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Transcript

The Significance of the Ducks in the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Quote #3

Quote #1

"Then finally, I found it. What it was, it was partly frozen and partly not frozen. But I didn't see any ducks around...and the back of my hair, even though I had my hunting hat on, was sort of full of little hunks of ice. That worried me. I thought probably I'd get pneumonia and die (200)."

"You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you happen to know, by any chance (78)?"

The Ducks and Death

Quote #2

  • Holden is stuck in a cycle of grief over the death of his brother
  • Waiting for the ducks to return gives Holden a sense of purpose
  • No matter what, the ducks will return

The Ducks in Relation to Holden as a Savior

The Ducks and the Ice as Symbols

Overview

  • Search for a safe haven
  • Pressures of Holden's life are closing in on him
  • Not equipped with what it takes to survive in a harsh world

"Hey, Horwitz,' I said. 'You ever pass by the lagoon in Central Park'...'The what?' 'The lagoon. That little lake, like, there. Where the ducks are. You know.' 'Yeah, what about it?' 'Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? In the springtime and all? Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance (106-107)?"

  • The ducks and the ice as symbols
  • Their importance to Holden
  • The ducks and death
  • The ducks in relation to Holden as a savior
  • The ducks are just another thing Holden is unable to save
  • He does not understand why no one else cares about them
  • If Holden could figure out where the ducks go, he could figure himself out

Importance to Holden

  • The search for the ducks reveals the curiosity of youth
  • The pond and Holden are both in a transition between two states

Patrick Ray

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