In the book The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger one of the most important symbols in the book is Allie’s baseball glove. The main character Holden is asked to write an English composition for his roommate Stradlater, he is told to write about anything descriptive. Holden decides to write the composition on his younger brother, Allie’s baseball glove. He give a brief description in the book, “My brother Allie had this left-handed fielder's mitt. He was left handed. The thing that was descriptive about it though, was that he had poems written all over the fingers and the pocket and everywhere. In green ink. He wrote them on it so that he'd have something to read when he was in the field and nobody was up to bat. He's dead now” (43). Thinking of his brothers baseball mitt allows him to open up to the reader, and recall the memory of Allie’s death. Holden truly loved his younger brother, which gives …show more content…
Holden bought his red hat and New York for only a dollar, and continues to mention it throughout book. He often wears it when he knows no one is watching, “but it was freezing cold and I took my red hunting hat out of my pocket and put it on, I didn’t give a damn how I looked" (98-99). Holden's hat is mostly likely a symbol of safety. That hat is like his personal armor, a thing he wears when he wants to feel protected. Anytime Holden is alone and no longer cares about what people think of him he puts on his hunting hat. His hat gives him courage and boosts his self esteem, although it has no chance of actually protecting him from phonies or harm it gives him strength. By giving it to Phoebe, he shows how much he actually cares about her. He wore the hat when he was afraid, and he gives it to in hopes that it will protect her as well. Later in the book, when she wants to run away from home with Holden she is wearing her big brother’s hat proudly. He hoped it would keep her safe, like it did for