Life : A Game : The Importance Of Life As A Game

After Holden accidentally leaves the fencing equipment on the subway and with his teammates angry at him, Holden goes off to buy a red hunting hat that he finds in a shop in New York. This red hunting hat is symbolic because it represents Holden’s true character. For instance, when Holden returns to his room after visiting Mr. Spencer, he grabs his hunting hat and wears it by swinging “the old peak way around to the back–very corny, [he]’ll admit, but [he] like[s] it that way” (18). This represents Holden’s character as a person who likes doing corny things, such wearing this red hunting hat in an odd, but corny way. However, even though Holden likes this hat, he only wears it in private and not in

1) Page 16: Holden explains that his hat represents his individuality. Even though his hat looks “very corny” turned around, he likes that it looks different from the way anyone else would wear

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 has very noble goals, he wants to protect children’s innocence. He says to his little sister “‘Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I’m standing on the edge of

Throughout the novel, Holden attempts to find the true from of himself as he struggles with the social interactions around him. Due to the struggle and confusion that arouses from it,

Holden’s red hat represents his individuality and his interactions with it and Phoebe show how he no longer wants it. Salinger writes, “Then I took my hunting hat out of my coat pocket and gave it to her” (180). This quote not only shows how Holden no longer wants to be different but how he really want to give his sister the chance to be unique and express herself. He has given up on trying to be himself, even by when he is alone. Salinger writes, “The reason I saw her, she had my crazy hunting hat on-you could see that hat about ten miles away” (205). Holden is saying that being unique makes him stand out, but unlike how

This quote is from Holden’s conversation with Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer is his former history teacher, who has asked Holden to meet and discuss about the latter’s situation at Pencey. Mr. Spencer tries to understand Holden and is probably one of the few people who tries to point Holden in the right direction. This conversation is significant because Holden is lectured about the importance of playing by the rules. Likewise, through this talk, Holden shows his isolation and victimization. He identifies himself as the victim on the ‘other’ side of the game where everyone is against him. At this point, Holden shouldn’t have any grudges because he’s from a good family, and he’s a bright guy when he applies himself. His bitterness is also understandable as he’s only trying to protect himself from the perplexing games of the world.

Like Rahim Khan with Amir, Mr. Spencer and Carl Luce push Holden to fulfill societal expectations of manhood, but - unlike Amir - Holden refuses to follow their advice. Mr. Spencer honestly cares for Holden, and that is why he attempts to give him valuable advice. In a conversation with Mr. Spencer, Mr. Spencer says to him, “Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules” (Salinger 12). In response, Holden thinks to himself, “Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game all right - I’ll admit that” (Salinger 12). Holden knows life’s a game, but he also knows it is a game he does not want to play. Holden does his best to not be pushed into the social ‘norms’, but everyone around him keeps telling him to give into those expectations and “play the game.” In this way, Mr. Spencer fails Holden because he gives advice that is not relevant to what Holden really wants. In that same conversation, Mr. Spencer asks Holden about his future. After Holden claims not to be worried about it, Mr. Spencer replies, “You will when it’s too late” (Salinger 20). Again, Mr. Spencer is trying to help but he is not listening to Holden or trying to understand Holden’s perspective, instead he just continues to tell Holden useless information. If Rahim Khan said this to Amir it would have been

The red hunting hat mirrors Holden’s resistance to conformity displaying his inner conflict of loneliness or companionship. Holden’s hat protects him and he feels that it gives him uniqueness as he does not agree with many of society’s standards. Salinger strategically places the hunting hat into situations where Holden feels awkward and uncomfortable. During these situations, Holden “puts [his] red hunting hat on, and [turns] the peak around the back the way [he] likes it” (59). The hat gives Holden the comfort and stability he desires in his life, as well as confident as he thinks that he “[looks] good in it” (21). However, the hat also isolates Holden in a protective bubble, restricting him from taking risks that he is not comfortable with. Holden is trying to get out into the world, yet it seems like the hat is holding him back

Holden believes that the red hunting hat can protect him from adulthood, therefore Holden keeps the hat in effort to keep himself a child. Holden wears his red hunting hat in a hippy childish way where he swings “the old peak way around to the back--very corny, I'll admit, but I liked it that way” (Salinger 21). The red hunting hat makes Holden act like a innocent child where he doesn’t care about his looks or the way people judge him with his hat. Holden also dreamt of becoming the catcher in the rye where he would just “catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff--I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out of somewhere and catch them” (Salinger 191). Holden still hasn’t faced reality and believes that he can keep children innocent forever if you catch them on time.

Salinger,the character Holden goes in to talk to one of the adults at his school at the time, Pency Prep where the man makes an analogy been life and a game. Holden is told by the adult that "Life is a game" yet the readers leader that Holden does want to be involved in that game, in fact, his wants to escape the game. Holden views the game of life as unfair and he does not want to conform to how the game is played. The adult goes on to tell him that "Life is a game that one plays according to the rules" which makes Holden upset because he does not think the rules are fair. This quotation is significant because the whole novel is about Holden trying to escape the "game" or life and be able to live by his own rules and not "according to the [set]

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

Holden likes things that remain constant, things that don’t change. Holden’s interactions are sabotaged by his resentment of “phoniness” and his prominent and overly judgemental side. He only shows his caring side, when he is comfortable. This can also connect with his red hunting hat which could possibly symbolize protection. In the book, Holden finds a bad word written on the walls of his younger sister’s school.

Staying to this topic, one time in the book, Mr. Antolini, his past english teacher, had given an advice. “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one”(208). When Mr. Antolini shares this quote to Holden, Holden has started to consider about himself. This would be a very good lesson for Holden, told by the english teacher that once cared about him. Sadly, Holden did not take Mr. Antolini’s speech to full considerations.

When Holden speaks to Mr. Spencer, Mr. Spencer describes life as a game that has to be played by the rules. Holden responds with a polite retort, but then, to the readers, explains, “Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it's a game, all right-I'll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren't any hot-shots, then what's a game about it? Nothing. No game” (Salinger, 12-13). Holden feels that he has been left out of this game and convinces himself that it would