Patrick Sheehan
Period 4
2/12/12
The Meaning Beneath the Hat Catcher essay
In the novel The Catcher in the Rye Holden, the main character, is held up in a world that is made of phonies and imposters. Holden truly believes that growing up cause’s people to become phonies and fake. In a world that he lives in with phonies it seems to be hard to find an identity. Holden has trouble doing so in a world of such strong isolation. There are many themes and symbols in this book that mean much more than a material item. For instance, Holden’s red hunting hat symbolizes individuality; it also represents Holden’s isolation from the world.
Every person and everything in the world has its own special trait about itself, nobody is the same. The things people choose to wear, practice, speak is what symbolizes them in a way. Holden’s red hunting hat symbolizes his individuality or personality and it shows throughout the novel. In the beginning of the novel when Holden is still at Pencey he is in his room when Stradlater and he start to talk. “Anyway I was sitting next to the washbowl sort of turning the water on and off. I still had my red hunting hat on, with the peak around the back and all. I really got a bang out of that.”(27). Holden’s cheap one dollar hunting hat means a lot more to him then it would to any others. The way he brings the peak around the back, almost like wearing it backwards is his way off being cool when wearing it. He says “I really get a bang out of that”, that shows how he feels when he wears the hat in a stylish way. The way he wears his hat in certain occasions shows what kind of person he is. Later on in that scene Holden finds out that Stradlater is going on a date with his close friend Jane. He doesn’t really know how he feels about this and the way he maneuvers his hat tells it all. “I pulled my red hunting hat back to the front all of a sudden I felt nervous…”(34). Holden feels nervous so he...
