The Catcher In The Rye

"Symbols are more revealing than reality- it is through dreams that we speak clearly" the dreams of Holden Caulfield help us understand him in many ways and the type of person he is. His fears and his hopes, all made obvious through those of his dreams and the many symbols in the book that we can interpret to understand him as a person.

His most obvious dream would be that of his dream to be the catcher in the rye.

"...I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff--I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them..."

This passage was from Holden talking to phoebe about a rye field where all the children play without a care in the world; what he fantasises as an idealistic childhood. He would stand on the edge of the cliff to catch them all if they fall off. Holden is really referring to saving all the children from adulthood and the harsh reality of life. This shows how Holden views the world, a world that he doesn't understand and doesn't want to face. He sees children as simple and innocent whereas adults are superficial and hypocritical, referring to them as "phonies" throughout the book. He wants to protect them from maturity and adulthood, keep their youth and innocence by catching them before they fall. This dream reflects how extremely naive and shallow his view on the world is, but also his innocence and uncorrupted youth. He protects himself from the world through his cynical view of people.

By wearing his red hunting hat, Holden shows his longing for a sense of individuality and to be different from everyone around him. This reflects Holden want for isolation and how he uses alienation as a form of self protection.

Another of the dreams he mentions a couple of times throughout the book is the ducks. "I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over" says Holden to almost all of the taxi drivers. He even ends up at the lagoon himself one night in contemplation. The ducks relate to a quote from Mr Antolini later in the novel -"Where does a person go when his environment can no longer support him". The question is really for Holden himself. He is desperate to find a place where he can belong,