Occasionally, a tragic outcome may seem unsurprising to some as the author utilises hints to reveal underlying problems. Specifically, in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses symbols to portray Holden’s nature; particularly, Holden’s childishness, which is a major recurring issue of Holden. Salinger’s usage of symbolism demonstrates Holden’s immaturity that contributed to his eventual mental deterioration. The pond of Central Park represents his escapist approach when facing a problem. The red hunting hat represents his ignorance of others and of the future. The baseball glove of his brother represents his inability to move on from the past. All of these traits are of a child’s and show Holden’s lack of maturity, especially
…show more content…
The death of Holden’s brother, Allie, haunts him and will often appear unexpectedly. When Holden prepares to write Stradlater’s paper about houses or rooms, as opposed to brainstorming an idea that is related to such things, a completely irrelevant object comes to his mind: “I'm not too crazy about describing rooms and houses anyway. So what I did, I wrote about my brother Allie's baseball mitt” (38). Allie and his death will continue to bother Holden and interfere with his daily functions. As the story progresses, Allie’s death destabilizes Holden’s mental state to the point that he pays no attention to his physical condition. Furthermore, other than Phoebe, who is too young, Allie is the only true close friend of Holden.Consequently, Holden displays no interest in anything else, activity or person. This is confirmed when he visits Phoebe, and in response of Phoebe asking him what is the one thing that he likes, Holden answers “ I like Allie” (171). When Allie died, Holden lost all of his passion for life because Allie was a major part of Holden’s life. He purposefully isolates himself through avoiding heavy commitment to his relationships and not participating in activities or hobbies because of one reason: they cannot compare to his deep connection and joyful moments spent with Allie; his only interest is to recite his happy memories with Allie using his baseball glove as that is the most precious thing Holden has. In contrast, D.B. and Phoebe, who are both siblings of Allie, is functioning well and is continuing on with life despite their loss. When compared, Holden seems extremely childish. Moreover, his lack of interest in everything hinders his mental health as he loses his passion for life and reduces his social interactions. Despite it being a
The death of Holden’s brother, Allie, haunts him and will often appear unexpectedly. When Holden prepares to write Stradlater’s paper about houses or rooms, as opposed to brainstorming an idea that is related to such things, a completely irrelevant object comes to his mind: “I'm not too crazy about describing rooms and houses anyway. So what I did, I wrote about my brother Allie's baseball mitt” (38). Allie and his death will continue to bother Holden and interfere with his daily functions. As the story progresses, Allie’s death destabilizes Holden’s mental state to the point that he pays no attention to his physical condition. Furthermore, other than Phoebe, who is too young, Allie is the only true close friend of Holden.Consequently, Holden displays no interest in anything else, activity or person. This is confirmed when he visits Phoebe, and in response of Phoebe asking him what is the one thing that he likes, Holden answers “ I like Allie” (171). When Allie died, Holden lost all of his passion for life because Allie was a major part of Holden’s life. He purposefully isolates himself through avoiding heavy commitment to his relationships and not participating in activities or hobbies because of one reason: they cannot compare to his deep connection and joyful moments spent with Allie; his only interest is to recite his happy memories with Allie using his baseball glove as that is the most precious thing Holden has. In contrast, D.B. and Phoebe, who are both siblings of Allie, is functioning well and is continuing on with life despite their loss. When compared, Holden seems extremely childish. Moreover, his lack of interest in everything hinders his mental health as he loses his passion for life and reduces his social interactions. Despite it being a