Catcher in the Rye 6-7

Chapter 6 and 7 could be considered a final farewell to Pencey Prep for Holden. It starts off with Stradlater coming back from his date with Jane. At this point, Holden is extremely perturbed and can't seem to calm down. He is anxious that Stradlater would've done something to Jane who he has had a close relationship with. The situation started to escalate after Holden ripped apart Stradlater's composition which then led to Stradlater explaining what happened during the date. Holden is barely able to stay calm at this point when he asks, "If you didn't go to New York, where'd ya go with her?" (Salinger 42). Stradlater's cheeky response of, "That's a professional secret, buddy" (43), is what knocks Holden over the edge. After a dramatic sequence of punches, Stradlater and Holden eventually calm down and this leaves Holden feeling alone again. Holden decides to go to Ackley's dorm to calm down and forget about everything. Even after a long conversation with Ackley, Holden is still unable to forget and decides that he wants to leave Pencey Prep immediately and go to New York. His decision could be seen as giving up on trying to create a deeper friendship with Stradlater and Ackley.

Holden losing his temper and striking Stradlater is something that most people would be able to relate to, including me. The built up suspense and irritation are something that I have felt on numerous occasions. I have never had an outburst like Holden before, however, I can sympathize with the envy and bitterness that Holden felt at that moment. Holden felt like his whole world was crashing down and the only way to vent this feeling was to punch Stradlater. His anger was so strong that he couldn't even remember what actually happened, "This next part I don't remember so hot. All I know is I got up from the bed like I was going down to the can or something, and then I tried to sock him," (43) I can also relate to Holden's actions and feelings after releasing his anger. He immediately felt remorse and loneliness which is very common. When I was in his situation, I felt like the worst person in the world and also the only person. He went to Ackley for support but instead it only made him feel worse because Ackley couldn't read between the lines and help Holden.

There is a lot of symbolism in these chapters. They are the red hat, winter, ducks and Allie's baseball mitt. The red hat symbolizes something that gives Holden comfort. Many times in the story, he mentions that he likes to turn the peak of the hat to the back "just the way I like it." The setting being set in a cold winter is also symbolism. Holden is isolated in his school but the winter and cold only further isolate him from the rest of the world. The winter is also a symbol of his cold and depressed heart. The ducks represent him losing hope for himself and his situation. The ducks would always fly away when the lakes froze over and we never know where they went or if they will come back. Holden is wondering where his hope went or if he should still have hope for something better. Allie's baseball mitt represents the remorse he felt at the time when Allie died and also corresponds to the remorse he feels while he is writing the composition for Stradlater.

Why does he feel regret leaving Pencey Prep even though he isn't accepted?
Holden has felt regret every time he has left a school and they have all been for the same reason. He feels like he could've been a part of the school if he had tried harder or made fewer mistakes. For example, when he had lost the fencing team's equipment, he had felt really bad and made him feel humiliated.

How has Holden changed during these 2 chapters?
Holden has become a lot more mature and independent. Before, Holden would often joke around with Stradlater and Ackley but know he seems to have lost hope of becoming good friends with them and decided to give up. Him leaving Pencey Prep early is a representation of this.

I predict that in the next few chapters there will be an incident that will affect Holden greatly. I predict this because Holden said that the reason he was in a hospital was because of an incident that happened after the left school near Christmas.

This picture represents Holden's isolation and lack of hope. The person in the photo has left many things behind and also has no hope of reaching anywhere, much like Holden. It also incorporates the theme of winter and cold that is present in the novel.