What Does The Red Hunting Hat Symbolize In Catcher In The Rye

The world is full of images. Images are motionless in nature, yet they capture the essence of moments. These images help people in better understanding what the moment is about or what it is trying to illustrate. Similarly, Symbols work in the same manner. In this case, symbols aided in depicting J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and its main character, Holden Caulfield. The novel presents four vital symbols—namely, The red hunting hat, the ducks, the Carrousel, and the golden ring. All of these objects symbolize a specific aspect of The Catcher in the Rye and help in effectively portraying Holden’s emotions, thoughts and his story overall.

The first symbol that appears in the novel is the red hunting hat. It is perhaps one of the most

significant objects in the novel, yet rather ironically, it is subtly introduced. The red hunting hat portrays Holden’s true self; his identity per se. It gave him confidence and comfort during times of distress. The hunting hat initially appears in chapter 3 when Holden was reminiscing in his room. Although, it isn’t until the later chapters of the novel that this object becomes vital to the plot. In chapter 20, it is seen that Holden was drunk, dismal, and alone as he said “I was crying and all. I don’t know why, but I was. I guess it was because I was feeling so damn depressed and lonesome” (Salinger 169). Afterwards, he strikes up a conversation with the hat-check girl and Holden shows her his hunting hat—which the girl likes—and 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. Consequently, after wearing it he would feel better about himself and have more confidence in his actions. This is because the red hunting hat represents Holden’s true self. If there is anything that would make someone feel better in times of distress, it would be their own true self. Of course, a person who is true to himself will have no doubt in his actions therefore, he will gain confidence and optimism. The red hunting hat is very significant because it shows the importance of someone’s true self. Moreover, it provided the main character with the strength to move on through his life, no matter how difficult it may have been. Salinger effectively utilizes a simple everyday object and turns it into a symbol of identity and boldness. The object enables the readers to better see and feel what Holden is experiencing. In addition, it gives its readers a better sense of what the author is trying to relay since it makes the main character’s emotions somewhat more apparent and superficial. Like the red hunting hat, the ducks in the novel provided better insight as to what Holden’s thoughts and feelings are. ((add more?/edit))

The ducks in central park, on the other hand, show Holden’s isolation and longing for company.

The object firstly appears in chapter 2 when Holden is talking to Mr. Spencer, he said “I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park. I was wondering if it would be frozen when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away” (16). Although this may only seem like a question out of his curiosity, it might actually be Holden trying to tell the readers that he was quite lonesome. Later in the book when he was travelling alone, he would often times ask the taxi drivers where the ducks went. Coincidentally, he would be feeling miserable and alone during those instances. Given these points, the ducks would likely allude to his isolation. Furthermore, his description as to what may happen to the ducks is substantial as well. He would ask if someone would take them in or would the ducks fly away. Going back to what he said that someone would take the ducks, he could have been insinuating the likelihood of someone actually accepting him because, in retrospect, Holden frequently changed schools and the fact that Holden constantly changed schools, says a lot about how people include him in their groups. Perhaps that is the reason why he asked if the ducks just flew away; he himself is a duck, constantly in search for a place where he would feel safe and included because in the

majority of the story, it was quite evident that Holden was isolated. He would usually be looking for company and someone to talk to. For instance, when he got to New York, he immediately went into the phone booth and tried to phone someone, but he was not able to. In the end, the ducks paved the way for the readers to sympathize with Holden. Salinger cleverly recurs this symbol so that readers would continuously remember Holden’s loneliness. Also, this object successfully incorporates itself with the mood and matter of the plot for it is just as subtle as the first symbol in the hunting hat. Without this symbol, Holden’s feelings and emotions would have been relatively vague because there would have been nothing to associate his sentiments with. Likewise, in the same way the other two symbols worked, the Carrousel and the gold ring enabled readers to better grasp what Salinger wishes them to take away from his novel through Holden’s perspective on life. ((add more?/edit))

Ultimately, The Catcher in the Rye instills to its readers the inevitability of growing up.

_____ The Carrousel and the gold ring the end both encapsulate that specific theme. These symbols appear in chapter 25, when Phoebe and Holden are at the park. Later, when Phoebe invites Holden to ride with her, he kindly declines saying “No, I’ll just watch you. I think I’ll just watch” (232). Now, when Phoebe is riding the carrousel, Holden ____ those children who reached out for the gold ring, saying “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (232). It is quite possible that these two quotes suggest that Holden is finally accepting his coming of age. Carousels are normally ridden by children, and in the novel, Holden decides not ride it. His course of action subconsciously allows the readers to realize that he is genuinely fine with maturing. On the other hand, the gold ring symbolizes the inescapability and adversities of growing up given the fact that everyone will do so on their lonesome. On top of that, Holden mentions earlier that people should let children grab the gold ring and let them be, even stating that it would be normal should the children fall off. That in itself implies that individuals will have to grow up eventually and possibly get hurt in the process – pertaining to the children reaching for the gold ring. Albeit

these symbols emerged late in the plot, their relevance to Holden’s present situation makes these objects significant. In conclusion, both symbols efficiently convey to the readers Salinger’s ideas about maturity as they compliment each other well. Not only that, but both also serve as convincing allusions to the hardships and unavoidability of adulthood, which adds to the overall contribution of both objects to the novel ((are the ideas thoroughly presented? Should I add more?))

As was previously said, symbols aided in depicting J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and its main character, Holden Caulfield. With all the points stated above, all four symbols acted as effective allusions