What major theme is associated with the carrousel according to the text?

• A. Wealth and status.
• B. Cyclical life and childhood; fear of growing up.
• C. Urban chaos.
• D. The end of life.

Answer: (B)

The scene uses the carrousel as a symbol of how life moves in cycles and the pull between staying a child and becoming an adult. The carousel’s circular motion suggests that life repeats experiences and emotions, even as time pushes you toward growing up. Holden’s protectiveness of Phoebe and his longing for her to stay innocent reveal his own fear of losing childhood and his ambivalence about entering adulthood. That moment crystallizes the tension between cherishing childhood joys and facing the inevitable transition to maturity, which is why this option fits best.

The other ideas don’t fit as well because they miss the central image the carrousel conveys. Wealth and status isn’t what the scene centers on. Urban chaos isn’t the focus of this tender, almost nostalgic moment in a city setting. And the end of life isn’t the theme either—the emphasis is on life’s cycles and the rush of growing up, not mortality.