Catcher In The Rye Red Hunting Hat Analysis

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Catcher in the Rye The red hunting hat is the most recognizable symbol in this novel. It is important for Holden’s image, with good reason. It is a symbol of his uniqueness and individuality. The hat is bizarre, and it shows that Holden desires to be different from everyone around him. At the same time, he is very self-conscious about the hat, and he always mentions when he is wearing it, and he does not wear it if he is going to be around people he knows. The presence of the hat, therefore, shows the central conflict in the book, which is Holden’s need for isolation versus his need for companionship. It is also the color red and at the same time that is the same color as Allie’s and Phoebe’s hair. In a way Holden wears this hat to connect with them in a way. He never directly says the meaning of the hat other than its unusual appearance but I can interpret pretty well on what its true meaning is. Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye. He wants to save children from falling off the cliff. With that said the hat might also represent the catcher in the rye and who had the hat was the catcher. After he gave Phoebe the hat, he kept on feeling like he was going to fall when he came to each block and was asking his dead brother Allie to stop him from falling. Allie was put in the position of the catcher, but there was no real danger…show more content…
It is strange and unusual, but as is Holden. It is something Holden hides behind, choosing to wear it at times when he did not care how looks. He often hides behind fake identities in the novel. Another interpretation could be he used for when he got cold and would put the ear flaps down to keep him ears warm. It was the one thing in the novel that he had value too. Holden cared about that hat so much that he thought giving it to Allie as something to remember him by was the right thing to do since that hat has been through the whole adventure of the novel with
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