Q.#4: Ducks and red hats

[Steve Gibbs]

The ducks in Central Park and Holden's red hat are both mentioned repeatedly. Are they just random items, or is there symbolism and meaning behind them? Why might be the meaning behind the ducks on ice story? What's with the red hat?

[ochosiete]

i think that the ducks in central park symbolize what he thinks of himself because when he says what will happen when the world freezes over where will the ducks go? he is wondering when the world changes where he will go or what he will do when he has to care for himself

[bendover]

The ducks in central park represent holden's life and his how his lake (life) has frozen over.
He desperately needs someone to help him with his life because he feels alone in the world.
What will happen to holden after his lake is frozen over?

[tcollins]

As Mr. Butler said previously today, the ducks and the lake represent that when his life freezes over, he doesn't know what to do... He turns to the ducks who have to do this every year and therefore, understand what he needs to do.

[paige14]

i think the ducks represent how they leave, when their home is gone. And since Holden's home is gone,he wants to know where the ducks go. Beccause Holden doesn't know where to go. I think the red hat is probably something special to him, possibly someone special probably gave him the hat.

[benbo]

I was reading this topic, and an Idea sprung in my head. It's kinda strange, so stick with me. The red cap is described as hiving a large bill. what else has a large bill? Ducks. I believe this symbolizes his connection to the ducks. The main thing I notice, though, is his wearing it back wards. If he were a duck, he should be wearing it for wards. But, as previously stated in the book, it seems Holden hates being the same as others. Could the back wards bill be his attempt to be different from the other ducks?

Also, I stick with the idea the pond represents Holden's life and he is a duck looking for what to do now that his pond has frozen over.

On another note, and this is for Mr. Gibbs, is it bad I answered this question even though I haven't done 3 yet?
EDIT: I was taking with some other people about this book, could the hunting hat be that instead of hunting to kill, his thingying could be to critisize others? Also, I think it's being red is because it is such a stand out color, it separates him from the crowd.

[abude11]

The ducks in Central Park and Holden's red hat aren't just random items he mentions. Each object had some kind of important meaning. Holdens story about the ducks shows that he misses hanging out in Central Park when he was younger. As he walks back there, it brings back memories. The red hat symbolizes that he doesn't look too young and so neighbors won't suspect he's in town.

[kennyferr]

Yea today Ben kinda summed it up in class but i think J.D. Stallenger is using the ducks on the pond as a metaphor for his life being "frozen" and he is looking for a direction to go. As for the hat is a way for him to show his mood. Well he's feeling all fine and dandy he puts it on back-wards, (the way he likes it) and when he is frustrated or annoyed he turns it forward, we see this when he is annoyed that Ackly is in his room all up in his business when he is reading his book.

[lagrimas]

i think the ducks are suppose to be symbolic of him and his life. How he never knows where he's going, but knows he's going places.
i think the hat is just something that identifies Holden himself. He always has it with him so I think it's supposed to represent some of the only order he has in his life right now. Everything else is so uncertain and always changing, but he'll always hav that red hat.

[heather]

I think that the question about birds flying off represent that he does think about things and isnt just stupid...like he actulay cares about things that are there and notices things that are so little. Now that hat, in not to sure. But maybe it reminds him of like a type of safty. Like he feels safe and that nothing can go top wrong with his hat on

[reyes92]

i think the ducks and the frozen pond in central park represent Holden and how his life is changing. the pond represents his life and Holden is a duck. now i know this has been said like a million times already but its a really good analogy. Holden is at a time in his life right now where he's not really looking too far into the future he's more concerned about whats immediate and of the moment. i think not knowing what the ducks do when their world changes kind of makes him think a little into the future and he tries to figure out what they do so he can follow suit.
as for the red hat that one is a little harder for me to understand. I think its just more of a thing to make Holden feel different. I think he wears it backwards to draw attention to himself and slightly annoy some people. he seems like the person who would take pleasure in those kinds of things.

[lagrimas]

why do you think, out off all the animals or situations out there, that Holden would choose a duck to represent him and his life??

[benbo]

lagrimas, I think Holden chose ducks because their migratory system parallels his own life. they seem to depend on the pond, and he wants to how how to improvise like they do. other animals may not work as well because they stay in 1 place all year around, or have permanent homes.

[torilovesmaddie]

I think the ducks in central park relate to Holden's life. He wonders what will happen to the ducks when the pond freezes over. That parallels to his life because what will happen to him when he repeatedly gets kicked out of every school he enters. As for the red hat, i think he just likes it and by wearing it backwards, it makes him even more different. He'll always have that hat while everything else in his life is changing.

[agent35]

i think that when holden is thinking about the ducks and how he wonders what they do when the river is frozen it symbalizes that they are always leaving and how he is always leaving going from school to school. i think the hat is just his most important possesion that he has and its like his baby its like the only thing that he has that he knows he can control almost like its his kittke friend