Catcher In The Rye Holden's Death Analysis

J.D Salinger, in the novel The Catcher in the Rye demonstrates how Holden is affected by the tragic death of his brother Allie. Allie’s death is the root of Holden’s depression and negative choices. The first literary device J.D Salinger utilizes is Holden Caulfield's character. Allie's death at a young age may have resulted in Holden not wanting to grow up himself. This is shown through Holden's continuous expulsions from numerous schools. Graduating seems like an end for Holden, an end to childhood and further separation from his brother. Holden thinks of every individual as “phony,” he cannot accept the fact that people don’t value childhood. They expect children to live a rigid lifestyle; attend school, get a career,

Holden hangs on to the red hunter hat. The red hunter hat represents innocence, which is a way of Holden bonding with Allie and Phoebe and maintaining innocence. Holden asked about the pond and the ducks that lived in New York twice. He was bothered by their absence, Holden is in some way obsessed with mortality. Also, the idea of the museum changing bothers him. Evolving is a part of life. Yet, Holden doesn't want to accept that. He refers to an Eskimo that fishes through a hole in the ice. The same Eskimo was there when Holden was a child and will continue to be there for Phoebe when she visits. Holden would like for our lives to be like that too. "Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone." He wish we could be frozen in time. He would love to have spent more time with Allie and continue to make more memories with Phoebe. Holden is overall a confused and somewhat innocent teenager. He’s still a virgin and even though, he’s had the chance to lose it before he has chosen abstinence. He cries when the prostitute comes in because he doesn’t understand how someone quite beautiful could be doing such a vulgar job. He refuses to have sex with her because he wants his first time to be “special,” this shows just how innocent Holden is. Most teenagers would have not thought