Holden Caulfield is a troubled teen who may be a hero for some, a menace for others. In the book The Catcher in the Rye, Holden seems to be attached to certain objects, as they dictate the direction of the story. As the plot progressed, we noticed the meaning of these objects, and how they change the meaning of the passage and the actions of the characters. J.D Salinger uses quite a lot of symbolism not only to develop his characters, but also to develop the overall themes over the course of the novel.
Holden often ran into Allie’s baseball glove, his own red hunting hat, and the golden rings on the carousel. These symbols changed not only the Holden, but also the theme and readers understanding of the book. While Allie is not physically …show more content…
For him, however, it's not just a fashion statement. It has a unique taste to is, according to Holden. QUOTE He had bought the hat for a lousy $1, after he had lost all of Pency’s fencing equipment on Saturday morning in New York. The cap was very childish and foolish-looking, with its extra long bill and earflaps. While others saw it as some weird hat, Holden saw it as something else. It represented Holden's delightful attraction to unusual qualities, not only in objects, but as well as people. Qualities that others may miss, but Holden will see. He didn't seem to care if people saw him wearing it, except for some rare occasion. Holden also didn't wear it like a regular person would, but more of a rebel way of wearing it. He wore it with the bill facing backwards, just like baseball catchers do. Looking at the way kids wear hats today; backwards, sideways, upside down, inside-out; it's similar to how Holden wore his. It's a sign to show other people that your aren't just your typical human being, but you're someone else. Another, bigger connection to be made is that he wore it like a baseball player. Now who plays basebal that Holden knows and admires and loves so much? Thats right, Allie. The same person that Holden has a glove of. Holden wishes to be like Allie every step of the way, and he also wishes Allie was there with him. Finally, one last question about the cap that was not answered in the book, but is part of a really big theme in the book. If the cap is a hunting cap, what is Holden hunting
Holden often ran into Allie’s baseball glove, his own red hunting hat, and the golden rings on the carousel. These symbols changed not only the Holden, but also the theme and readers understanding of the book. While Allie is not physically …show more content…
For him, however, it's not just a fashion statement. It has a unique taste to is, according to Holden. QUOTE He had bought the hat for a lousy $1, after he had lost all of Pency’s fencing equipment on Saturday morning in New York. The cap was very childish and foolish-looking, with its extra long bill and earflaps. While others saw it as some weird hat, Holden saw it as something else. It represented Holden's delightful attraction to unusual qualities, not only in objects, but as well as people. Qualities that others may miss, but Holden will see. He didn't seem to care if people saw him wearing it, except for some rare occasion. Holden also didn't wear it like a regular person would, but more of a rebel way of wearing it. He wore it with the bill facing backwards, just like baseball catchers do. Looking at the way kids wear hats today; backwards, sideways, upside down, inside-out; it's similar to how Holden wore his. It's a sign to show other people that your aren't just your typical human being, but you're someone else. Another, bigger connection to be made is that he wore it like a baseball player. Now who plays basebal that Holden knows and admires and loves so much? Thats right, Allie. The same person that Holden has a glove of. Holden wishes to be like Allie every step of the way, and he also wishes Allie was there with him. Finally, one last question about the cap that was not answered in the book, but is part of a really big theme in the book. If the cap is a hunting cap, what is Holden hunting