One major symbol I found to be very fascinating was the Museum of Natural History. For Holden, this is a place he can go where nothing has ever changed. The statues are still the same, the displays are still right where they were before, and the only thing different is himself (Salinger 121). Holden elaborates to readers in a very good sized paragraph about each display that would be standing the way it was no matter how long it took you to come back. I think this symbol signifies the overall theme of the novel, too. Holden is so afraid of growing up. He has such a difficult time grasping reality, but at times shows his adulthood through his drinking and sex talk. The Museum of Natural History represents childhood in the novel. Like the museum, Holden does not want to change. He wants to be just like the displays found throughout the building. He expresses his feelings of containing the past when he says, “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” (Salinger 122). I think Holden wants to put his childhood and the innocence of being a kid in one giant glass case. He does not go to the museum to see the displays necessarily, but rather to feel the comfort of knowing some things in his life have not, nor will they ever, change.
The Catcher in the Rye not only allows readers to relate to the struggles Holden goes through, but with the Museum symbol, readers can also feel the hopeful attitude Holden has when he visits there. I think we all have those wishful moments in our own lives. Some of us wish for more money or fame, others wish to hold on to the past as long as they can, like Holden. Salinger creatively portrays the Museum of Natural History as a major symbol in the novel with its child-like qualities.
Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and, 1991. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment