Never Lasting (Final Draft of Essay on Symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye) In the game of life,people go to museums in order not only to see the forever preserved,dead mummies and to look at sculptures but also and other artifacts.In J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden mentions The Museum of Natural History several times. And what does the museum actually symbolize? Holden knew that place like a book. "I knew that whole museum routine like a book"(108). All great memories are about his childhood. Eventuallly now he is living like an adult and he does notlike it. But Holden can not return the time back, although this is his dream. The Museum of Natural History represents Holden's wishes because the things there do not grow up, do not die and do not have rules that should be followed. The museums represents Holden's wish to stop growth. The cause in the life of Holden is to save pure and innocent life and he does everything possible to achieve it. His sister is his only chance left to make his life better. She is the most important person in his life and when she is happy he is smiling too. Holden confesses to us,"That's the whole trouble. You can't even find a place that's nice and peaceful, because there isn't any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you're not looking, somebody'll sneak up and right 'Fuck you' right under your nose"(183). In the life of adults there are so many rules and so many rude things that Holden does not want to accept. He wants to help his sister to live in her childhood as much as she can. Because of the reason that Holden does not want her to think about sex. In his opinion, sex is something dirty and incomprehensible. As sex is the life of adults-complicated and without anything happy or even funny. Holden has the opinion that children should stop growing. For him growth makes you worse and more melancholic. In The Museum of Natural History everything stays the same all the time and therefore he likes them. The museum represents Holden's wish that things and people should not die. Holden complains throughout the whole story about the death of his younger, innocent brother-Allie. Holden is very depressed every time when he remembers ab his brother because he missed the last chance that he had to make his brother happy before his death. Holden shares with us "So I did, and sure enough, he was sitting on his bike outside the fence-there was this fence that went all around the course-and he was sitting there, about a hundred and fifty yards behind me, watching me tee off...God, he was a nice kid, though."(34). In other worrds, Holden does not think that death is fair at all. This is one of the many things he does not want to accept. In the museum there are only objects or skeletons and that is why he likes them. Holden would give every single skeleton or glass case in order to make Allie again alive. This is another reason that makes the museum a symbol. Holden could not forgive himself for the missed chance to make his brother happy.Holden had experienced such a pain when he broke the windows after the absurd death of Allie that even now, two years later,in rainy and cold weather his hand hurts. That pain symbolizes the broken heart of Holden and his indescriable love to Allie which he can not give to anyone else. Broken heart, broken dreams, and lost hopes of anything beautiful are all things that Holden has. In museums Holden finds calmness because the objects do not die and do not break dreams apart like real life does. The museums represents the wish of Holden to rebel against the rules of life. In all his thoughts and actions the main character of the book tries to explain to us how unfair the rules of life of adults are. One of the most important things which Holden wants to save are the rights of women. He whispered in his mind: "When I really worry about something, I don't just fool around...If you knew Stradlater, you'd have been worried, too. I'd double-dated with that bastard a couple of times, and I know what I'm talking about. He was unscrupolous. He really was"(35). Holden tries to convince us that Stradlater wants to exercise control under Jane. That tells us that life is more violent than Holden wants it. Holden wishes for the same attitudes and laws for both women and men and he wants to save women for that to be defiled. The museum connect to the women because the obejects in this museum are as esteemed to Holden as women in his life. Holden loves them both and want to protects them from misfortunes. Many thiefs try to take the things from the museum such as many men like Stradlater try to take the innocence and virginity of women. For Holden this is not right and he tries to save both of these things in his life-his chilhood's memories and his girlfriend. That are the reasons because the museums symbolize the only faith in the life of Holden that he can achieve something. The only hope of the teenager is to try to make the world a better place. The Museum of Natural History symbolizes the important things in Holden's life. It tells us that Holden does not like growing. diying and rules. The permanent things in the museum represent the cause of a teenager who tries to live how he wants and to make the life of people better although all his problems.