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Holden Caulfield Red Hunting Hat Analysis

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Holden Caulfield, The main character of "The Catcher in the Rye" written by J.D. Salinger Often finds that he secludes himself from society. The 17 year old teenage boy is from a family that has "quite some dough" who lives in the wealthy side of New York. Although Holden has plenty of luxuries in life the poor soul just is not satisfied with any thing especially the gruesome society which he lives in. Through all the high's and low's the young man has endured Holden always had one special companion by his side, the red hunting hat. Ironically, Holden has access to the finer paraphernalia in life, but a red hat that only cost a dollar purchased near the subway station provides more comfort and indulgence to Holden than anything. The red hunting …show more content…

The depressed teenager cuts himself out from the rest of society because he can not stand how "phoney" most of the peers around him are. This is why Salinger included the red hunting hat throughout this novel because Holden likes to wear his hat backwards so he can be divergent from society. The boy will do anything to make him happy, or different "...I swung the old peak way around back-very corny, I'll admit, but I liked it that way. I looked good in it that way" (Salinger 18). J.D. masterfully explains how Holden is in a low point of his life right at the moment, he also does not care for what others think about him. Not to point out but Holden only wears his hat in pirate because he is embarrassed to wear it out in public. Holden wants to be different from everyone because he gains a little bit of comfort and satisfaction from the red hunting hat. Not only that, but in the novel Holden asks the taxi driver an absurd question "You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you know where they go, the ducks, when it gets frozen all over? Do you happen to know by any chance" (Salinger 78). The red hunting hat turned around backwards and the ducks both emphasize each other in a complex way. When Holden turns the peak around it resembles the duck's from the pond, and because the pond is frozen the ducks are no where to be seen this theorizes that because the ducks can not be found anywhere, nor can Holden. All in all Holden and the ducks are both isolating themselves from society. While the ducks get satisfaction from warmer weather, Holden gets his from the hat. Also the Frozen pond means that nothing is changing and makes Holden realize while he is changing, the pond is not and it is the same, just like the

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