Holdens Attitude to Loss - the Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher In The Rye Holden’s Attitude To Loss And Goodbyes The theme of loss and goodbyes recurs throughout The Catcher in the Rye and each occurrence reinforces Holden’s negative attitude towards change. The most vivid quote to gain insight into Holden’s view on change and subsequently loss (Byrne, Kalua and Scheepers 2012: 64) is in chapter 16 when Holden reflects back on his childhood and his regular school visits to the Natural History Museum, Holden finds a great comfort in the static and unchanging displays in the museum and in the continuity he finds in there, â€Å"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move.† (SparkNote†¦2007). The first example of a departure we†¦show more content†¦This difficulty to accept the migration of the ducks is most likely due to Holden’s inability to adapt to and accept change and loss. We see this again in Chapter 16 Holden says after he reminisces about his school trips to the Natural History Museum â€Å"Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.† (Salinger 1994:110) To understand Holden’s natural affinity towards constancy and familiarity we need to look at his reaction and praise of the kettle drummer in the Radio City pre-show before the movie, we can see that Holden admires the drummer for his precision and enthusiasm but mostly as he recognises him as a constant in the Radio City orchestra since he was a child and Holden has memories attached to watching his performance â€Å"I’ve watched that guy since I was about eight years old. My brother Allie and I, if we were with our parents and all, we used to move our seats and go way down so we could watch him. He’s the best drummer I ever saw.† (Salinger 1994: 124) SOURCES CONSULTED Byrne, D, Kalua, F Scheepers, R. 2012. Foundations in English Literary Studies. Study guide for ENG1501. Pretoria: University of South Africa. SparkNote on The Catcher in the Rye. 2007. [O]. Available: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/catcher/ Accessed onShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy of Holden Caulfield Is That He Cannot Accept the Adult World He Is Too Old to Continue the Innocent Life of a Child1033 Words   |  5 PagesThe main concern of the novel The Catcher in the Rye is not only that the protagonist is trapped between childhood and adulthood, but also the alienation and regression caused by grief when the sufferer does not address their loss properly. Holden Caulfields nervous breakdown is largely due to the death of his younger brother. It is because of this that he fears change and maturity so much, specifically the loss of innocence. 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