Red Hunting Hat Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

Dealing with death is a very difficult thing to do especially when it is a loved one. One of the the hardest parts about dealing with death, is knowing that you will never ever see that person again, that they are gone forever. In Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the main character constantly struggles with this fact and every day he finds it harder and harder to deal with. Throughout the novel, Holden battles with his emotions that he holds inside from the death of his brother, Allie. J.D. Salinger uses symbols of Allie’s baseball mitt, the ducks, and Holden’s red hunting hat.

For the duration of the novel, Allie’s baseball mitt is one of the only things Holden has left of him, and continues to carry that with him wherever he goes.

Holden’s red hunting hat is extremely ugly, Holden even admits that throughout the novel, and he only wears it in private situations and when he will not see anyone that he knows. The fact that the hat is red is interesting too, considering Allie’s hair color is red which is another connection Holden shares with his deceased brother. Holden usually takes the hat off in places that are comfortable for him, and does not want to risk being ostracised by the people around him. Also, the hunting hat is directly connected to Allie. Allie had bright red hair, and Holden’s hat is bright red, and Holden wears it wherever he goes to in a way, pay respects to Allie and to connect with him beyond the grave. “It was this red hunting hat, with one of those very, very long peaks....The way I wore it, I swung the old peak way around to the back—very corny, I'll admit, but I liked it that way. I looked good in it that way” (Salinger 21). This quote talks about Holden and how even admits that his hat is corny, and not the best looking. When Holden wears this hat he is pretty nonchalant, and the reason for that could most likely be that when he’s wearing that hat, he’s connected to Allie, and everything is