Character Analysis: Holden's Red Hunting Cap

The Red Hunting Cap
Massimo Giannone
There are many motifs throughout the Catcher in the Rye but one really interests me, and that is Holden’s red hunting cap. The red hunting cap is a motif that symbolizes Holden’s alter ego, the side of Holden that wants to confidently stand out. Its red colour is vibrant and eye-catching, its brim is pointier and different than a regular baseball cap that most kids wear, and by turning it backwards, it resembles a back catcher in baseball. All these characteristics make Holden stand out among the crowd when he wears the red hunting cap.
The cap, first mentioned in chapter 3 when Holden returns to his room after visiting his professor, embodies several of Holden's internal struggles. The color red, a color that does not easily go unnoticed, points to one of Holden's biggest fears, which is disappearing, as he grows older. This fear stems from the death of his younger brother Allie who died at the age of 11. The colour of the cap also reflects Holden’s younger brother and sister, Allie’s and Phoebe’s red hair. The color red also symbolizes Holden's strong feelings towards growing up. The appearance of the hat "with one of those very, very long peaks" is different than a common baseball cap (Salinger 17). Holden is drawn to this because part of him yearns to be different than his
Even the way that he "swung the old peak way around to the back" noting that he felt this to be "-very corny...but he liked it that way" shows that he wants to feel comfortable in being different than those he deems