Since the day The Catcher in the Rye found itself on the bookshelves of homes, libraries, and classrooms in 1951, it has been an exquisite example of teenage hardships and struggles. The author, JD Salinger, expresses his view of adolescence through the main character, Holden Caulfield. Holden's journey embodies a search of belonging and innocence through a young adult's life. Salinger connects with adolescent readers as he creates a true-to-life, genuine teenager in Holden, who sustains actual teenage despairs such as confusion, uncertainty, and the search of truth in the adult world.
As Holden struggles to survive everyday of his life, he realizes that his childhood is ending, yet he has no place to belong to in the adult world. His confusion of where he fits in, in the world leads him on journeys in his life, which certify his confusion. In Holden's final days at Pencey High, he .
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. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to the zoo or something. Or if they just flew away. (Salinger 13).
Holden finds himself questioning where he will go after his last day of Pencey. Pencey was supposed to provide a home, however that school is just like the pond, frozen over, denying Holden access. The ducks once lived and found a home in the pond, as did Holden at Pencey. However now they must both search for a new home. Holden wonders if the ducks are able to locate themselves in another pond somewhere else, and if they need a leader to bring them to safety. Holden's thoughts on these ducks represent the situation he currently fights through; confusion of where he will end up. Holden attempts to resolve his confusion of belonging as he ponders where he will go when his lake freezes over, yet he comes to no resolution.