Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, the reader is presented with various symbols. These symbols, such as his younger brother Allie, the ducks in Central Park, and the Museum of National History, are clearly made evident by Holden's constant repetition of their importance, and what they mean to him. The symbols are so important and obvious that their symbolism is directly related to the major themes of the novel. In The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden, the narrator, uses symbols and archetypes to relate back to the major themes of the novel: protection, preservation, and innocence.
Allie, Holden's young brother who died several years earlier, is a key symbol throughout the story. When Holden remembers incidents from his past involving Allie, his attitude changes, such as when he writes the composition about Allie's baseball glove or when Holden broke his hand after punching all of the windows in the car garage after Allie died. He feels that Allie was one of the few people who was not phony in a world full of phonies. More importantly, Allie represents the innocence and childhood that Holden strives to find throughout his multi-day journey. In Holden's opinion, Allie represents the purity that Holden looks for in the world. Holden implies that he admires Allie more than he admires Jesus, and even prays to Allie at one point, rather than to Jesus. Allie is Holden's role model, whom he judges the rest of the world according to. When Allie dies, it creates turbulence in Holden's life.
At various points during the course of the novel, Holden inquires as to what happens to the ducks that are normally on a pond in Central Park, when winter comes and the water freezes. As he inquires "asking the taxi driver "he receives uncaring answers such as a simple "What a stupid question!" remark. Despite the answers he gets, Holden is never satisfied with the reply. Holden doesn't consciously realize that the ducks relate to him.
On numerous other shelves, there are ten wooden ducks. ... The ducks are different in texture, but are all uniquely hand carved. As if guarding the wooden ducks an ivory statue of St. ... The end table is composed of an oak top and seven glass windows. ... The table has four stout wooden legs, which connect a wooden framed glass top, and a solid wooden bottom. ...
By the lake was a small ravine that was home to a soon to be family of ducks. ... After a nice swim, the ducks went in to the duck yard where poor, poor Bob was made fun of and harassed. ... There he saw some feral ducks. ... The water was a clear, irregularly shaped pane of glass. ...
"Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? ... (pg.81) For some odd reason, it is these ducks that give Holden security. Ironically, the ducks are a symbol of Holden. ... Like the ducks, no one understands him. ... One was separated from the world by a pane of glass, the other by a front of lies....
"Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? ... (pg.81) For some odd reason, it is these ducks that give Holden security. Ironically, the ducks are a symbol of Holden. ... Like the ducks, no one understands him. ... One was separated from the world by a pane of glass, the other by a front of lies....
"Do you happen to know where the ducks go in the winter-time, by any chance?... What Holden really wants to do is keep all these people in a glass case in a museum. ... The glass cases serve as a layer of protection from the outside world. ... It is clear that Holden has not fully understood the evidence in which could be used to answer the question of where the ducks go in winter. ... This refers to Holden trying to put glass cases around those who supposedly require protection. ...
Americans and Canadians preferred gags where there was a sense of superiority .In Canada, the funniest joke was: To combat the problem, of ballpoints pens not working in space NASA scientists spent a decade and millions to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and butter. ... The Favorite joke in Belgium is Why do ducks have webbed feet? ... To stamp out burning ducks. ...
VOCABULARY Archaeology: the scientific study of ancient people and cultures principally revealed through excavation. Cromlech: a circle of megaliths. Henge: a Neolithic monument, characterized by a circular ground plan. Used for rituals and marking astronomical events. Megalith: a stone of great size used in the construction of a prehistoric structure. ...
"Pastured poultry" field pens Poultry housing design will depend on the type of production system used. For example, ATTRA's Sustainable Chicken Production describes the "pastured poultry " system developed by Joel Salatin (1). In this system, birds are housed in a field pen that is moved daily to fresh pasture. Seventy-five to one hundred chicks (two to four weeks old) are placed in 10'x12'x2' pens. Since the pen is floorless, the birds are able to forage on plants, seeds, insects, and worms in addition to their concentrate feed. ...
