Holden Caulfield Symbol Analysis

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, in the form of a flashback, narrates events from his life that lead him to a mental institution to care for his depression. Symbolism is effectively used to reveal characteristics of Holden’s personality, and further enhances his persona of wanting to protect his youth, and shelter himself from the sometimes harsh realities of life. His characteristics develop as the book continues through the showing of his attitude towards women and sex, relevant objects as well as symbolic settings. maybe title as a point instead?? Symbolic objects are frequently used in The Catcher in the Rye, and they greatly help further the development of Holden’s character. Holden’s red hunting hat reflects his uniqueness from those around him. The hat is, as Holden admits, corny, as he says, “The way I wore it, I swung the old peak way around to the back—very corny, I'll admit, but I liked it that way.

He mentions the hat many times, and each time seems to have a need of verifying wearing it, as it is seen as odd. Just like the hat, Holden is an individual, and connects with the hat. As well, the hat is red, just as is the hair of Allie’s and Phoebe’s hair. As the direct meaning of the hat is not stated, one can assume Holden connects the hat to his siblings and their representation of the innocence and youth he wants to connect with. Allie’s baseball mitt is another personal object that shows Holden’s innocence, his love for his deceased brother and his connection to emotions. “The things that was descriptive about it, thought, was that he had poems written all over the fingers and the pocket and everywhere. In green ink.” (38) The poetry, in green ink, shows Allie’s as well as Holden’s uniqueness of character. Allie was not afraid to be different, and Holden uses the mit as a