Even though the shattered pieces of the record (or Phoebe's purity) are now useless, Holden refuses to leave them behind and stays true to his sister. Holden is comforted later on, when he describes, "Then I told her about the record. "Listen, I brought you a record, " I told her. "Only I broke it on the way home. " I took the pieces out of my coat pocket and showed her "Gimme the pieces, " she said. "I'm saving them " (p. 163). Holden discovers that Phoebe may be losing her innocence, but will always retain it by putting the pieces back, no matter how destroyed it may seem. With the help of J. D. Salinger's symbolism we perceive the comfort Holden draws from the realization that his sister's purity is not completely lost. Holden does not give up his protectiveness of his sister, but he does surrender up the pieces of her childhood to her care.
Through the symbol of the broken record we discover the fierce love and protection Holden feels he owes his sister, while other symbols, such as the ducks, further clarify this insight into his character. The fate of the ducks in Central Park in the wintertime preoccupies Holden, which in fact symbolizes for his fear of the future. The first time this thought occurs to him is at Pencey, "I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where would the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over" " (p. 13). For the first time we discover, along with Holden, his fear of what the future holds. Through his obsession with the fate of the ducks in the winter comes the realization of his ignorance of his own fate once he reaches adulthood. Holden's own lagoon, his childhood, will soon be frozen over and he notices the uncertainty of his future. Holden's preoccupation continues on page 60, " "Hey, listen, " I said.