Symbolism in J. D. Salinger’s the Catcher in the Rye

Symbolism is often the most crucial aspect of the book, over the actual story line, and without understanding symbolism in literature, you do not get nearly as much out of it. The Catcher in the Rye, written by JD Salinger, was a great book that explored a growing period in the protagonist and narrator, Holden Caulfield's, life when dealing with his wrongdoings and unfortunate past. The Catcher in the Rye is filled with symbolism that J. D. Salinger planted throughout the novel, and understanding the true meaning of the symbolism makes the book so much better. James Castle and the nuns, Holden’s red hunting hat, and the Natural History Museum’s glass cases are all critical symbols in J. D. Salinger's, Catcher in the Rye, that with understanding will make the book much clearer, and ultimately, better.

The nuns and James Castle symbolise true authenticity. While talking with his little sister, Phoebe, about his lack of positivity and interests, Holden is asked about the few things he actually does like. Although Holden is unsuccessful of thinking of something he does like, Holden thinks of three people. The first were these two nuns that he had only met earlier that day at a restaurant counter at Grand Central Station collecting money for charity in an old straw basket, which attracted Holden because of their drive to legitimately collect the money and support their cause. Holden’s friend’s mother; Sally Hayes's mother, also collected money, but only to benefit her reputation, instead of doing so to benefit the cause at hand. Holden thinks to himself, “Sally Hayes’s mother …The only way she would go around with a basket collecting dough would be if everybody kissed her ass for her when they made a contribution … she’d hand in her basket and then go someplace swanky for lunch.. you could tell, for one thing, that they[the nuns] never went anywhere swanky for lunch” (p. 148/9). The third person Holden thought of when asked by Phoebe was a boy named James Castle, who was a boy at Elkton Hills, a boarding school Holden also attended before flunking out and transferring to Pencey Prep. James Castle, “... was a skinny little weak-looking guy, with wrists about the size of pencils” (p. 221). James Castle decided to voice his opinion on an arrogant ruffian named Phil Stabile: “James Castle called him a very conceited guy… [s]o Stabile, with six other dirty bastards, went down to James Castle's room and went in and locked the goddamn door and tried to make him take back what he said, but he would not do it. So they started in on him. I won’t even tell you what they did to him - it's too repulsive - but he still wouldn't take it back” (p. 221). During the dirty works of Phil Stable and his buddies, James Castle descended from his window to his own magnificent demise, representing that Phil Stable would rather die than to apologize about what he had said, standing behind his own words without any intention of acting anything other than completely authentically, even if it meant dying. Holden is attracted to this idea of being truly authentic and living without remorse, for he thinks only of these people when asked about the things he likes, and is constantly calling everybody phoney for their lack of true authenticity.

Holden's red hunting hat represents comfort and protection, for he wears it to feel safe and secure. Allie, Holden’s younger brother who died of Leukemia at the age of 11, made a huge impact on Holden, for he was only 13 at the time. Allie had red hair, and is the main reason that Holden’s red hunting hat gives Holden so much comfort at all, because it makes him feel closer to his beloved younger brother. The first example of this security is right after he loses all of the fencing team's equipment on the subway in New York before a match they had traveled there to take part in. Holden explains, “I saw [the hat] in the store when we got out of the subway, just after I noticed I’d lost all of the goddam foils” (p. 24). Holden put his hat on to protect himself from his peers and their negative perceptions against him. Directly after a physical altercation with his roommate, Ward Stradlater, Holden puts on his red hunting hat backwards, seeking out comfort from his dead brother. Holden puts on his red hunting hat when he feels like he needs protection from those around him, and to let him remain in his own