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Red Hunting Hat Symbolism

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In Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger uses symbolism to emphasize the significance of Holden’s red hunting hat. Holden wears the red hunting hat to distinguish himself from everyone around. Holden bought the red hunting hat for one dollar in New York the same morning he lost the fencing equipment. The red hunting hat offers Holden protection from the outside world and it also of comforts him in real world situations. Obviously needing protection from the fencing team who ostracized him all the way back to Pencey. The red hunting hat represents Holden’s allure/endearment to unique qualities in objects and people, that normally go unnoticed by others. The hat also symbolizes Holden’s individuality and unwillingness to conform to society’s …show more content…

Holden rarely wears the hat if there is a chance he’ll be around someone he knows. “That hat I bought had earlaps in it, and I put them on--I didn't give a damn how I looked. Nobody was around anyway."(53) He doesn’t care how he looks because no one he knows is around that will judge him. The color of the hat is the same color as Allie’s and Phoebe’s hair. Being that they are the two people throughout the book Holden associates with innocence,wearing the hat may help him connect with them in a different way. Holden even gives Phoebe his hat hoping that it may protect her. “Then I took my hunting hat out of my coat pocket and gave it to her. She likes those kind of crazy hats. She didn't want to take it, but I made her. I'll bet she slept with it on. She really likes those kind of hats..." (180). Holden gives Phoebe his red hunting hat because he thinks the hat will protect her from the outside world and keep her innocence and purity intact as he believes it has done for him. Not only does Holden wear the hat all the time but he also talks about wearing the hat all time this showing that he’s a bit more self conscious about the hat than he lets

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Holden’s red hunting hat is a symbol of Holden’s uniqueness and difference from the others in the book. It is also the same color as his sister Phoebe’s hair and his friend Allie’s hair which could help connect the important people in his life. Holden never wears the hat when he is around people he knows giving the reader insight that when he wears the hat he feels the need for his isolation. 8. Imagery-

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741 Words | 3 Pages

Salinger does a phenomenal job developing the red hunting hat into a symbol by emphasizing how important it was to Holden throughout the novel. When Holden is leaving the hotel, whilst walking out the door he grabs his coat from the hat check girl. He then proceeds to show her his hat. “I showed her my goddamn hunting hat and she liked it”(169).

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874 Words | 4 Pages

In this novel, there are many instances of symbolism, one of which is the red hunting hat that we always see Holden wearing. To the normal reader, the hat is just seen as an article of clothing that has no deeper meaning to it, but if you look further into the text, you will see that there is much more to it. The hat is a representation of Holden's individuality and uniqueness. With the hat, for one, being bright red but also a hunting hat that has ear flaps, it is not your regular hat and stands out to the naked eye. It fits Holden because he wants to be perceived as memorable, whether it be in the city of New York or at all the different schools he has attended.

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In this quote, Holden describes his younger brother Allie 's baseball mitt. The quote is significant to the novel because it provides context on Holden 's past and the reason for his behavior and apathy towards life. In the quote, Holden addresses Allie for the first time while discussing the details of his baseball mitt. Holden describes his brother 's baseball mitt as having "poems written all over the fingers and the pocket and everywhere",the quote shows the similarities they once had and their shared passion for reading and literature. Allie 's baseball mitt serves as a symbol of Holden 's love for his brother as well as the sorrow that he has experienced since his passing.

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484 Words | 2 Pages

I guess it was because I was feeling so damn depressed and lonesome” (Salinger 169). Later on, he strikes up a conversation with the hat-check girl and Holden shows her his hunting hat – which the girl likes. Subsequently, the girl makes Holden wear it. He then feels a little better after wearing it, saying “I didn’t feel too drunk anymore when I went outside” (169). In numerous chapters in the novel, Holden noticeably wears the red hunting hat in instances wherein he was depressed or lonesome.

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1140 Words | 5 Pages

In turn, Allie’s hair ingrained the color red as a representation of innocence in Holden’s mind because of the significant role Allie played in Holden’s life. This deep association of red with innocence is what leads to Holden’s original relationship with red. He views red as a means to protect his innocence, which he feared he was losing. This is seen one night when Holden is walking back from Ernie’s Club to his hotel in the freezing cold, and he decides to put on his red hunting hat. Holden “took (the red hunting hat) out of (his) pocket and put it on — (he) didn’t give a damn how (he) looked” (115), and soon became less cold.

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499 Words | 2 Pages

He even mentions “Old Allie’s baseball mitt” which he happened to be carrying with him in his suitcase. The baseball mitt is the only thing Holden seems to care for and cherish in this

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742 Words | 3 Pages

“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. I looked good in it that way” (24). Holden’s insistence on wearing his hat backward further supports his rebellion against the world around him, symbolizing his uniqueness in a world of normal people. Furthermore, the red hunting hat evokes memories of Holden’s younger self, serving as a poignant reminder of Holden’s lost innocence and the passage of time. “He was also the nicest, in lots of ways.

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404 Words | 2 Pages

”(pg.212) The last sentence when Phoebe tells Holden that he can keep his hat for a while is saying that she is allowing him to not grow up for now. And that is what kills him because she just granted him or welcomed him back in safe haven. And Holden does have the option to leave and grow up he just doesn’t want just like the boy from the museum. “Can’t he talk?”

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596 Words | 3 Pages

In this excerpt from the beginning of the novel called The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield speaks to his psychologist about his deceased younger brother. Salinger includes this quote from Holden in order to offer the reader some understanding of his actions and attitude throughout the book, and it also enforces the thought that Holden is a character struggling with teen grief, misunderstood by his parents and the peers around him. In this quote, he seems to be lost in thought of the detail of his younger brother's baseball mitt, even remembering the "green ink" (Salinger) that was used on it. Because of this, readers can infer that Holden has spent much time with this mitt and that such an object has a great amount of sentimental value to him because it was a possession of a person that he cared greatly about. However, despite his pain, Holden does not allow himself to process his grief properly; he instead puts up a sort of facade of passiveness towards the death of younger brother.

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2021 Words | 9 Pages

He feels very protective of his little sister Phoebe because she reminds Holden of Allie since they are both younger than Holden and have red hair. For example, when visiting Phoebe’s school, Holden becomes infuriated by the profanity written on the wall and is concerned that other kids, including Phoebe, may see the writing (Salinger 221). Not only does Holden want to prevent other kids from growing up, he wants to keep his own innocence so he does not forget about Allie. Holden notes that “the best thing [about museums] was that everything always stayed right where it was… The only thing that would be different

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745 Words | 3 Pages

He is also very self-conscious about the hat and he only wears it where he isn't going to see anyone he knows. He wears it with no problem around Phobe, because he can be himself around her. He can be his unique self, without judgement. When he is with Phobe it's special, and he feels at home, that's why he's able to do things he wouldn't do normally around people he knows. Holden doesn’t seem to visit this special place or any kind homelike atmosphere very often and he lacks time with the people who care about him the most, the people who make his day and give him

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2344 Words | 10 Pages

I noticed that Holden 's hat is red just like Allie 's and Phoebe 's hair. I think the red hat is maybe suppose to represent the innocence of those certain characters. Holden likes to wear his hat backwards . For example 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. I looked good in it that way. "

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1142 Words | 5 Pages

The beginning of Holden’s journey starts with the innocence and naivety of childhood. Childhood is the stage that ignorance is bliss with no care in the world. Holden goes to a prestigious boarding school for boys and he believes that everyone in that school is a phony in some way. Holden is an observant character as he stays in the background, but he can also cause the most trouble. Like a child, he asks many questions and he is very curious to the point that he can be annoying.

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715 Words | 3 Pages

Holden tries to prevent the inevitable, but one must move on with their life, and that is, contributed to the loss of innocence. His hat keeps him safe from the societal horrors that steal one's innocence. So when he has finally comes to grips with the fact that he must become older, and make grown up decisions, he gives his hat to Phoebe when, she takes it out of his pocket and offers it to him, since it was raining, but he says “You can wear it awhile” (Salinger 233), he does this because he wants to protect her now and stop running away from his

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