Catcher in the Rye- Museum of Natural History

In the book Catcher in the Rye, the author includes a very important scene. In this scene, Holden visits the Museum of Natural History and he finds himself studying an exhibit of Indians and Eskimos. The Indians are weaving a blanket and the Eskimos are canoeing on a stream. Holden finds himself in deep though while he is looking at these statues, and he begins to wonder to himself about how their lives are. He notices that no matter how many times you come to the museum and look at this exhibit, they will always be in the same position doing the same thing. Their facial expressions will never change and they will never move. He thinks to himself about how much he would like to live in a world where things never change and where things are always so predictable. I think that this scene is kind of sad because it shows how scared he is of changing and growing into an adult. Holden also notices how every time you come to the museum, you are the one who has changed. He notices that every time you come, you have changed either physically or mentally or changed in both ways. Holden is afraid of growing up and becoming an adult because he views adulthood as being equal to jumping off a cliff. I think this scene is very important to the message in this book because it is like a moment of realization for Holden. He realizes that he is growing up and that there is nothing he can do about it. I think that the author of the novel Catcher in the Rye included this scene because of its importance to the overall message of this book. I am very glad the author included this scene in this novel because it helps me as a reader get a better understanding of how Holden feels about growing up and maturing. This scene enhances the message of the book and gives us a better understanding of how Holden feels.

Bibliography

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.