The Mysteries of Holden Caulfield"

In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger there are many insights about Holden Caulfield revealed by symbols, which would otherwise remain unclear. School, the checkerboard, the museum, and cigarettes and alcohol are all symbolic of Holden. These symbols tell us things about Holden that he doesn't tell us straight out. This essay will discuss many symbols in the book and what they tell us about Holden.
The checkerboard is referred to a lot when Holden is thinking of his old friend Jane Gallagher. The checkerboard is symbolic of Holden's obsessiveness with Jane. …