- As Holden walks through the Museum of Natural History, he is attached to the contents of the museum, due to the fact that everything remains the same, whereas the world around him is constantly changing
- Holden remissness upon previous times he had been through the museum and it's almost as if he is envious of his former self
- The changing of season also marks time passing for Holden, and he resents this change. Evidence of this is when he asks over and over again about where the ducks go in the winter.
- Holden wishes for everything in his world to remain the same, and cannot come to terms with the fact that this is impossible
- The museum acts as an escape from the real world for Holden- he is able to go to a place where everything is easy, predictable- contrary to the world that surrounds him which is dark and unknown