Novel. The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger

Transcription

1 Novel The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger

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3 Novel- A fictional prose narrative of considerable length; usually having an overall pattern or plot

4 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger The Catcher in the Rye is a coming of age novel that has caused controversy & has been frequently challenged in the U.S. for its liberal use of profanity & portrayal of sexuality & teenage angst. The novel's protagonist, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage rebellion and defiance. Holden is a confused teenager trying to figure out who he is- He is in the midst of an identity crisis. All teenagers go through these phases, so everyone can relate to Holden to some extent. However, Holden is not a typical teenager. He is alienated more than most adolescents. Holden struggles socially. Although he has many acquaintances, he can not form lasting, meaningful friendships.

5 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Setting & Background The Catcher in the Rye follows Holden's experiences in New York City in the days following his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a college preparatory school. The story begins & ends in a California treatment center, Holden, 17, is undergoing therapy for his mental problems He is run down physically & is probably mentally exhausted as well, & it appears he is in a sanitarium to recover his strength The middle chapters are a flashback to three days in December, 1949 when Holden was 16- the day he was expelled from Pencey Prep & then his return to New York City. (Saturday-Monday)

6 Mark David Chapman, who assassinated John Lennon, was carrying the book when he was arrested immediately after the murder and referred to it in his statement to police shortly thereafter. John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was also reported to have been obsessed with the book.

7 Holden has a younger sister, Phoebe; an older brother, D.B. who is a screenplay writer in Hollywood; and a younger brother, Allie who died years ago of leukemia. After failing out of Pencey, Holden must go home and tell his parents. Instead of deciding to face them with his failure, he wanders around the streets of New York City, and comes into contact with some interesting characters.

8 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Point of View 1 st person point of view- Holden is the narrator He is an adolescent who is reluctant to grow up He is immature (everything is phony ) and he is often unreliable- I m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life Style The style of writing is conversational & often slang; it reflects the teenage colloquial (informal) speech of the time (1950) J.D. Salinger mimics language of a bright teenager struggling to grow up

9 Life s a game- Play by the rules Themes There are certain rules in life that need to be followed Be responsible & take responsibility for your actions Be accountable- Don t lie, steal, cheat; strive to excel in school- pass your classes Those that have difficulty following rules often have trouble in their lives Growing up is hard to do There is often confusion & uncertainty during adolescence The maturation process is not always smooth- Holden is psychologically & emotionally immature He refuses to acknowledge his shortcomings & face himself; rather he harps on the shortcomings of others He thinks the outer-world is responsible for his problems- not his inner-world

10 Face your problems Unable to solve his problems, Holden continually escapes from them He continually flunks out of school He escapes the company of others by arguing with or insulting them He leaves school early to have a few days alone in New York City He asks Sally Hayes to run away with him Holden has a lack of commitment (definite goals for the future) Loneliness & Alienation Holden hates exclusion; he has been unable to make any real friends & feels lonely and depressed He may feel abandoned- boarding school, brother DB lives on West coast, brother Allie died, peers continually reject him due to his abrasive manner Hope There is hope for Holden He is intelligent, has interest in & likes reading good literature He recognizes the importance of sincerity, candor, & modesty He loves his parents- they re nice and all, and his sister Phoebe

11 Chapters 1-4 Holden forgets the team s fencing equipment on the subway Holden wears his red hunting cap when he feels insecure- He is hunting for himself A typical dorm room

12 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 1-4 J.D. Salinger Setting Holden is 17 as he narrates the story from a mental health facility near Hollywood, California in 1950 He flashes back to a Saturday the previous December when he is 16 & in his junior year at Pencey Prep- a boarding school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania Point of view 1 st person- Holden is the narrator Conversational, colloquial style- slang

13 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 1-4 J.D. Salinger Characters Holden Caulfield 17- intelligent but immature adolescent struggling to grow up; Holden flashes back to the previous year when he was 16 & it becomes apparent that Holden is having a tough time- he often feels like an outcast Mr. Spencer around 70 - Holden s history teacher- he is concerned for Holden & offers him advice Robert Ackley Roomed next door to Holden- Ackley is a senior who is peculiar Ackley doesn t take care of his personal hygiene Holden isn t too crazy about him Ackley hates Stradlater

14 Characters Ward Stradlater Holden s roommate- broad shouldered & strong; good looking but conceited ladies man Holden is envious of Stradlater s success with women Jane Gallagher Holden knows her from home in New York City Holden obviously likes her but is reluctant to say hello to her in the lobby (immaturity? Doesn t know how to handle the situation?) Jane has a date with Stradlater

15 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 1-4 J.D. Salinger Irony Holden is sixteen & 6 2 with gray hair, yet he admits he acts like a kid of 12- (immature) Holden doesn t like phonies yet he admits he is a terrific liar Holden says he s quite illiterate but he reads a lot Holden is very intelligent yet he has been expelled yet again for failing four subjects Holden failed out of Pencey yet Stradlater asks him to write his essay for him Holden is very excited Jane Gallagher is in the lobby, yet he doesn t visit & say hello Symbolism The ducks at the frozen lagoon in Central Park- Holden s concern for the ducks symbolizes his concern about what will happen to him in a cold & inhospitable world The red hunting hat- Holden is hunting for himself - he wants to be different and unique He wears the hat whenever he feels insecure

16 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 1-4 J.D. Salinger Theme Life is a game- play by the rules Holden irresponsibly leaves the fencing team s equipment on the subway even though he is their manager & is responsible for it Holden has failed four subjects & is being expelled from yet another school Growing up is hard to do Holden is immature & needs to grow up He admits his immaturity when he says he often acts as if he is 12 Holden has difficulty with women- he says he is not in the mood to see a girl from home whom he obviously likes

17 Loneliness & alienation Holden does not attend the football game- practically the whole school except me was there Holden was ostracized the whole way back on the train after he leaves the fencing equipment on the subway Life is a game my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it s a game, all right- I ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren t any hot-shots, then what s a game about it? Nothing. No game.

18 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Chapters 1-4 Plot summary Holden, the narrator, is near Hollywood, California in a mental health facility He flashes back to a Saturday the previous December, when he was expelled from Pencey Prep Saturday- New York City That morning Holden goes to New York City for a fencing match Holden irresponsibly leaves the fencing team s equipment on the subway Holden buys the red hunting hat & returns to Pencey (abt. 2:30)

19 Plot summary Saturday- Pencey Prep.- Agerstown, Pennsylvania Stands on Thompson Hill- everyone else is at football game Visits his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, to say goodbye-spencer lectures him Reveals this is about the fourth school he has attended- (he names only two- the Whooton School and the Elkton Hills School - he was kicked out of them also) Mrs. Spencer reveals the narrator s name- Holden- Mr. Spencer reveals his last name- Caulfield Mr. Spencer reads Holden s essay from class out loud- Holden is embarrassed Holden leaves and heads back to his dorm room- he reveals he is a terrific liar

20 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 1-4 J.D. Salinger Plot summary (cont.) Holden reveals that he reads a lot & enjoys all kinds of books Robert Ackley, who lives in the dorm room next door, pays Holden a visit Holden is not crazy about Ackley- He was also sort of a nasty guy Holden s roommate, Ward Stradlater, enters & gets ready for a date- he asks Holden to write an essay for him Holden describes Stradlater as big, strong, conceited, and a ladies man Stradlater s date is with Jane Gallagher, Holden s crush from back home Holden says he should go to the lobby & say hello to Jane, but he doesn t- I m not in the mood right now Holden is nervous & worries about Stradlater & Jane on a date

21 Chapters 5-9 Holden fights with Stradlater over Jane Gallagher Holden leaves Pencey early & heads to NYC Holden arrives at Penn Station Holden asks about the ducks in Central Park s lagoon Holden checks into the Edmont Hotel Holden sees perverts & morons outside his window

22 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 5-9 J.D. Salinger Setting Saturday night at Pencey Prep Holden takes a train to New York City & checks into the Edmont Hotel late Saturday night

23 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 5-9 J.D. Salinger Characters Mal Brossard & Ackley Holden went into town with them to see a movie Allie- Holden s brother who died of leukemia in July, 1946 Allie was 11, Holden was 13- possibly (probably) the beginning of Holden s problems Stradlater- Holden fights with Stradlater over Jane Gallagher

24 The Catcher in the Rye Characters Chapters 5-9 J.D. Salinger Mrs. Morrow- Holden meets her on the train to New York- her son Ernie attends Pencey Prep & Holden knows him Cab driver- the driver is short with Holden when Holden asks about the ducks in Central Park- He drives Holden to the Edmont Hotel Faith Cavendish- a stripper; Holden got her phone number from Eddie at Princeton; it was too late for drinks that night but she offers to go out with Holden the next night

25 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 5-9 J.D. Salinger Symbolism Holden looks for his hunting hat right after his fight with Stradlater- he wears it when he is insecure Irony Holden goes to the movies sometimes, yet he says he hates them (acting=phonies) Holden dislikes Ackley, yet invites him to the movies Theme Face your problems- Holden decides to run from his problems yet again & take a little vacation- my nerves were shot. They really were He heads to New York where he plans to get a room in a hotel & take it easy until Wednesday- he figures this will give his parents time to digest the expulsion letter from Pencey

26 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 5-9 J.D. Salinger Plot summary Goes into town with Brossard and Ackley Returns to the dorm to write Stradlater's composition; he writes about his brother Allie s baseball mitt Allie is dead- he died of leukemia in July, Holden was/is devastated Holden in anxious about Stradlater s date with Jane Stradlater returns from date with Jane Gallagher- Holden punches Stradlater for implying they has sex Holden continues to antagonize Stradlater by calling him a moron- Stradlater finally hits Holden

27 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Chapters 5-9 Plot summary Holden Wakes up Ackley around 11:30 & impulsively decides to leave Pencey immediately for a little vacation in NYC- (theme- Holden again runs from his problems) Sells his typewriter for twenty dollars Holden leaves Pencey. "sleep tight, ya morons!" (about midnight) Overnight Sat Sun- Agerstown to New York City Holden boards train to New York & meets Ernie Morrow s mother, becomes Rudolf Schmidt. He lies to her about his name & tells her Ernie is well liked even though Holden dislikes Ernie Holden tells Mrs. Morrow he is going to New York for an operation to remove a brain tumor

28 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Chapters 5-9 Plot summary (cont.) New York City Upon arriving at Penn Station, Holden takes a cab to the Edmont Hotel He asks the cabbie about the ducks in the lagoon in Central Park (symbolism) Holden looks out his hotel window & sees perverts& morons - a man tries on women s clothing Holden calls Faith Cavendish- a stripper he does not know but he got her phone number from a guy he knew that went to Princeton Holden asks Faith out for drinks- she declines that night but says she would meet Holden the next night Holden tells her tonight is the only night he can do it- he reveals his immaturity & his uneasiness with women

29 Chapters Holden meets Maurice, the elevator man/pimp Holden dances at the Lavender Bar Holden goes to Ernie s Bar in the village Holden meets Sunny the prostitute, but just wants to talk

30 Chapters The Catcher in the Rye Chapters Setting Holden leaves his bags in a locker at Grand Central Station J.D. Salinger New York City- late Saturday night & Sunday Late Saturday night the Lavender Room, a bar in the Edmont Hotel Ernie s, a bar in Greenwich Village Holden falls asleep back at the Edmont Hotel, after the incident with Maurice & Sunny Sunday Holden wakes up around 10 am & calls Sally Hayes to make a date for later that day Grand Central Station- Holden drops off his bags in a locker Sandwich Bar- Holden meets two nuns over breakfast Central Park- Holden walks through the park to pass time & goes to the Museum of Natural History Biltmore Hotel- Holden meets Sally Hayes around 2 p.m. The theater- Holden takes Sally to a Lunts Show Radio City Music Hall- Holden takes Sally ice skating Holden walks up Broadway to Central Park & the Museum of Natural History Holden skates with Sally at Radio City

31 Setting New York City- late Saturday night & Sunday Late Saturday night the Lavender Room, a bar in the Edmont Hotel Ernie s, a bar in Greenwich Village Holden falls asleep back at the Edmont Hotel, after the incident with Maurice & Sunny Sunday Holden wakes up around 10 am & calls Sally Hayes to make a date for later that day Grand Central Station- Holden drops off his bags in a locker Sandwich Bar- Holden meets two nuns over breakfast Central Park- Holden walks through the park to pass time & goes to the Museum of Natural History Biltmore Hotel- Holden meets Sally Hayes around 2 p.m. The theater- Holden takes Sally to a Lunts Show Radio City Music Hall- Holden takes Sally ice skating

32 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters J.D. Salinger Characters Bernice Crabs/Krebs, Marty, & Laverne Holden says they re around thirty or so - He dances with all three women at the Lavender Bar but then they stick him with the check Horwitz the cabbie Holden asks Horwitz about the ducks at the lagoon in Central Park & they have a brief discussion about it Lillian Simmons Holden meets Lillian at Ernie s Bar- she used to date Holden s brother D.B. Maurice (elevator man/pimp) Maurice tricks Holden about the price of a prostitute and eventually punches Holden, forcing him to pay more than he agreed to Sunny (prostitute) Holden is not ready to have sex with Sunny & just wants to talk to her Two Nuns Holden meets the two nuns while having breakfast & discusses literature with them Sally Hayes Holden calls Sally from his hotel & sets up a date- He asks her to run away with him- He eventually insults her & ruins the date

33 The Catcher in the Rye Chapters J.D. Salinger Irony Holden calls himself an atheist yet he knows and reads the Bible Symbolism The ducks in Central Park Holden wonders how the ducks survive in an inhospitable environment- He wonders how he will survive in an inhospitable world The Museum of Natural History Holden does not like change- He wants things to remain as they were when he was a child- stable & secure The museum never changes- The best thing about the museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Theme Holden s immaturity renders him unable to connect with girls intimately- He escapes their company by lying to or insulting them He lies to Faith Cavendish & tells her he cannot meet for drinks the next day He is unable to have sex with Sunny the prostitute (scared?, immature, depressed) He insults Sally Hayes at the end of their date after she turns down his offer to run away together Holden wants to escape yet again & run away with Sally Hayes- He is not yet facing his problems

34 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Chapters Plot summary Saturday night/sunday morning- New York City Holden dances with Bernice, Marty, & Laverne at the Lavender Room- a bar in his hotel; they stick him with the check Holden thinks about Jane Gallagher They used to play checkers & tennis- but it wasn t physical; Holden obviously likes her Wants to call her but doesn't. Grabs a taxi to Ernie's in Greenwich Village. Asks cabbie (Horowitz) about the Central Park ducks Holden says Ernie s is full of jerks He meets Lillian Simmons, a girl D.B. once dates He leaves because he doesn t want to sit with Lillian & her date Holden walks forty-one blocks (2 mi.) back to his hotel Maurice, the elevator man, asks Holden if he wants a girl Sunny, the prostitute arrives at Holden's room. Holden pays the five dollars just to talk. Holden is not ready for sex Holden goes to bed & tries to pray Maurice and Sunny are at the door. They want five more dollars. Holden refuses and has a fist-fight with Maurice. They take the money and leave. Holden pretends he has bullets in his gut. Goes to sleep.

35 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Chapters Plot summary (cont.) Sunday- New York City Holden wakes up after a short sleep (about 10 a.m.) Holden calls Sally Hayes and makes a date for the theater Holden checks out of the Edmont. Grabs a taxi to Grand Central Station. Stores his luggage in a locker there. Holden meets two nuns at a sandwich bar & discusses literature- (Romeo & Juliet) Holden leaves the sandwich bar and walks up Broadway.

36 Plot summary (cont.) While walking (around noon) Holden hears a boy singing If a body catch a body coming through the rye (symbolism) Holden buys a record for his sister Phoebe Little Shirley Beans Holden walks through Central Park & then walks to the Museum of Natural History (symbolism)

37 Plot summary (cont.) Holden meets Sally at the Biltmore Hotel (2:00 p.m.) & takes her to the theater & then skating at Radio City The date ends disastrously after Sally refuses Holden s offer to run away together (theme- Holden is still trying to escape) Holden insults Sally & makes her cry (theme- immaturity)

38 Chapters Holden sees a show & a movie at Radio City Holden drunk dials Sally Hayes Holden walks in the Park at night, but can t find the ducks Holden tells Phoebe about his dream job- The Catcher in the Rye Holden finally goes home

39 Chapters Mr. Antolini offers advice, but then scares Holden Holden sleeps on a bench in Grand Central Station Holden leaves a note for Phoebe to meet him at the Museum Holden & Phoebe walk to Central Park Zoo and see some animals Holden watches Phoebe ride the carrousel

40 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Chapters Setting New York City- Sunday night & Monday Sunday night Movies at Radio City- (Rockettes, Christmas Show, movie) Wicker Bar- Holden meets Carl Luce at 10 p.m. & gets drunk Central Park- (after 1 a.m.) Holden looks for the ducks Holden sneaks home to see Phoebe Mr. Antolini s apartment- (an old English teacher of Holden s) Grand Central Station- Holden sleeps on a bench Monday Phoebe s school Central Park- Museum, Carousel California- probably Jan or Feb of right after Holden s little vacation in New York Holden says I got sick and all & he now speaks with psychoanalysts who ask him if he will apply himself- Holden thinks it s a stupid question I think I am, but how do I know?

41 Characters Chapters Carl Luce- Holden knows Luce from when they attended Whooten together. Luce is older than Holden & now attends Columbia Univ. Holden makes inappropriate comments about sex- Luce replies Same old Caulfield. When are you going to grow up? Sally Hayes- Holden calls her drunk & promises to trim the Christmas tree

42 Characters Chapters Phoebe- Holden sneaks home & wakes Phoebe She is thrilled to see Holden but realizes he was kicked out of school again- Daddy s gonna kill you Phoebe offers her older brother all the money she has & Holden begins to cry Holden hides in the closet of Phoebe s room after his parents return home from a night out Mr. Antolini- (& his wife) Holden visits his old English teacher who offers Holden good advice about life Among other things, you ll find that you re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. Holden falls asleep but rushes out of the apartment after waking to find Mr. Antolini petting me or patting me on the goddam head

43 Themes Chapters Loneliness & Alienation Holden has only 3 phone numbers in his book, & one is his father s- he is desperate for companionship Holden tells Phoebe what he despises about school- Alienation & Exclusion; one student even committed suicide after being picked on & humiliated by other students Growing up is hard to do- (Holden needs to grow up) Carl Luce, an old acquaintance, comments same old Caulfield. When are you going to grow up? - Luce tells Holden psychoanalysis can help him learn to adjust to situations Mr. Antolini fears Holden is setting himself up for a fall- He realizes Holden is confused & frightened, but suggests Holden apply himself in his studies

44 Themes Chapters Face your problems Holden tells Phoebe he is going away to a ranch in Colorado- He still runs from his problems Hope Holden decides to stop running, go home, and seek help- there is hope for Holden

45 Symbolism Chapters Phoebe s broken record Holden drops Phoebe s record & it breaks into pieces, symbolizing Holden s life at the moment Holden picks up the pieces of the record & puts them in his pocket- His life is in pieces but he is trying to put it together & he finally goes home The carrousel Holden seems emotionally stuck in childhood, unable to develop into a young man- In effect, he is going in circles

46 Symbolism Chapters The Title The title is a line from a Robert Burns poem Original line- If a body meet a body comin through the rye Holden thinks it s If a body catch a body comin through the rye He envisions himself standing at a cliff & catching children coming through the rye fields before they fall off & into adulthood The cliff= adulthood Holden is afraid to grow up & sees himself as the protector of innocence

47 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Chapters Plot summary Sunday afternoon/night- New York City Holden is desperate for a companion so he calls Carl Luce even though he says he doesn t like him He passes the time by going to Radio City & sees the Rockettes, The Christmas Show, & a movie He meets Carl Luce at the Wicker Bar around 10 p.m. Holden begins to get drunk & makes inappropriate comments to Carl Luce- same old Caulfield Luce leaves Holden alone & Holden gets very drunk- He calls Sally Hayes & makes a fool of himself Holden goes to Central Park & looks for the ducks but he doesn t see any (about 1 a.m.)

48 Plot summary Chapters (cont d) Holden decides to go home & he sneaks in to see his sister Phoebe Phoebe is excited to see her older brother but realizes he was kicked out of school again- Daddy s gonna kill you Holden tells Phoebe he hated school because it was full of phonies and mean guys Holden tells Phoebe the story of James Castle, who committed suicide after being harassed by other students Holden tells Phoebe he d like to be the catcher in the rye - protecting children from falling over a cliff into adulthood

49 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Chapters Plot summary (cont.) Sunday night- New York City Holden calls an old English teacher, Mr. Antolini, who invites Holden over his house that evening Holden s parents come home & Holden hides in the closet while Phoebe covers for him Holden visits Mr. Antolini (& his wife)- Mr. Antolini offers advice about life- He is afraid Holden is setting himself up for a fall; He realizes Holden is confused & frightened but suggests Holden apply himself to his studies Holden falls asleep & awakens to find Mr. Antolini stroking his hair- Holden quickly leaves (about 5 am Monday morning)

50 Plot summary Chapters (cont.) Holden takes the subway to Grand Central Station & sleeps on a bench in a waiting room- (he wakes up around 9 amthe station is packed) Holden walks to Phoebe s school & leaves her a note to meet him at the museum at 12:15 pm Phoebe arrives at the museum (12:35 pm) with her bags packed- she wants to go with Holden Holden gets angry & tells her she s not coming with him- Phoebe becomes angry Holden & Phoebe walk down to Central Park Zoo & see some animals Holden & Phoebe walk to the carrousel- Holden tells Phoebe he s decided to go home Holden watches Phoebe on the carrousel as it begins to rainoverwhelmed, he cries Holden is in California seeking help for his problems

51 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger After reading the final chapter of the book, do you think Holden has changed? Will Holden finally grow up and accept his responsibilities?

52 Themes Life s a game- Play by the rules Take care of your responsibilities Growing up is hard to do Adolescents are faced with confusion & uncertainty Adolescents can be frightened & even sickened by some human behavior The maturation process can be slow & painful Face your problems Deal with & solve your problems rather than choose to escape from them, as Holden often does

53 Themes Loneliness & Alienation Having few friends & feeling left out can be extremely traumatic- Have sympathy & compassion for people Holden does not feel part of any group or team Feelings of loneliness & inferiority can lead to depression Hope There is always hope Holden is intelligent- he enjoys literature & seeks knowledge Holden finally decides to go home & face his problems Holden is seeking help for his problems

54 Origin of the Title- The Catcher in the Rye The title is taken from a Robert Burns poem It symbolizes Holden s desire to catch or hold on to childhood The original line from the poem is if a body meet a body coming through the rye Holden mistakes the line for if a body catch a body coming through the rye

55 Review - The Catcher in the Rye Lying to Escape Reality Mrs. Morrow He says he is Rudolph Schmidt (name of janitor) He says her son is sensitive and popular He says he s going home early because he has a brain tumor Faith Cavendish He says he s only in town for the night Girls in the Lavender Room He says his name is James Steele He pretends to be older Sunny He says he is recuperating from surgery on his clavichord

56 Fantasizing to Escape Reality Questions about the ducks He escapes Mr. Spencer s lecture by worrying about what will happen to the ducks in the winter He asks both cab drivers what will happen to the ducks to escape facing himself and what will happen to him Gangster/ Superhero He imagines Maurice shot him and that he still managed to go after him and kill him

57 Fantasizing to Escape Reality Assertive/Brave Self-Defense He imagines confronting the thief who stole his gloves and getting them back Catcher in the Rye He imagines standing at the edge of a field of rye and catching the kids before they fall off the cliff Disappearing He imagines that as he crosses each street he will disappear before he reaches the next curb. He talks to Allie as he s walking, asking, Please don t let me disappear. He s afraid to lose his identity and his innocence

58 Symbols Red Hunting Hat Searching for his identity back in the innocence of childhood Museum Preserving things the way they are; avoiding change Catcher in the Rye Protecting the innocence of childhood Carrousel Going in circles; not moving forward; avoiding change Record of Little Shirley Beans Childhood innocence is shattered like the record Holden s life is in pieces and he s trying to hold on to them Ducks Concern for the vulnerable in a hostile world; concern for himself in a hostile world

59 Symbolic Actions Holden tries to Protect Childhood Innocence Erasing curses from the school wall Dreaming of being the Catcher in the Rye Teaching the kids about the Egyptians at the museum Helping the little girl with her skate key Worrying about the ducks Holden tries to Avoid Change ( hold on to Childhood) Failing out of school Going to Park Going to Museum Worrying about disappearing

60 Motifs (Repeated Patterns) Red Hunting Hat searching for identity Questions about the Ducks - vulnerability Unmade phone calls alienation, lack of connection Drinking, lying, fantasizing as a way to escape reality Criticism of actors/performers self-impressed Conflict Adulthood Reality vs. Childhood Innocence Holden is trying to hold on to childhood innocence rather than face the reality of adulthood Change vs. Staying the same Holden is afraid of change and tries to keep everything as it is