Resistance to Change In Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, a troubled teenage boy named Holden Caulfield struggles with the idea of change and the fact that everyone will eventually grow up. Holden’s resistance to change causes him to reflect on his past and compels him to protect children and himself from maturing. When Holden is in the Natural History Museum, he reflects on his desire to keep things the way they are because he is afraid of change. In a place that feels secure to him in an unpredictable world of change, Holden remarks, “Certain things, they should stay the way they are” (122).
He wants to know what will happen to him when the weather gets brutally cold. He is pondering on whether or not to go home, which he is deftly afraid of doing, or stay outside and freeze. The other two symbols in the novel, Jane Gallagher and the Museum of Natural History, both represent Holden's past. Jane Gallagher was an old friend of Holden's whom he mentions quite often throughout the novel. He many times mentions that he will call her, but he never builds up the nerve to.
Some may find it too difficult to face, and decide to never to grow up, in order to remain a child forever. In the Catcher in the rye, By J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield wants to prevent children and him from facing adulthood, by becoming the catcher in the rye. Hos drive to become the catcher was caused by death of his younger brother Allie. Despite Holden’s desire to be the catcher in the rye he realizes that it is okay to grow up. Holden’s central goal in life is to resist the process of growing up and becoming an adult.
Since Holden can’t seem to find a place that makes him truly content, he seeks guidance from his cab driver, Horwitz, by asking if he knows “where the ducks go during the wintertime” (81). Such a question is used metaphorically to represent Holden’s state of dissatisfaction with life because winter and coldness are generally associated with discomfort and sorrow which he is unwilling to face. The fact that Holden asks where the birds go when it is cold suggests that Holden wishes guidances as to where to go to escape his misery and find happiness next. Horwitz quickly re-directs the conversation to the fish in the pond, instead of the ducks, who do not have the ability to fly away when it gets cold. Horwitz tells Holden that “the fish don’t go no place” (82).
The duck said, "Adios." Then he waddled away. (Waddle waddle) Then he waddled away. (Waddle waddle waddle) Then he waddled away (Waddle waddle) 'Til the very next day. (Bum bum bum bum bum ba-dum) When the duck walked up to the lemonade stand And he said to the man
Salinger presents Holden as a young man who is trying to find himself in the world. The only problem is that Holden can’t decide which world he really belongs in. He finds himself in a limbo between two worlds. The child hood he’s been living in or the adult hood he is coming into. He acts childish at times, and at other times he acts years beyond
The decisions they made caused their lives to have different outcomes. Holden’s journey of self-discovery is full of sadness and depression and a fall from innocence. Holden believes that everyone is innocent, but they inevitably lose it by the time they are adults. He believes that innocence is lost in childhood and thinks that he can protect children from losing their pureness by becoming the catcher in the rye. The Catcher in
Screaming in the halls as his last goodbye to Pencey, it was the understandable plea of a lost soul. Ackley and Stradlatter’s actions expedited Holden’s departure as they emotionally challenged Holden to a point where it was easier for him to isolate himself and run away from his problems. Just as the fantasy and mystery of ducks leaving Central Park each year to fly somewhere unknown, Holden felt that same habitual desire to escape at the end of his stay at
In the beginning he is confused trying to figure out who the spirit is, if it’s holy or evil, and why it is even there. This shows Hamlet’s childlike side, he’s scared but like a child he wants to follow and find out what this ghost truly is. He’s prying at what he knows is something unknown and just brushes off Horatio and Marcellus’s suggestions of staying or at least letting them come along as well. Close to the end of the passage Hamlet explains that he doesn’t care about life, yet he looks at himself as an immortal figure as any other man would. This explains that Hamlet is still a young man physically and mentally.
In this story, Edward said that he would have “gutted the fish to get the ring back. But by doing so I would have robbed my own son the chance to catch a fish this size”. He was trying to make it seem like he was ‘catching the fish’ for William. Personally, missing the birth of your son is not a good sign. You would think because he missed his son’s birth, he would try to make up for it and be a great father.