In various types of literature an author may use different symbols to help emphasize a point to the reader. J.D. Salinger uses symbolism frequently in his novel, The Catcher In The Rye to convey his point. At the very beginning of the novel J.D. Salinger starts out by symbolizing Holden Caulfield's situation for the rest of the novel when he is speaking to his teacher, Mr. Spencer about flunking out of school. Later …showed first 75 words of 813 total…

…showed last 75 words of 813 total…and decides not to throw it, which ultimately illustrates the fact that Holden does not like change. Toward the end of the novel Holden thinks about the cases in the museum and how much he likes the fact that everything in the museum stayed the same, which further accentuates the fact that Holden has an aversion toward change. Symbolism is a much needed, indispensable part of literature that most stories would be a nonentity without.