Holden Coping Mechanisms
In his The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses the museum and to prove that growing up is more difficult without healthy coping mechanisms and communication skills. When Holden was in New York, he visited a museum and described it as. “...in that museum was that everything stayed right where it was...you could go there a hundred thousand times… only thing would be different would be you “ (128). Museums contain snapshots that show the past in many different ways. In relation to Holden, he likes them because they do not change, unlike his ever changing world, and everything is constant inside them. This is unhealthy because in order to deal with the future, one must deal with the past with healthy coping mechanisms. Furthermore, Holden
…show more content…
Salinger uses Allie’s glove to prove that growing up is less difficult with healthy coping mechanisms and communication skills. When Holden’s brother, Allie, died, Holden “...slept in garage [the] night he died… broke all the windows for the hell of it” (39). Breaking windows is a not healthy way of dealing with emotions. If he were to communicate, he could handle his emotions in a healthier way. To help hold on to Allie after he died, Holden kept his old baseball glove. He described it as “...he had poems written all over the fingers.. The pocket everywhere… [I] can’t make a fist anymore” (38-39). In modern culture, poems are forms of expression using words that are used to express emotions, thoughts or ideas. Holden wearing the glove is a symbol of him trying to conform to be like his brother. The fact that he can’t fit into the glove because of his hand shows that Holden can’t conform to the qualities of brother, who communicates. As well, the poems are that are on Allie’s glove are in “...green ink… something to read when nobody was at bat…” (38-39). The color green is a symbol of new life and new beginnings. Since Holden can’t fit his hand into the glove, it is symbolic that he can’t start to communicate his thoughts which is unhealthy. To conclude, Holden shows that growing up is less difficult with healthy coping mechanisms and
Salinger uses Allie’s glove to prove that growing up is less difficult with healthy coping mechanisms and communication skills. When Holden’s brother, Allie, died, Holden “...slept in garage [the] night he died… broke all the windows for the hell of it” (39). Breaking windows is a not healthy way of dealing with emotions. If he were to communicate, he could handle his emotions in a healthier way. To help hold on to Allie after he died, Holden kept his old baseball glove. He described it as “...he had poems written all over the fingers.. The pocket everywhere… [I] can’t make a fist anymore” (38-39). In modern culture, poems are forms of expression using words that are used to express emotions, thoughts or ideas. Holden wearing the glove is a symbol of him trying to conform to be like his brother. The fact that he can’t fit into the glove because of his hand shows that Holden can’t conform to the qualities of brother, who communicates. As well, the poems are that are on Allie’s glove are in “...green ink… something to read when nobody was at bat…” (38-39). The color green is a symbol of new life and new beginnings. Since Holden can’t fit his hand into the glove, it is symbolic that he can’t start to communicate his thoughts which is unhealthy. To conclude, Holden shows that growing up is less difficult with healthy coping mechanisms and