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What do the gold rings symbolize in catcher in the rye?

The rider might even fall. So the gold ring represents a hope, a dream, and the chances that we must take to grab it. It is a major step for Holden to accept that kids will grab for the gold ring and adults must let them.
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What does the brass ring symbolize catcher in the rye?

The final scene of The Catcher in the Rye features a carousel with a brass ring, which Holden Caulfield's sister Phoebe reaches for. The brass ring is symbolic of adulthood, the transition to which is a preoccupation of Holden throughout the book.
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What is the gold ring quotes catcher in the rye?

44. “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them.”
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What are 3 symbols in The Catcher in the Rye?

Symbols
  • The “Catcher in the Rye”
  • Holden's Red Hunting Hat.
  • The Museum of Natural History.
  • The Ducks in the Central Park Lagoon.
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What realization comes to Holden while Phoebe is reaching for the gold ring?

Holden understands that growing up is a way of life and it is bad for him to try and prevent it. When Phoebe rides the carousel, Holden realizes that there are times when kids want to try to grab the gold ring, symbolically taking a chance in life, and he must allow her the freedom to do that, even though she may fall.
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"The Catcher in the Rye" SYMBOL 1 -- "The Catcher in the Rye" ... from 60second Recap®

What is Holden's final ironic comment?

Holden's final statement—“Don't tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody”— suggests that he is still shackled by the same problems he has dealt with throughout the book.
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What does Holden realize at the end?

In a brief final chapter, Holden concludes the story, telling us that he doesn't know what he thinks about everything that has happened, except that he misses the people he has told us about. Holden's anxiety as he crosses streets on Fifth Avenue is reminiscent of the feelings that he had on his way to Mr.
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What is the biggest symbol in catcher in the rye?

The Catcher in the Rye: The novel's most important symbol is found in the title. Holden explains to Phoebe that all he wants to be is the catcher in the rye. He pictures himself wearing a giant mitt, ready to catch kids as they fall off a cliff whille playing in the rye. The kids represent childhood.
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What mental illness does The Catcher in the Rye have?

Caulfield may be seen as suffering from a variety of mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This mental state could be a result of a variety of factors, including the death of his younger brother Allie, as well as witnessing the gruesome scene of a classmate's death.
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Why is Holden's name symbolic?

Thus, the caul in his name may symbolize the blindness of childhood or the inability of the child to see the complexity of the adult world. Holden's full name might be read as Hold-on Caul-field: he wants to hold on to what he sees as his innocence, which is really his blindness.
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What is the best short quote from Catcher in the Rye?

The Catcher in the Rye Quotes
  • “I can't explain what I mean. ...
  • “I think that one of these days...you're going to have to find out where you want to go. ...
  • “This fall I think you're riding for—it's a special kind of fall, a horrible kind.
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What famous poem is The Catcher in the Rye based on?

The line about a catcher in the rye is taken from a Robert Burns poem, “Comin' Thro the Rye,” which Holden envisions as a literal rye field on the edge of a cliff.
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Why did Holden call Carl Luce?

In Chapter Nineteen, Holden admits that the main reason he called his childhood friend Carl Luce, besides wanting some company, is that old Luce was always good for a sex talk. Apparently, all he did at the Whooton school as a student adviser was "give these sex talks …
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What do people always clap for catcher in the rye?

Quote by J.D. Salinger: “People always clap for the wrong things.”
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What would Holden be diagnosed with?

Holden displays many common traits of a person with PTSD following this loss. He has substantial amounts of guilt and depression and struggles to remember the details of events in his life. Holden's emotions seem to be highly unbalanced. His rage is extreme and his joy is more manic.
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Is Holden in a mental hospital at the end of the book?

In the final chapter, Holden is at the sanitarium in California. He doesn't want to tell us any more. In fact, the whole story has only made him miss people, even the jerks.
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Does Holden blame himself for Allie's death?

Holden's relationship with Allie enables him to see "the beauty of a child's innocence," but he feels a great deal of guilt and "blames himself for not being able to 'catch' Allie[,] even though there was nothing he could do to save him from cancer." There is an appropriate, rather than rich, use of language about ...
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What does Allie's baseball glove symbolize?

Allie's left-handed baseball glove is a physically smaller but significant symbol in the novel. It represents Holden's love for his deceased brother as well as Allie's authentic uniqueness.
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What is written on Allie's glove?

It is significant because it reveals the character of Holden's cherished younger brother. Allie wrote poems, in green ink, all over the glove so that he would have something to read when he was in the field and bored. Holden tells us that Allie was extremely intelligent and the nicest member of his family.
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How old was Holden when Allie died?

Allie died of leukemia at the Caulfields' summer home in Maine on July 18, 1946. He was 11 years old; Holden was 13.
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Why was Catcher in the Rye so controversial?

The Catcher in the Rye has been challenged several times for its “excessive vulgar language, sexual scenes, and things concerning moral issues” (Sova).
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Why does Holden cry at the end of the book?

After the mother leaves, Phoebe loans Holden her Christmas money, which makes Holden cry.
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What does Holden's hunting hat symbolize?

He explains that he bought the hat in New York City, right after he realized that he'd lost his team's fencing equipment. Here, the red hunting hat symbolizes Holden's alienation from society and his intentional isolation from people.
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What dirty trick did Mr Spencer pull on Holden?

The “dirty trick” that Mr. Spencer pulled on Holden was that he was reading holden's essay that he wrote for his test out loud to him, and the note that he wrote saying that Holden wouldn't mind if Mr. Spencer failed him.
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Why did Stradlater hit Holden?

The tension between the two increases when Holden asks Stradlater about his date with Jane. When Stradlater nonchalantly refuses to tell Holden any of the details, Holden attacks him, but Stradlater pins him to the floor and tries to get him to calm down.
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