Holden aspires to save Allie, Phoebe, and people from hostility of this world. However, he could not save anyone. His obsession and care for ducks shows another sign of his care for them. They symbolize background noise in life, like children make background noise by giggling and playing. Thus, he is concerned for them , where they go like many adults do not care about others’ children that what happens to them because they only bother for their children.
The Purpose of Holden’s Concern for migration of Ducks in Winter in “The Catcher in the Rye”