The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger Motif, Theme, and Patterns

Essay
Name
Institution
Date
Essay
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger explores Holden Caulfield's experience as a teenager struggling to overcome fear. Holden encounters many moments where he does not understand what to do or where to go to. To help him with many of his decisions, he turns to the ducks in the central park. The duck becomes an important motif throughout the story to describe Holden Journey in life.
Throughout the story, Holden wondered about the ducks to avoid addressing his issues directly. By wondering about the ducks in the central park, readers understand Holden's tribulations (Bloom, 2014). Holden is afraid of changes in his life, especially after he lost his brother, he expresses his fears by constantly focusing on the ducks to avoid confronting his fear of being alone (Bloom, 2014). The ducks become an important motif that portrays his fears.
The motif of the duck helps in connecting the many ideas in the story. For example, Holden first thinks about the ducks when he visits Mr. Spencer to seek guidance after failing another school Pencey prep (Bloom, 2014). Holden is afraid to inform his parents that he failed to live up to their expectations. Not having a place to turn to, Holden feels lost, he turns to Mr. Spencer to discuss his situation (Bloom, 2014).
While having a conversation with Mr. Spencer, Holden is not ready to discuss his F grade; he does want to talk about it. He had gone to see Mr. Spencer not just to say goodbye; he wanted some advice. However, he was not ready to dis...