Holden Caulfield’s constant questioning of the ducks at the pond, a recurring motif in The Catcher in the Rye, a novel by J.D. Salinger, gives a clue as to what is inside Holden’s mind. But many commonly perceive this clue, as a clue that Holden is trying to stay away from adulthood and its obligations. Throughout many parts of the novel, this perception that Holden does not want responsibilities can be applied, but is not accurate. While it may seem like Holden does not want the responsibilities of adulthood, he is actually afraid of not knowing what the future brings him. When Holden is planning to run away from New York with Sally, he is really trying run away from an unseeable future. When Holden guarantees to Sally that he “could get a …show more content…
Holden loves the museum, not because he is reminded of his childhood, but because of its unchanging qualities. The impeccable memory Holden has of the museum from the “long Indian war canoe… with about twenty Indians in it” to the “birds… all stuffed up and hung up on wires” further shows Holden’s love for the museum’s permanence (Salinger 134, 135). Because of this, in the museum he is able to find certainty, unlike his future. Likewise, Holden admires that the “museum was full of glass cases” and wants to be able to stick his life in “one of those big glass cases” (Salinger 135, 136). In the museum, he is able to guarantee to himself what will be waiting for him, something that is lacking in his …show more content…
He is desperate to find an answer to “where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over” (Salinger 16). Through this question, Holden is indirectly asking about what will happen to him as an adult. For Holden, the ducks that do not know where to go in the winter represents himself not knowing what awaits him in adulthood, and therefore the pond frozen in winter is symbolic of adulthood. Furthermore, Holden is adamant about the idea that the ducks “can’t just ignore the ice”, confirming the idea that Holden recognizes adulthood is unavoidable as much as the pond freezing in the winter is bound to happen (Salinger 92). By asking this question, Holden is trying to reassure himself of his impending adulthood, something he desperately needs to grow