What Does Holden Symbolize

Catcher in the Rye Symbols The Symbol of Allie in the book Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger is very important. Allie links to the theme of being able to stay young and carefree forever. Due to the fact that Allie died as a child he no longer can grow up and he does not have to face the problems that come along with it. Holden’s view of Allie starts out as Holden not being able to accept his death. His view of Allie changes into him accepting the death and realizing that Allie can never come back. Allie represents not having to deal with the problems and decisions of the adult world. When Holden first talks about his Brother Allie’s death, he starts to talk about how Allie was the nicest most intelligent one. He talks about how Allie’s baseball mitt “had poems written all over the fingers and the pocket and everywhere” (38). Allie writing the poems on his glove so he has something to read in the outfield shows that Allie was just being a kid. He was being carefree; he wrote the poems on the glove so he would keep from being bored. Holden also thinks of Allie when Sonny leaves. He starts to think of a time when they were just kids when he would not let Allie come to Bobby Fallon’s house with him. Holden then starts to talk to Allie telling him to “get your bike and meet me in front of Bobby’s house” (99). He says that he thinks
When he is at the carousal with Phoebe, he says, “if they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (211). What Holden means by this, is that you cannot stop people from growing up. The only way to stop aging and stay a child forever is death. Holden was so caught up with Allie’s death because Allie no longer is growing up, and he does not have to face the hardships of being an adult. Allie does not have to live in a society “surrounded by phonies” (13). Holden finally comes to terms with the fact that he must grow up and move