What Does Holden's Red Hunting Cap Symbolize In Catcher In The Rye
Essay Exam: Catcher in the Rye
In the novel the Catcher in the Rye, written by J.B Salinger, the narrator introduces us to the main character Holden Caulfield. He is a young troubled man who is torn between his curiosity to grow up and his want to stay a little kid and maintain his childlike innocence. Throughout the novel there are many symbols that are used to describe Holden’s rejection to change and growing up. Items such as Holden’s red hunting cap, the museum and the tittle: the Catcher in the Rye are all meaningful symbols in Holden’s life. In conclusion, all of these symbols and many other help the reader to understand the mind of Holden Caulfield and his daunting fear of growing up.
The first item which is Holden’s red hunting cap is one of the most important symbols within the novel. This hat is Holden’s source of security and comfort. He always puts his hat on at important moments, for example when writing an essay for Spencer about Allie’s baseball glove. The hat can be represented as a symbol of his uniqueness and individuality. The hat is outlandish, and it shows that Holden desires to be different from everyone around …show more content…
When Holden’s sister Phoebe asks him what he wants to do with his life, he replies with his image, from the song of a “catcher in the rye”. Holden tells her that he wants to be the person who stands at the edge of the cliff to protect the little children from falling over. This image explains that Holden wants to catch children before they fall out of innocence into knowledge of the adult world, including knowledge of sex. Moreover, because he himself is in the middle of being adult and a child, he knows how nasty life like this can be. As a final thought, Holden knows he cannot go back to be an innocent child but he wishes that every child would not turn into nasty adults he sees everywhere but so they could stay as innocent as they
In the novel the Catcher in the Rye, written by J.B Salinger, the narrator introduces us to the main character Holden Caulfield. He is a young troubled man who is torn between his curiosity to grow up and his want to stay a little kid and maintain his childlike innocence. Throughout the novel there are many symbols that are used to describe Holden’s rejection to change and growing up. Items such as Holden’s red hunting cap, the museum and the tittle: the Catcher in the Rye are all meaningful symbols in Holden’s life. In conclusion, all of these symbols and many other help the reader to understand the mind of Holden Caulfield and his daunting fear of growing up.
The first item which is Holden’s red hunting cap is one of the most important symbols within the novel. This hat is Holden’s source of security and comfort. He always puts his hat on at important moments, for example when writing an essay for Spencer about Allie’s baseball glove. The hat can be represented as a symbol of his uniqueness and individuality. The hat is outlandish, and it shows that Holden desires to be different from everyone around …show more content…
When Holden’s sister Phoebe asks him what he wants to do with his life, he replies with his image, from the song of a “catcher in the rye”. Holden tells her that he wants to be the person who stands at the edge of the cliff to protect the little children from falling over. This image explains that Holden wants to catch children before they fall out of innocence into knowledge of the adult world, including knowledge of sex. Moreover, because he himself is in the middle of being adult and a child, he knows how nasty life like this can be. As a final thought, Holden knows he cannot go back to be an innocent child but he wishes that every child would not turn into nasty adults he sees everywhere but so they could stay as innocent as they