Catcher in the Rye Oral presentation Essay Example

strong message about protecting children from the corruption and immorality of society, the title of the poem by Robert Burns, "Comin' Thro' the Rye," is ironically contrary to the metaphor of a cliff representing the loss of innocence. In Holden's life, casual sex, which is the subject of the poem, is also a significant concern.

Holden is uncertain about sex and its impact on girls. He believes that engaging in sexual intercourse degrades or objectifies a woman, which prevents him from performing such acts with someone special. Though casual sex is an alternative, he cannot fully embrace it. Consequently, he decides to avoid sexual activities throughout the novel. Instead, he prefers to spend time with children and listen to them sing seemingly pure and adorable songs. Ironically, even those seemingly innocent songs revolve around the topic of sex.

Holden's desire to protect the children playing in the rye field is ironic because, in reality, the fun they are having is less about preserving innocence and more about sex, as indicated in the poem. Throughout the novel, Holden repeatedly dons and removes a red hunting cap he purchased after losing his fencing gear. While there are various interpretations of this behavior, I believe the hat represents Holden's protective shield - a safety blanket for him and perhaps other children as well.

Holden consistently wears his red hunting hat during pivotal moments such as when he composes a piece about his brother's baseball mitt, gazes at his reflection in the mirror while simulating toughness after Stradlater strikes him, and screams "Sleep tight, ya morons" down the hallway. Nevertheless, in instances like when he is heading to a bar or establishing

himself in hotel lobbies, he does not wear the hat. Essentially, he is only confident in wearing it privately, feeling ashamed or uncertain when donning it in public. The opening of Chapter Thirteen provides examples of this sentiment ("I took my red hunting hat [...").

In the text, there are three references to the protagonist putting on and taking off his hunting hat. In Chapter Sixteen, he puts it on without caring how he looks because he believes that he won't encounter anyone who knows him. In Chapter Twenty-One, he takes it off to avoid appearing suspicious.

Despite feeling embarrassed, the hunting hat becomes an integral part of Holden's self-perception. He acknowledges its cheesiness, but finds it personally appealing due to the sense of individuality and toughness it provides. Therefore, when Phoebe places the hat on his head at the conclusion of the book, it signifies her deep affection for Holden's distinctiveness.

"She did something that almost killed me. She reached into my coat pocket, took out my red hunting hat, and placed it on my head. 'Don't you want it?' I asked. 'You can wear it for a while.' This quote alone doesn't fully convey all of the emotions present in the final scene of the book."

If you've read it, you surely recall the love and emotions between Holden and Phoebe. Another quirk you might have noticed is Holden's tendency to ask every taxi driver he meets about the whereabouts of the ducks that reside in the lagoon near Central Park South when it freezes over. "Do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over?" I think this question

reflects Holden's own concerns, much like Mr. Antolini's question to Holden about what happens when a person can no longer be supported by their environment. "This fall I think you're riding for - it's a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn't permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling."

The layout is tailored to cater to men who have searched, at one point in their lives or believed, that something lacking in their environment. These men may have abandoned their search prematurely, leaving them with a sense of desperation that is mirrored by Holden's eagerness to find a place to belong.

Holden eventually understands that despite the ducks' departure, he almost considers following suit. Nevertheless, Holden concludes the story with a determination to transform his surroundings rather than abandon them, which I believe is a commendable and courageous choice. In addition, the ducks expose a genuine, more youthful aspect of Holden. For the majority of the narrative, he appears to be a cantankerous senior who despises the world, but his quest for the ducks demonstrates the inquisitiveness of youth and a joyous eagerness to explore the enigmas of life.

This moment is significant as Holden's lack of willingness is not present in other aspects of his life. Additionally, Holden is traumatized by his brother Allie's death and the fragility of life. Consequently, Holden is fearful of change and disappearance. Nonetheless, the temporary vanishing of the ducks every winter and their return in spring symbolizes a cycle of change that is not permanent.

Holden associates the pond with the world he perceives, viewing it as a metaphor

that mirrors his state of being. The pond’s partially frozen and unfrozen state reflects his own transitional phase between adolescence and adulthood. Additionally, Allie, Holden’s deceased younger brother, holds a strong symbolic presence in the novel. Memories of Allie trigger a noticeable shift in Holden’s disposition, as seen in his composition about Allie’s baseball glove or in his physically aggressive reaction following Allie’s passing.

Holden's grief over Allie's death manifested in destructive behavior, specifically breaking all the windows in the garage where he slept the night Allie died. For Holden, Allie was one of the few authentic individuals in a world filled with fake people. Allie's significance lies in representing the innocence and childhood that Holden seeks during his three-day journey. To Holden, Allie embodies the purity lacking in the world, and he even admits to admiring Allie more than Jesus. In a moment of prayer, Holden directs his words to Allie rather than Jesus.

Holden views Allie as his role model and measures everyone else according to him. Allie's death causes turmoil in Holden's life. As Holden wanders through New York City, he comes across the Museum of Natural History, which I will discuss as another symbol. He admires the glass cases used by museum officials to display their exhibits and wishes he could preserve parts of his own life in such cases to prevent them from changing.

Despite his fond memories of visiting the museum every Saturday with his teacher, Miss Aigletinger, Holden ultimately decides against entering it. Despite the fact that the museum's glass cases prevent any alteration and would allow Holden to relive his childhood, he fears that it may have changed over time.

This fear of change stems from his brother's death and is also reflected in his concern about the fate of the ducks. As a result, he chooses to remain outside.

Holden is surprised by the fact that Jane Gallagher has changed since their childhood, which leads him to believe that maybe the museum can also change. However, Holden is aware that any alteration to the museum could negatively impact him. Thus, he decides consciously not to enter it, subconsciously motivated by his fear of change. Later in the novel, Holden goes to Phoebe's school and on the way, he is disturbed by numerous "fuck-you signs." He had previously seen one in a sacred tomb in a museum, a place which reminded him of his childhood and made him feel secure and content. These incidents highlight how vulnerable Holden feels towards any changes that may affect his past experiences.

Holden's world is filled with corruption and vulgarities, making it impossible for anything to remain sacred or peaceful. He even believes that his own death would be tarnished by someone writing a profanity on his tombstone. Holden's negative perception of sex can be attributed to his experiences with vulgar representations of it, such as the man in the elevator offering him a prostitute and the prostitute herself. For instance, he imagines a "perverty bum" sneaking into his sister Phoebe's school at night to write an obscene message on the wall.

The "Fuck you" sign on the wall was most likely written by a student at the school. However, Holden's belief that children are innocent and adults corrupt prevents him from understanding sexuality and growing-up. Although he acknowledges the

futility of trying to erase all the vulgar language in the world, he fails to realize that it is pointless anyway since children will inevitably experience sex as they grow older.