Holden often thinks about the ducks that lived in the lagoon by his New York City home. He wonders where they go during the winter and how they get there. While he is in a cab on the way to Ernie's, a popular bar, he asked the cab driver his opinion about the ducks.

Hey, Horowitz, you ever pass by the lagoon in Central Park? Down by Central Park South?...The lagoon. That little lake, like, there. Where the ducks are. You know....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?.. The ducks. Do you know, by any chance? I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves-go south or something? (Salinger 81)

The ducks symbolize growing up. Winter symbolizes the teenage years.

just leave it in the back row. She'd get them all lined

up in the back row. Then she'd never use them. (Salinger 31-32)

Catcher in the Rye is a book about growing up and dealing with teen angst. These kind of books are common now. But in 1951, when this book was published, it was the first of its kind. Many did not agree with the meaning of the book, the way it was told or the language that was used in the book. The meaning of Catcher in the Rye helped it become one of the most popular books all over the world, as it is translated into many languages.

...I keep picturing all these little kids playing some little game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around-nobody big-except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, 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. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. (Salinger 173.)

Another example of symb

Some common words found in the essay are:
Rye Holden, Jane Gallagher, Park SouthThe, Catcher Rye, Salinger Holden, JD Salinger, York City, catcher rye, Hey Horowitz, meaning catcher rye, Central Park, cliff catch, row she'd, central park, meaning catcher, little kids, jd salinger, wouldn't move,
Approximate Word count = 756
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)