The Catcher in the Rye - Symbolism of ducks.

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The Catcher in the Rye

  1. Symbols/Motifs

Ducks:

The ducks are a very important symbol when looking at Holden, as he identifies himself with them.

He tries to find out, where the ducks go in winter. He doesn’t know this and it can be transferred to his own life, as he also doesn’t know where he should go. He thinks by finding the solution to the ducks problem he could also find a solution to his own one. So he keeps asking the cab drivers, if they “happen to know”(p.54) where the ducks go in winter, when the lake gets all “frozen over” (p.54), he sees only little chance in it, though.

This “frozen over” can also be transferred to Holden’s own life and feelings, as he seems to be stuck in his development and doesn’t know where to go.

Although he actually knows the ducks are gone, he wants to visit them. But the lake is already frozen over, as his life seems to, and they are gone. He is too late. But nevertheless he hoped to find them on the lagoon, as he hopes to find himself.

The ducks also show the thinking about independence vs. independence.

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Holden thinks about the fact that the ducks might be taken away by “some guy who comes in a truck” (p.11) to collect them. The other opportunity he sees is that they fly away on their own. This means that he thinks about whether they are dependent or independent. Therefore he tries to find out if he himself now has to be dependent or independent.

The ducks also represent being an adult, in contrast to the fish who represent the childhood. The ducks are known to fly south, they are more independent, they develop and sort of gain new experiences, ...

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