for what you believe in but Holden goes about it in an arrogant way. It’s as if he sets himself apart from his peers on purpose because he does not want to be phony, just like them. Holden sees a major part of the people in his life as phony, which he tries to isolate himself from, this in turn makes him quite antisocial in every aspect of his life.…

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics