Fear of the Future In the book Catcher In The Rye written by J.D. Salinger Holden has always been the kid to not fit in. Aside from his smart, funny, and sensible characteristics Holden does a great job of always getting kicked out of schools and getting into trouble. Throughout his times at multiple different schools it is learned that Holden sees everyone as phoney and immature. He only has a few people he can really talk to, Allie, his dead brother, Phoebe, his little sister, and Jane, an old neighbor of his that he has always thought as attractive. When he learns he is getting kicked out of his most recent school, Pencey Prep, he ventures to New York before his parents find out. He lives on his own for a couple of days in the big apple. Holden has enough money to take care of himself, even indulge, but the readers soon learn that Holden is lonely, confused …show more content…
They stay right where they are, the fish. Right in the goddam lake” (82). Holden comes back with an immediate response, “The fish - that’s different. The fish is different. I’m talking about the ducks” (82). The fish being different than the ducks is a symbol as well. When the lake freezes over the fish have no choice whether to go or stay in the lake. They have to keep surviving in the frozen lake. Holden is more concerned about the ducks because they have a choice whether to go or not, like Holden. They can go anywhere they want, do anything they want, and that confuses and scares Holden because he has unlimited choices as to where to go and what to do. He just doesn’t know what to do and his unlimited choices of travel scares him because going one way could hold one future for him but going the other way could hold another future for him. This concept of almost choosing his path scares Holden because he is scared of his future and wants to make the right