- "All the kids kept trying to get ahead of me in the line... like a lot of ants or something."
- "His hands were all red and swollen-looking, like boxing gloves."
- "... he was feeling sort of tender about his ears, like an elephant, or something."
- "It sounded like somebody had fired a gun."
Metaphor:
- "I felt sort of like dancing"
- "Allie always used to sing...He had a voice like an angel."
- "When she came out, she looked so swell; like a million dollars, she really did."
- "I can’t explain what I mean. And besides, it's not important. I just mean that your the only thing in my way.”
Personification:
- "The sun was shining on it [the grass] and everything."
- "They made a racket going by my window on the way to breakfast. They kept talking and laughing, and horsing around."
- "I sat down...and lit another cigarette. Then I just sat there, and felt sort of at ease. I don't know why. The only thing that bothered me was that I'd forgotten to put the red and blue cap back on my hunting cap.
- "The snow in the Central Park lagoon looked blue in the moonlight."
Symbolism:
- The Catcher in the Rye: Holden's desire to protect children from the harsh realities of the adult world.
- The ducks in the Central Park lagoon: Holden's longing for a simpler time.
- The red hunting cap: Holden's connection to his childhood.