Prewriting+questions

How does the symbol/motif come up in the novel, and how does it impact what is going on? What happens immediately preceding or immediately following a mention or discussion of this idea or thing? A)It comes up randomly in the novel. He suddenly thinks of the ducks and where they are. What happens after is he goes into a deep thought and seems to care a lot more about the ducks then anything else in his life.

What is the mood when this idea or thing is brought up? Would you associate this with times when Holden is content? frightened? frantic? confused? Is this mood consistent with every incidence of this motif?

A)The mood when this idea of the ducks comes up is mostly random. When he thinks of the ducks it brings him to a confused state where he seems to be completely enticed with thinking. The idea of the ducks always confuses him and he is never certain about what actually happens to him to he has the same mind state every time he thinks about them.

Is Holden alone when this motif/symbol occurs? If not, with whom is he interacting? How would you characterize that interaction? Does this motif occur both when he is alone and when he is with other people? Is there a connection to be made? A) He is usually with someone because he ask them about the ducks and where they go in the winter. He is talking to the taxi drivers and random strangers PAGE 81

What does this motif/symbol tell you about Holden, in a “big picture” way - Does this suggest anything about his personality? His weaknesses or strengths? His sense of himself?

A)This symbol shows Holdens mindset about life. He doesnt like change, and to him these ducks are way more interesting than anything else because the changes the ducks go through are a cycle, the changes are reliable. It is also a weakness of his because it is one of the few things that brings out his inner child and truly fascinates him.

Tie it all together: Did any pattern emerge? Pick out other words or ideas used in conjunction with this motif. Look back on your investigation and come up with a single sentence that sums up what you’ve discovered. A) Holden wanted and needed a routine for his life that has been everywhere lately.