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Walk away (Theme)
Throughout the chapters, you can see Holden slowly learns to walk away from those who make him mad. Instead of fighting, arguing, or getting impatient, he instead says he must leave and walks away peacully. -
Silence is gloden (Theme)
In the story, Holden demonstrates how sometimes, it's better not to say anything at all. From what we can see in Holdens mind, he often exaggerates situations, or thinks of what he would say. When he goes through with his plans, it usually ends in blood, with Holden on the loosing side. This teaches us, sometimes it is best to think before we act. -
Where the duck flies (Symbol)
Ducks are mentioned throughout the novel; Holden is always asking where they go during the winter. While nobody ever knows where they go, there's more meaning behind them than you think. Holden always mentions them around people he doesn't know, or has no connection with. The duck symbolizes freedom, flight, and no place of belonging. No place of belonging may sound depressing, but it's actully quite meaningful. You see, home is where the heart belongs. It's not a place, it's not an object - -
Ducks (part 2)
- It's a place where you have a sense of home, a safe spot. In the novel, holden relates to the ducks, because he is trying to find his home. He wants to explore and find where his heart is at home, much like the ducks.
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A hunters hat
Holden is in love with a bright orange hunters hat. He wears it around people he hardly knows, or when it is cold. He doesn't mind looking strange around people he doesn't know, but he does mind around those he cares about. The hat could represent his searching for the ducks, and his desire to find the place where he belongs. The hat is an object that beings him closer to 'home'. -
Conflict within the mind
Holdens conflict in the story, is ideally the one he's fighting inside his own head. Not in the real world, but with his own thoughts and feelings. Holden is in a constant battle of what to feel or how to act, and often reacts on impulse. This conflict had lead him to the idea of leaving home; and as we later see, he changes his mind once more. He doesn't know what to feel or what to do, and as it ends, he finally got the help he needed.
