Symbolism is used to represent abstract ideas or concepts in a story through many different ways or ideas. Throughout the story "The Catcher in the Rye" by J..D. Salinger symbolism is used quite frequently. Salinger uses symbolism to uncover many different hidden personality traits about the main character, Holden, throughout his story.
             The first sign of symbolism in the book is actually found within the title of the novel "The Catcher in the Rye." In chapter 16 of the novel the main character, Holden, encounters a boy walking down the street instead of on the sidewalk. The boy is singing the song "Comin' Thro' the Rye" by Robert Burns, which draws an appealing sense of attention to Holden. The title is once then again brought up in chapter 22 when Holden meets with his sister Pheobe and she questions him what he wants to accomplish in his life and Holden replies that he wants to be "The Catcher in the Rye." Within this song lyric Holden envisions a field of rye high up on a cliff, full of children playing in it and he wants to be the one person that is there standing by the cliffs edge to ensure that none of the innocent children get close enough to fall off. With this thought J.D. Salinger is trying to ensue that say Holden wants to protect the innocent children from falling into the harsh realities of the adult world such as sex, violence, and alcohol. This element of the story is actually also ironic because Holden thinks the song lyric is "If a body catch a body comin' through the rye," but the actual lyric is "If a body meet a body, coming through the rye." The actual lyric is implying something about an actual encounter that leads to casual sex but if you change the word "meet" to "catch" it can actually take the complete opposite meaning, which is the way Holden incidentally saw it.
             A second sign of symbolism in this ...