Crazy Old Holden Essay Research Paper Crazy

Crazy Old Holden Essay, Research Paper

Crazy Old Holden

If you truly want to hear about it, there is alot of symbolism in Catcher in the Rye.

This novel, written by J.D. Salinger, utilizes symbols to portray different subjects. Of these

symbols there are three that are strongly related to Holden. The operation, being a

lunatic, and stepping of a kerb all play a critical function in the novel by J.D. Salinger.

Holden is a really disturbed person. Every since the decease of his small brother,

Allie, he has been traveling brainsick. Holden even describes himself as a lunatic. Holden

talked about being a lunatic while he was speaking to the cab driver. Holden asked where

the ducks went when the conditions got cold. The cab driver thought this was a unusual

inquiry and turned around to look at Holden like he was & # 8220 ; a lunatic & # 8221 ; ( 60 ) . The taxidriver

idea that it was an absurd inquiry because everyone knew that the ducks went south

for the winter. That is why the cab thrust turned around to look at Holden like he was

loony. Another case where Holden mentioned the lunatic was while speaking to

Sunny, the cocotte. Sunny came to Holden & # 8217 ; s topographic point because he wanted to hold sex with

her. Alternatively, Holden didn & # 8217 ; t want to hold sex, but he wanted to speak. Sunny thought that

this was really uneven of Holden to desire to speak to a cocotte, instead than hold sex, so she

looked at him as if he were & # 8220 ; a lunatic & # 8221 ; ( 95 ) .

Traveling along with the madman subject is the operation that Holden negotiations about. The

operation he is ever speaking about is a encephalon operation. He speaks of it while on the train

with Mrs. Morrow. She asked Holden to see her and her boy during the interruption.

However, Holden didn & # 8217 ; t want to so he told her that he had to hold this & # 8220 ; operation & # 8221 ; ( 58 ) .

Another clip that Holden references

the operation is with Sunny. While they are speaking

Holden tells her he had an & # 8220 ; operation & # 8221 ; ( 96 ) . He tells Cheery about holding an operation

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because she wonders why he does non desire to hold sex with her. In both instances, there is

something incorrect with Holden, and he knows it. That is why he talks about the encephalon

operation. He knows that he can be brainsick and he wants to seek and repair it. He talks about

the encephalon operations because he thinks that will assist him repair his job.

A major symbol in the novel is the kerb. After Holden sees a small male child traversing the

street he crosses the street after him. However, he felt otherwise about stepping onto the

street. Holden says that & # 8220 ; every clip I came to the terminal of a block and stepped off the

goddam kerb, I had this feeling that I & # 8217 ; d ne’er acquire to the other side of the street & # 8221 ; ( 197 ) .

This quotation mark is a big motive. Throughout the novel there is a feeling of decease. Holden feels

that while walking across the street he may non do it to the other side. he knows that

he is gong loony and that it might really kill him.

Throughout the narrative these three symbols play a cardinal function in allowing a reader know

what is traveling on with Holden. The lunatic is a mark of him being brainsick. The operation is

a symbol for seeking to repair the daftness. Holden knows that there is something incorrect with

his head and he wants a encephalon operation to repair it. The 3rd symbol, the kerb, is the symbol

for decease. Holden thinks that if he does non hold an operation to repair himself he will decease.

Without these symbols the reader would hold no thought what is traveling on inside Holden & # 8217 ; s

caput. The quotation marks in this paper are alot easier to understand if you read the novel. But

they might be even easier if you knew Holden. & # 8220 ; God, I wish you could & # 8217 ; ve been there. & # 8221 ;