Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger frequently utilizes symbols in order to develop a theme. One recurring theme in the novel is that maturity comes with a price that many are reluctant to pay—the loss of innocence. The author employs symbols like the Museum of Natural History, the “F*** You” signs on the walls, and the Carousel to illustrate this theme. However, moving on from your childhood is an essential part of life, although it may be difficult. To shed light on this this theme, the author The Museum is one of the many symbols that Salinger uses to portray this theme. Holden states that the reason he enjoyed visiting The Museum was that "…everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move….Certain things they should
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The graffiti infuriated Holden. He imagined the culprit/vandalizer was "…some perverty bum that'd sneaked in the school late at night to take a leak or something and then wrote it on the wall" (Salinger, 201). In Holden's mind, kids are naïve and adults are phony, so while possible that the words were written by "some perverty bum" (201) as Holden suggests, it is far more likely that they were written by a student. Because of his idealistic way of thinking, Holden attempts to shield children from the harsh realities of adulthood. However, he soon realizes that growing up is inevitable/this eventually changes. Towards the end of the novel, while watching Phoebe and the other children reach for the gold ring while riding a carousel, Holden expressed his concern over her safety and said, “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (Salinger, 211). By recognizing that he needs to allow children to fall occasionally, he recognizes that he cannot protect everyone from growing up. He learns that change is unavoidable, so it is better to embrace it rather than run
The graffiti infuriated Holden. He imagined the culprit/vandalizer was "…some perverty bum that'd sneaked in the school late at night to take a leak or something and then wrote it on the wall" (Salinger, 201). In Holden's mind, kids are naïve and adults are phony, so while possible that the words were written by "some perverty bum" (201) as Holden suggests, it is far more likely that they were written by a student. Because of his idealistic way of thinking, Holden attempts to shield children from the harsh realities of adulthood. However, he soon realizes that growing up is inevitable/this eventually changes. Towards the end of the novel, while watching Phoebe and the other children reach for the gold ring while riding a carousel, Holden expressed his concern over her safety and said, “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (Salinger, 211). By recognizing that he needs to allow children to fall occasionally, he recognizes that he cannot protect everyone from growing up. He learns that change is unavoidable, so it is better to embrace it rather than run