Fear of change and the idea of disappearance can plague the most stable mind. Holden is portrayed as a distraught teenager and the fear of growing up haunts him. Significance places play a vital role by giving a great insight to the character, while also showing that it is time for him to learn a life long lesson. In the novel, The Catcher in The Rye by J. D. Salinger, the transition from childhood to adulthood is presented through the symbolism in the ducks that are found in the lagoon at Central Park.

Holden is seen as a young boy who is trying to find who he is and if he is ready to face what the world is going to present to him. There were many aspects in his life that held him back from taking the next step out of adolescence and into adulthood. He is also show as somewhat of a pessimist in the first chapter. He says, " If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like." (Salinger, 1) Holden is showing that he has problems and feels depressed, which can be due to his brother, Allie's death. By trying to state

Holden has a gentle heart, but he lacks the stamina to survive out in the real world. His brother Allie's sudden death and the ducks in central park are used to explain the major theme of the book. His brother's death was the most traumatic event that would lead to his breakdown and his questioning of his readiness for a bigger society. Holden is confused by unexplainable disappearances in his life. The ducks vanish suddenly when he goes to the park and so did his brother. "He is dead now. He got leukemia and died when we were up in Maine, on July 18, 1946"(Salinger 38) This is referring to how much have and impact his brother dying had on his life. Holden still cant except the fact that his brother is gone. He would talk to his brother especially when he was deeply depressed. Holden doesn't believe he is going insane, he believes it's the people who are around the corrupt ones. Holden somehow died with Allie when he first contracted leukemia.

"You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South?"(Salinger 60) The ducks in the lake and the lake it self are symbolic. The ducks vanishings is only temporary, with this he is terrified by the idea

Some common words found in the essay are:
Park SouthSalinger, Pency Prep, Park Holden, That's I'd, Maine July, Park Fear, Rye Salinger, central park, Central Park, catcher rye, that's i'd, transition childhood, real world, partly frozen, little kids, it's crazy, holden feels, Catcher Rye,
Approximate Word count = 793
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)