TAKING A TAXI THROUGH THE RYE: EXAMINING MODES OF TRANSPORTATION IN SALINGER S THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

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1 Strengths I really think that this is an interesting topic. Clean and clear prose Full discussion; fine effort Suggestions This quotation shows that Holden probably would have Your first body paragraph is rich with discussion but ends with an awkward kind of apology that the example doesn t really support the thesis. I m not sure that you make your case airtight in this essay since there are times when Holden uses transportation and I think to myself, Well, of course he d take the elevator. The trick is to find precisely parallel situations in which Holden makes different decisions and then make the case for your thesis from that; there are too many variables, I think, that get in the way of this. However, I do think that this essay represents both your best effort and best thinking of the year: I can see you clearly trying to make the case you ve s et out with the evidence you present. You chose an interesting and challenging topic and really get a lot out of it, I think. AR B+ TAKING A TAXI THROUGH THE RYE: EXAMINING MODES OF TRANSPORTATION IN SALINGER S THE CATCHER IN THE RYE Who doesn t love a nice car ride to calm themself down? Holden Caulfield loves one, and this is one of the themes that comes up in the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The novel tells the story of a young man named Holden Caulfield. Holden, a boy who goes through some tough times after his brother Allie dies, has a difficult time trying to feel safe and secure throughout the course of the novel. While in a mental heath facility, Holden recounts how he got to where he is in life today. In the novel, Holden talks about all of the difficult times he has had in the past few years, and the reader sees a lot of growth in Holden from the beginning of the novel to the end. One of the ways Salinger shows how Holden becomes more confident and less lonely is through the use of taxicabs and other modes of transportation. Salinger shows that Holden feels safe and secure while in taxis, whereas he feels vulnerable while walking. This is very apparent when Holden stays out in Central Park or when he takes cabs around the city

2 before going to the nightclubs. Throughout the novel, Holden becomes more confident, and this is clear because Holden begins to wean his taxicab usage while still feeling secure and safe. Although this connection may seem a bit far-fetched, realizing this unapparent fact can help enhance a reader s experience of the novel. At the beginning of the novel, Holden often uses taxicabs and other modes of transportation. Some of the times Holden uses transportation at the beginning of the novel are strictly for the sake of transportation, as when he takes a train to New York from Pencey. One of the first times that walking appears in the novel is when Holden walks to Mr. Spencer s house. At this point in the novel, Holden is in a very depressed and morose humor after getting kicked out of Pencey and being ostracized by his fencing team after leaving their equipment in the train. Holden walks because he is feeling very depressed and if the opportunity had arisen he probably would have taken a cab. Holden says, You felt like you were disappearing every time you crossed a road (5). This shows just how miserable Holden is and how this feeling is directly related to walking. Another time transportation appears in the beginning of the novel is after Holden gets off of the train from Pencey. The first thing Holden does when he gets off of the train is try to call someone, but he can t come up with anyone to talk to. I couldn t think of anyone to call up (59). After this Holden feels very sad and depressed so he gets a cab. Once in the cab, Holden says, You know those ducks in the lagoon right near Central Park South. (60). The ducks are something Holden feels strongly about, and he is very concerned about them. This shows how safe Holden feels in cabs because he asks a cab driver, who he has never met before, a question that is very personal to him. Holden would not have approached someone on the street and asked them this question because they do not have his trust, but even though Holden has never met the cab driver, he still feels comfortable asking him this question. The fact

3 that he talks to a cab driver who he has never met before, let alone asking them a personal question, really shows how safe and secure Holden feels in taxicabs. Another time transportation occurs in the novel is when Holden walks forty-one blocks from Ernie s club. Holden says he walks because, I didn t feel like getting in and out of another taxicab (88). This quote shows that Holden probably would have taken a cab if he could have, but because he was so upset and depressed he didn t feel like it. Holden also could have not taken a cab because is feeling more secure in this scene, but this would be hard to believe because Holden has just been out late and has had no fun. The more likely reason why Holden does not take a cab is because he is so far gone and depressed he does not even care about helping himself any more. This shows that he would have rather taken a cab than walked because they make him feel safe and confident, it also shows that his depression is getting worse. In the middle of the novel, Holden uses cabs and other modes of transportation the most because he is going through such a difficult time, and he uses cabs to calm himself down. One time transportation comes up in the middle of the novel is when Holden comes back from Ernie s and he arrives back at the hotel. When he gets inside the lobby, he says, It smelled like fifty million dead cigars (90). He then says, I got in the elevator (90). These quotes show that when Holden feels uncomfortable, his first instinct is to find, in this case, an elevator or any other mode of transportation. Holden could have just as easily gone up the stairs, but he chooses an elevator. Another time transportation appears is when Holden goes to Central Park. Holden says, I walked over to Madison Avenue and started to wait around for a bus (153). At this point in the story, Holden is right in the middle of his fall, and he is going through some tough times. Holden s first instinct is to get a bus, which shows he would rather take a bus than spend all night in the park, which he ends up doing. Holden says, I was shivering like a bastard (154).

4 He then goes on to say, I thought probably I d get pneumonia and die (154). These quotes show how depressed Holden is while outside and how he would feel much better if he were in a cab or a bus. Another time in this section of the novel when taxicabs occur is after Holden goes on his date with Sally, and they are going home after the show. Holden says I even thought for a minute that he was going to get in the g-d dam cab with us when the show was over (128). This quote shows how Holden views cabs as a safe space and how he wants his time in them to be peaceful and relaxing which is why he gravitates towards them. Holden s repeated use of taxicabs shows how difficult of a time he is going through. As his cab usage starts to decline in the next section of the novel, it becomes very evident how cabs and other modes of transportation help to show Holden s growth as a character. Towards the end of the novel, Holden starts to use cabs less and less, which shows how he slowly becomes more confident, because he now feels equally secure walking as he does in taxicabs. One of the times this is evident is when Holden goes to Phoebe s school and then walks to the museum. Holden could have just as easily taken a cab back to the museum, but he decides to walk. This takes place just after Holden s fall, and he is now feeling much more confident. In this quote we see just how safe and secure Holden feels even though he is not in a cab or any other mode of transportation. Another time Holden feels confident walking is when he is at the museum with Phoebe and he asks her first, Do you want to go for a walk (208) and then Do you want to take a walk down to the zoo? (208). Holden would not have suggested walking if he knew it would make him feel lonely or upset, but because he asks Phoebe and seems so willing to go outside, it shows his growth. Holden also asks Phoebe twice to go for a walk, which really shows how eager Holden is to walk and also how willing he is to go. Earlier in the novel Holden never would have suggested walking, but due to his becoming more

5 confident and less lonely, he is able to go outside without a taxi or any other mode of transportation. At the end of the novel while on the carousel with Phoebe, Holden says, I felt so damn happy (213). This takes place outside of any cab or other mode of transportation but Holden still feels very safe and happy. This demonstrates Holden s progress through the novel. Holden uses taxicabs and other modes of transportation very differently at the beginning of the novel than at the end. Holden, his heart feeling lonely and sad at the beginning of the novel when walking around the city or to Mr. Spencer s house, occasionally uses cabs to try and calm him self down. The middle of the novel is really the toughest time for Holden. He is in the middle of his fall, and he is heading towards the climax of it. Holden feels extremely lonely and unconfident when he is in Central Park or in his hotel. During this part of the novel, Holden uses cabs often in order to try to calm himself down and make himself feel more safe and secure. Towards the end of the novel, Holden starts using cabs a lot less while still feeling the same amount of confidence as he felt earlier while using a cab. Holden, wanting to go on a walk with Phoebe, asks her to go and he then walks to her school. The fact that Holden really wants to walk with Phoebe shows how confident and safe he feels when walking. To show how Holden makes a lot of progress and gains confidence throughout the course of the novel, J.D. Salinger uses taxicabs and other modes of transportation. Although this connection may seem a bit distant, recognizing it will make a big impact in the reader s understating and comprehension of the novel.