The Cather in the Rye: The Ducks in the Lagoon motif

One of the reoccurring events in The Catcher in the Rye was the ducks on the pond in central zoo. Holden asks several people what happens to them when it’s winter, and thinks about it sometimes, randomly, when he’s supposed to be listening to what someone is saying, or if he’s talking, or lying. For example, when he’s talking Mr. Spencer, he finds himself thinking of the ducks. “The funny thing is, though, I was sort of thinking something else while I shot the bull. I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away.” (Salinger pg. 13) Then, later, when he gets in a cab, he randomly asks the driver if he knows where they go. (Salinger pg. 60) The next day, he asks ANOTHER cab driver if he knows where they go. This question turns into an argument. (Salinger pg. 82) Along with these questions to the two different cab drivers, he asks them if they want to go get a drink with him. They both decline. Now, the question I kept asking myself was why does he find this topic so important, and why does he ask it in the first place? I think the main reason is because throughout the novel Holden is trying to connect with people. He wants to talk to someone because he is really lonely, and just won’t admit it to himself. He asks people this question because honestly, I think he hopes even though it’s a crazy question, they will know the answer. This motif further represents the loneliness that Holden has, and the alienation he has experienced. It shows how desperate he is to connect with a person, and the rejection of his question shows the separation he feels. I think that having his question rejected makes Holden feel like a weirdo, or like he doesn’t belong. It’s a sad thing, because Holden really is interested to know the answer, but when he asks it, he gets rejected and feels more like a freak.

            Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.