The Catcher in the Rye: The Carousel

CITR: The Carousel

There is really only one place in the entire novel where Holden has expressed that he is really truly happy. So happy, in fact, that he's "damn near bawling". That moment is at the end of his narrative, when he is watching Phoebe go around and around on the carousel. There is more to this jubaliance than just a kid on a carousel. In this moment a few different things have occurred. First Holden has decided to not run away. Second he has been shown kindness from Phoebe, and lastly Holden decides not to ride with Phoebe and in a way shows that he is growing up and moving forward. Holden realizes that growing up isn't the worst thing in the world.

"That's the nice things about carousels, they always play the same song" (page 210)

This shows how Holden likes when things don't change. It's like the museum scene and how he likes it there and wants his life to always be the same, and not change. Holden doesn't want to move on, or grow up. He wants his life to be consistent and youthful, and unchanging, like a carousel.

The carousel is in a shape of a circle which symbolizes infinity, never ending. The infinity represent Holden wanting to be young forever,

and not have to grow up or change in any way.

The carousel shows first of that Holden has accepted himself into the "adult world" by not going on it. He has accepted that he is grown up. Second it shows when all the kids are reaching for the "gold ring, if they fall, they fall" you just have to let them "fall" out of childhood. This goes back to the cliff catcher in the rye scene, Holden no longer feels responsibility of saving kids from falling into adult hood.

The Carousel symbolizes youth, innocence, memories, childhood, infinity, and a pattern that doesn't change. The consistency of the carousel shows that Holden doesn't want things to change, he doesn't want to grow up and move on. Instead he wants his life to be like a carousel always going around, doing the same thing, and not moving anywhere, not moving on. The carousel is similar to the museum in the way that they both symbolize Holden not wanting to move forward, or on, with his life.

The carousel goes around and around. It never goes anywhere. It is a symbol of his stagnation in childhood. Holden, who would like nothing to change and everything to stay the same , now excepts that this is a childish dream. At the end of the story Holden doesn't get on the carousel. He lets Phoebe go on and he is comfortable with his decision.

Holden's release of emotions at the end of the story comes while watching Phoebe rides the carousel. There is an element of magic to the moment, as the carousel is operating even though it is wintertime. Holden mentions that at first Phoebe protests but Holden knows she wanted to go on so he buys her a ticket. Holden, on the other hand, declines to ride, showing that he recognizes, or accepts, his status as an adult.

The carousel is reminiscent of the statues in the Museum of Natural History, because, like them, it never changes. It continues to move, its always consistent; it stays the same while the children who ride it continue to get older, and grow. It would then seem that the pleasure Holden takes in from watching Phoebe ride is, like his moment at the museum and watching Phoebe sleep, self-deceptive.