I’m currently reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I’m more than halfway done with the book and it has proven to be a very interesting read. There are a lot of major themes and symbolism that have appeared in the book, but one of the major themes that Salinger continues to bring up is the preservation of innocence. Throughout the book, Holden seems to hate all of these “phonies” and followers of social norms, but he always seems to take an extreme liking towards innocence. I believe that Holden is scared to grow up and become and adult and face adult problems. Holden is scared for the day he will lose his innocence and become an adult, because he believes that’s what turns people into phonies.  This theme of innocence has finally helped me realize why Salinger keeps bringing up the ducks in the lake reference. Holden explains, ” I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home,
and if it was, where did the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the
lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them
away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away” (Salinger 7). This quote proves that Holden is scared of growing up because he is using the ducks in the pond as a comparison to himself. As of now, Holden is a duck in the lagoon during summer, without a worry in the world. But, as the lagoon begins to freeze over, Holden wonder what will happen next. The lagoon freezing over symbolizes the adults responsibilities and the loss of innocence in Holden’s life. This is why Holden always asks people what will happen to the ducks; he is scared for what will happen with his life when he grows up.

While this book is probably one of the best books I have ever read, I do have a few criticisms on it. I disagree with the way Salinger structured the text. He continually changes his track of thought and adds in random stories that can be really confusing in the beginning of the story. Salinger also doesn’t give us any information about Holden’s childhood life. Like I mentioned in my last post, without the knowledge about his early life, it can make it harder for the reader to figure out the themes and meanings throughout the book. Salinger also capitalizes on the themes of the piece. At first, I was really confused with what the book was trying to say with all of these random references that Holden had. But as you read farther into the book, Salinger makes sure to highlight his underlying themes of the book by continually bringing up one certain reference. I really liked the way he did that because it gives the reader a better understanding of Holden and the book itself as they continue reading.