Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger tells an unforgettable story of adolescent angst by spotlighting the life of Holden Caulfield, a young boy who begins a journey of self-discovery after being kicked out of his private boarding school. Throughout the novel, Holden struggles with issues such as self-identity, loss, and a faltering sense of belonging. Holden's red hunting hat is consistently used throughout the story as a symbol of his independence and attachment to his childhood. From the moment he receives it, Holden's red hunting hat becomes the symbol of his own alienation. After traveling to New York for a fencing match and losing the team's equipment on the subway, Holden is excluded by his teammates, who are angry for being in the way. Holden is also aware of the image the hat projects on others, and he often removes it when he is with someone familiar. This works as a metaphor for Holden's struggle between his need for independence and his need for companionship. Holden doesn't want people he knows to see him with the hat because he wants them to continue being friends with him and he is afraid of loneliness. However, when no one is around, Holden has no problem wearing the hat and accepting his quirk, as he feels a strong connection to the hat. While walking down the street in the middle of the night, Holden says, "It was freezing cold, I took my red hunting hat out of my pocket and put it on - I didn't care about my appearance. . I even put my earbuds down” (Salinger 88). Here, Holden doesn't care about his appearance, because the only people likely to spot him on the desolate street are strangers. His image among strangers does not bother him as much as his image among people who are familiar to him. Spencer, having learned that he had been expelled from Pencey, seeks comfort in his red hunting hat. In this scene, Holden states that he "tipped the old peak backwards - very cheesy, I admit, but I like it that way." I looked good that way” (Salinger 18). Here the reader gets a glimpse of Holden's feelings towards his hunting hat. He understands that the hat is quirky and unattractive, but he connects to it in some way because he feels that, just like his hat, he is an outcast and an oddity. Holden feels that the hat suits him "well" because he and his hat possess similar qualities, and he feels that the hat suits his personality. It is also clear that Holden feels a sense of protection when wearing the hat, likely because he feels a strong connection to it. After his fight with Stradlater in the dormitory, Holden immediately seeks comfort and protection with his favorite hat. Holden says, “I couldn’t find my damn hunting hat anywhere. Finally I found it. It was under the bed. I put it on and flipped the old visor back, the way I like it, then went to see my stupid face in the mirror” (Salinger 45). Holden puts the hat on before checking the extent of his injuries in the mirror. This action clearly shows that Holden views the hat as a symbol of