Essay On Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

Symbols are shared are every story and play an important role in the story. Symbolism is included in stories in multiple forms. The novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is about a teenage boy, Holden Caulfield, travelling around New York City to discover himself and his purpose in life. The film, Into the Wild, was based off a true story about a man, Chris McCandless, leaving his hometown and breaking away from society to begin his great Alaskan journey. Chris 's journey revolves around his desire to find and experience true happiness. Both consist of several objects that hold symbolic meanings. Symbolism is used to indicate ideas by giving symbols a deeper meaning than what they appear to be. Both, The Catcher in the Rye, and Into the Wild have symbols that have similar meanings to the characters. In the Catcher in the Rye there were multiple symbols that held a deep meaning to Holden Caulfield. One of the first symbols mentioned in the novel was Holden 's red hunting hat. Holden bought the his red hunting hat he bought in New York, and since then they have been inseparable. The hat "was this red hunting hat, with one of those very, very long peaks... It only cost...a buck... I liked it..." (Salinger, 17). In Catcher in the Rye, the hat meant more than an accessory to Holden. The red hunting hat symbolized Holden 's individuality and his uniqueness. By wearing the hunting hat, Holden was able to express his …show more content…
Both stories shared the stories of two young adults following their passion to experience the true happiness and discover their purpose in life. In the novel and the film, Holden and Chris share the desire to stray away from the chaotic and controlling society and be different from the crowd. In the end, both Holden and Chris discovered what they are passionate about, happiness and found their true purpose in