[Ed: the grade level of this essay is approximately 10th grade]
Holden Caulfield is not a particularly accomplished individual; he finds no purpose in anything, not even his love life. He has already failed three prep schools, not including his current school of Pencey. Holden Caulfield thinks everyone, and everything is fake; anyone who does not understand Holden is phony. He contradicts himself in the book, as he does many of the things which he describes as being fake. He is constantly searching for the object that will aid him in finding purpose, but first he must discover his own true self. In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye he uses allusion, metaphor, and symbolism to prove that the search for identity is an integral part of one’s livelihood.
Allusion in Catcher in the Rye
Allusion is very prevalent in The Catcher in the Rye and shows that identity is an establishment reached by a select few. “–but Mercutio, he was–it’s hard to explain. He was very smart and entertaining and all.” Holden speaks of Mercutio with the two nuns which he runs into at the train station, while he is living his life outside of Pencey. He seems to have a distinct interest in Romeo and Juliet and speaks of the novel for quite some time with the nuns. This excerpt shows Holden’s appreciation for Mercutio as Holden believes that Mercutio has found his identity; Mercutio’s identity is crucial to the role he plays in Romeo and Juliet. Another example of allusion which Salinger uses is excerpted from later in the book. “I wouldn’t mind calling this Isak Dinesen up.” Holden is in a state of thoughtfulness and describes various literature such as the one by Isak Dinesen, Out of Africa. He wants to call Dinesen to find out more information about him, namely Holden is curious about the type of identity Dinesen has. Holden thinks that, because he is a good author, he would be a good person to try and model his own identity from, though Holden decides not to call him. This may have been because Holden briefly realizes that everyone has their own identity, even if it is not entirely unique. Another example of allusion which Salinger uses correlates with the title, The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger alludes to the poem Comin Thro’ the Rye. “You know that song ‘If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye’? I’d like–’ ‘It’s if a body meet a body comin’ through the rye!’ old Phoebe said. ‘It’s a poem. By Robert Burns.’” Holden is trying to explain a dream he had to his little sister Phoebe and she immediately interrupts when he incorrectly quotes the poem. Holden’s dream is about children, he must save children from falling who are not paying attention to what they are doing. This again shows Holden’s search for identity, as he seems content with just being useful at saving little kids from an untimely [death].
Metaphor
Another strategy which Salinger uses in The Catcher in the Rye is metaphor. “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, what my lousy childhood was like… and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” This quote shows that life is not realistic. David Copperfield, like Holden, has struggled in his life and in his search for self-identity. Since Holden has not “found” his own identity yet, he assimilates his childhood to David Copperfield’s childhood. Another metaphor which is used in The Catcher in the Rye is “That’s the nice thing about carousels, they always play the same songs.” Holden speaks of this while Phoebe is riding the carousel. Holden always enjoys watching his little sister go around the ride and enjoys the songs it plays due to their inability to change. This is a metaphor to describe the way in which Holden thinks. He hates change; he is a very immature boy, who does not ever want anything to change and is scared to death of it (and fears death itself). Another metaphor is extended as Holden views himself as the “catcher”. The excerpt “What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff–I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.” shows Holden’s take on life: he believes that he is himself the Catcher in the Rye. This is a metaphor, as he wants to do something that never changes and is repetitious, something that will prevent death. He has not quite found his identity yet, but he sees himself as a guardian of the children.
Holden’s Identity
Salinger also uses symbolism to reveal the importance of finding one’s identity. “I took my old hunting hat out of my pocket while I walked and put it on. I knew I wouldn’t meet anybody that new me.” Holden reflects upon various aspects of his life while thinking of and putting on the hat. The hat is symbolic of his innate personality and reveals his insecurities. He is ashamed of his “identity”. He does not wear the hat around most people, as he does not want people to make fun of the hat. This shows that Holden is not comfortable with his current identity. Another example of symbolism which Salinger uses is “Certain things 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.” The museum is symbolic of Holden’s search for identity. Holden wishes to have an identity where nothing changes, much like a (the) museum. Holden speaks of the fact that the museum will remain virtually unchanged throughout the rest of his life. For this reason, the museum may represent how Holden wants his life to remain pure and unchanging. Salinger also uses the title of the book symbolically. Holden is the Catcher in the Rye, and it is symbolic of Holden’s personality, life, and search for identity. “That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all.” This symbolizes Holden’s search for identity because he yearns for the same old thing every day, regardless of what has happened. He can also save the children and realize the importance of life in this way.
Conclusion
In Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye he uses allusion, metaphor, and symbolism to prove that the search for identity is an integral part of one’s livelihood. Death is probably the scariest thing to Holden. This may be one of the main reasons he wants to know where the ducks go when the pond freezes over. He cannot quite grasp the sudden disappearance of them. Holden talks about how Death does not scare him so much as the disappearance of a person does. When something disappears, a major change occurs, such as the one when his brother Allie dies. He seems to be obsessed with the mummies in the museum, for example, because although they are dead, they have remained almost entirely unchanged through the centuries. Despite going through many issues and never being able to quite become the “identity” he wishes to achieve, Holden Caulfield can express how life ought to be. “Holden’s” narrative shows that you can be who you want to be and not be “fake” about it. Through this, you can see that although Holden’s search for identity is integral to his life, and even though he has an identity and does not realize it, you do not have to be socially accepted to make an impact. This is like today, as many people conform to the social “standards” and do not express themselves as they should as they are afraid of the judgment one might face from another peer. Just as Holden would be lost without his “search for identity” many people today are lost in trying to be socially normal and not trying to impact the world.