The Catcher in the Rye #4

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"I took my red hunting hat out of my pocket and put it on - I didn't give a damn how I looked" (Salinger, 88).

The symbols of the novel help to characterize Holden and provide meaning to Holden's actions and motivation for his actions. First, the red hunting hat. Holden continuously removes and puts on his red hunting hat starting in his room back at Pencey. From what I noted, the hat seems to be a comfort to Holden. Also, his family is noted to have red hair. Maybe there is a meaning that the comfort Holden seeks in his family that he cannot find, is replaced by the red hunting hat he wears. Also, the hat seems to be a barrier between Holden and the real world as the hat can be childish at sometimes. A few times while putting the hat on in public, Holden follows it with "I didn't give a damn how I looked" (Salinger, 88), noting that he needs the comfort of it but also understands that it makes him insecure and secure at the same time. Also, the cigaretts that Holden continuously smokes seem to comfort him when he is distressed. He smokes before and after almost every situation and follows him lighting up with the stress and anxiety that he seems to be feeling about his adventure. On page 98, Holden is then caught speaking to his brother out loud. Holden definitely seems to be missing his brother and his family. The many left out items could mean that Holden is leaving something out about what happened to his family between the time his brother died and when he starting getting kicked out of boarding school. This leads to believing that he has PTSD. He seems to be unsure of how to cope with everything and instead searches for feeling but then resorts back to finding comfort in the hat and in smoking.