Prompt 1

Prompt 1: Choose a symbol used in a novel or play of your choice and discuss its function in the world of the work.


Finding Stability in the West

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden, is a student who is currently in between prep schools after being expelled for failing too many classes. Not wanting to return home, Holden spends a few days wandering the city where he desperately tries to reconnect with some of his old schoolmates and create new relationships. Feeling lost and alone, Holden turns to disinterested cab drivers, middle-aged tourists and greedy prostitutes looking for companionship with most of his efforts failing. During Holden’s journey back home to his little sister, Phoebe, the reader witnesses Holden’s insecurities and confusion as he faces the harsh realities that come with growing older.

At seventeen, Holden is on the brink of adulthood and about to experience much change in his life. Holden, however, does not want to face this fact and is seeking a place where everything can stay the same. Holden is intrigued with the ducks in the park wondering where they have gone and when they will come back as change is unsettling to him. Oppositely, Holden finds solace in museums as the displays have remained the same since he was a child and continue to remain the same with each of his return visits. Searching for the same stability in his life, Holden dreams of going to the west and living in a cabin. To Holden, the west represents a perfect place where nobody knows him and it gives him a chance to start over.

In his narration, Holden often claims to enjoy his solitude. However, it is evident through his actions that he seeks companionship. Initially, Holden appears to be very judgmental of others, often criticizing the people he meets and acting as though he is superior to them. Further on it becomes clear that he uses this as a self defense mechanism; by making others appear lower than himself, Holden protects himself from getting hurt when those people lose interest in him. Because Holden is very insecure and unsure of himself as a person, going west to a place where no one knows him seems like a dream; Holden fantasizes about pretending to be a deaf-mute when he reaches the west so that he will not have to interact with others or face rejection. Holden’s fear of rejection causes him to feign enjoyment in solitude. This need for acceptance is expressed through his dream of going west.

Throughout the novel, Holden fails to realize that his plan to run to the west is unrealistic. When out on a date with Sally Hayes, an old school friend, Holden first reveals his plan to leave for the west. Holden excitedly proposes that Sally come with him to west where they can get married and live together in a cabin. Holden’s excitement soon turns to anger and resentment when Sally rejects his offer and points out the very realistic flaws in his plan. Not wanting to face the fact that his dream is ridiculous, Holden walks out and leaves Sally on their date. Holden’s consistent refusal to believe that his plan is flawed shows the extent to which he is mentally breaking down. Desperate for an escape from the changes that surround him, Holden behavior has become irrational and his thinking has become illogical. He consistently seeks the west because of his need for control.