Catcher In The Rye Themes

J.D. Salinger’s classic novel The Catcher in the Rye seeks to explore the concepts of innocence and naivete, and portray how these concepts relate to the perception of growing up. Published in the early 1950s, the book marks a surprisingly interesting take on the concept of human growth and adaptability even after the wake of a second world war. Rather than focusing on the theme of death, like most other books written during this time, Salinger’s novel focuses on life itself and on the theme of adaptation. Salinger puts an analytical spotlight on big life questions through the cynical and contemptuous voice of the narrator Holden Caulfield. Perhaps the biggest theme of all happen to be one that all humans eventually face: the painfulness of growing up. The multitude of iconic symbols in this novel all come together to paint a different picture of what it means to grow up and offers a look at the pain involved with such a transition. One of the …show more content…
We first see the ducks mentioned in the book while he was talking to Mr. Spencer. Holden did not say it outloud but he thinks of them: “I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park… I was wondering if it would be frozen over… where did the ducks go? … I wondered if some guy came in… and took them away… or if they just flew away” (13). To Holden, the water in the lake and the action of it freezing over represents him becoming and adult. As the lake gets colder with time, Holden also grows older. He wonders about the ducks, because as simple animals, they represent the innocence of those growing up. When Holden talks about the ducks, he internally wants an answer to a problem that plagues him almost everyday: what happens to one’s innocence when one grows up? Does someone take it away or does it disappear of its own