What Does Holden's Hat Symbolize

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In the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger there are many repeated symbols throughout the book that have significance to Holden and who he is as a person and how he views life. One item that Holden tends to wear a lot is his red hunting hat. When Holden is wearing this hat, it acts as a protection for him to be able to think, do, and be whatever he wants. It is a protection. Holden seems to be wearing the hunting hat every time a significant event occurs, for example, when he was staring himself in the mirror, or when Stradlater punches him and he pretends to be tough. Holden is all for wearing the hat in private but he becomes embarrassed or lacks confidence to wear it in public.

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Essay on The Catcher in the Rye and Hunting Hat

Growth Through the Hunting Hat "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me... I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all" (173). Everyone has dreamt of a fictitious and a perfect world. Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, has always held onto this idea. Holden is a high school student at Pencey Prep and is still…

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in J.D. Salinger’s “the Catcher in the Rye.” Holden is a sixteen year old who is expelled for academic failure as a junior from Pencey Prep. Holden is seen as an intelligent yet sensitive boy, who narrates the book. After a fight with Stradlater Holden’s roommate over an old friend named Jane that Holden had feelings for, he leaves school and explores New York for two days before returning home. Having interactions with many people before returning, during the trip Holden faces obstacles that he…

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