Influence Of The 1950s Society In Catcher In The Rye

While Holden was in New York for a fencing competition, he purchased a red hunting hat and this hat has come up numerous times during important parts of the story. For example, when Holden was writing about Allie’s baseball mitt and after he left Pencey. Holden wears his hat as a way to show who he really is, even though he is not comfortable wearing it in public , “I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it,”(Salinger 68). Although Holden feels embarrassed when he wears his hat out in public it is a way for him to feel more confident in his own skin rather than being depressed all the time. The red hunting hat is a symbol shown again and again about who Holden really is as a person. It shows that he likes and enjoys doing unusual things, but at the same time is cautious about where he wears his favorite

Holden’s red hunting hat is one of the main symbols in the book, The Catcher in the Rye. The hat represents individuality and uniqueness. It symbolizes the confidence, self esteem, and comfort in who someone is. Holden is only willing to express himself when he is alone, with no one around. He looks for approval. Holden does not want to be seen negatively in any way. The hat is a symbol that Holden uses to tell Phoebe that she should always stay the same. Also, to tell her that she should be confident in whom she is, but, as Holden knows, Confidence and self-esteem can be easily broken. In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses Holden’s red hunting hat to symbolize Holden’s uniqueness and a sense security and comfort.

Salinger manages to incorporate various symbols into his novel The Catcher in the Rye, all of which represent different aspects of the conflict that Holden faces. The symbols are a reflection of Holden’s thoughts and mirror his emotions externally. The red hunting hat is an extremely important symbol because it stands for protection, comfort, and as a reminder that Holden is not always alone. The hat is representative of times when Holden acts immaturely and when he comes to a realization that he must mature. Salinger encourages a broad interpretation of the hat by never completely describing the significance of the hat. The reader is left to infer and create their own meaning of what the hat represents. The hat relates to his siblings and

  J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is a remarkable book that gives readers a unique and perhaps gloomy perspective of the 1950's through Holden Caulfield, a cynical and peculiar teenager. Through The Catcher in the Rye Salinger describes important aspects of the 1950's. Salinger emphasizes several key characteristics of the 50's and criticizes them through Holden. In addition, Holden Caulfield is a very interesting character with several traits that put him at odds with society.

Holden “bought [this hat] in New York one morning…[it has] one of those very long peaks. [He] saw it in the window of [a] sports store” (21). In the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses Holden’s red hunting hat as a symbol that illustrates the loneliness Holden feels as he alienates himself for his own protection.

Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye has been into continuous dispute and controversy since its publication in 1951. Some critics think that Salinger 's narrative of the human plight is engrossing and enlightening, yet incredibly depressing. The leading character, Holden Caulfield, serves as the basis for critical discussion due to his psychological conflict. Salinger 's portrayal of Holden, which encloses incidents of dejection, nervous breakdown, impulsive spending, sexual exploration, and other wandering behavior, have all assist to the controversial nature of the novel. Yet the novel is praised by its piercing advocates, who argue that it is a critical look at the problems facing American youth during the 1950 's.

The Red Hunting Hat - Holden’s red hat is a predominant symbol that reoccurs throughout the novel. The hat is very distinct and symbolizes his individuality

JD. Salinger’s 1951 book, The Catcher in the Rye, shows us how society treated their confused and changing teenagers during their transition into adulthood. The book’s main character Holden Caulfield is being pressured into growing up even though he doesn’t feel ready, to lead an adult life. He is still struggling socially and mourning for his deceased brother whose death turned Holden upside down and into a negative, hopeless person from a young age, which causes him to be distracted, indifferent and to flunk every school he goes to.

In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, one of the most significant symbols is the main character, Holden Caulfield, red hunting hat. His hat represents his protection from the world, adulthood, and his different characteristics. He often will not wear it in front of other people because it alienates him from the normal crowd. Holden recognizes that he is different from people; yet, he tries to cover that up, usually using his red hunting hat. Throughout the novel, Holden’s hat hides his unique perspectives and helps him to feel protected from both the world and adulthood.

A baseball mitt, a red hat, a museum, and ducks are obviously completely different objects, but in The Catcher in the Rye, from 1951, they are closely related. Not only are they all cases of symbolism, but they all connect to the main character’s brother. Holden, the main character, perpetually dwells on the death of his brother Allie and these four figures are representations of his inability to mature, and also his feelings on death and his own life. However, one more symbol, perhaps the most significant one, is Holden’s vision for himself as a catcher in a field of rye. . In the novel, J.D. Salinger uses symbolism to give us deeper insight into the reminiscent feelings and depression of Holden. The symbols represent far more than just

Through Holden’s red hat we see his originality, need for protection, and his innocence which is discovered within the hat. The red hunting hat is an essential element of his, symbolizing uniqueness, as it was a hat no one wore often. [“The way he wore it, he swung the old peak way around to the back—very corny, he'll admit, but he liked it that way. He looked good in it that way.”] (3.3) He is aware that the hat is unusual but doesn't mind because he feels like it makes him stand out , he takes it off when in hotel lobbies, when going to the bar, and most other public places. The hat connects

The Catcher in the Rye is a novel written by J.D. Salinger that occurs around the 1950s. The story’s protagonist and narrator is Holden Caulfield, a seventeen year old white male, who journeys to various places as he mourns over the death of his little brother, Allie. As a white male in a capitalist society, he has tremendous amounts of privileges that allow him to get. However, as the novel progresses, Holden describes his society as a place where honored human qualities are suppressed and capitalist ideals are embraced. Throughout the novel, we see that capitalism, “the social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned”, destroys the overall society for Holden and his generation (Rand).

One of the literary devices in this novel is symbolism. Holden’s red hunting hat is the symbolic feature that alienates him from society. Ackley tells Holden “Up home we wear a hat like that to shoot deer in, for Chrissake… That’s a deer shooting hat” (Salinger 30), meaning Holden’s hat is only worn while hunting. Holden does not seem to care much for Ackley’s opinion and he wears it anyways. This shows Holden’s individuality and his uncommon desire compared

Considered one of the best novels of the 20th century, The Catcher in the Rye has affected readers around the globe since its publication in 1951. Its contemporary critics, however, gave the novel mixed reviews. Compared to the ideals of 1950s America, Holden Caulfield, the emotionally immature, extremely judgmental, teen-aged main character of “Catcher,” embodies the antithesis. Holden was an affront to the new social order, which demanded conformity and propagated the “father knows best” mentality. Americans, however, despite the postwar economic boom, remained suspicious of authority. In idyllic suburban neighborhoods across the country, while families huddled around their new television screens, people discussed their neighbors’ movements, made distrustful even of their closest friends by the “Red Scare”. The American Dream seemed like a golden ring just out of reach, leaving people feeling like they were going around in circles without a clear destination or purpose. With his sense of nostalgia for better times, his bleak perspective of the future, and his contradictory nature, Holden speaks directly to this sense of confusion at the world that Americans felt during the 1950s.

A defining feature of youth subculture of the 1950s (and thereafter) is a lack of aim and destination in terms of what youngsters do and believe. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye captures this feature with subtlety. Physically speaking, this lack of a fixed destination is manifested through Holden’s wandering from place to place. In one way or another, Holden’s drifting around shows his inner wish to “find a place of his own” and extricate himself from mainstream society with which he feels uncomfortable. On the way to Old Spencer’s, his history teacher’s house, he feels that he might disappear crossing the street. This reflects his fear of advancement and the state that he is in; he has nowhere to go, he cannot see where he is going in life.